In recent years we have received some retro-style car games that enhance the taste. New Star GP, 80’s Overdrive, Slipstream, Horizon Chase Turbo – Senna Forever and Circuit Superstars to name a few that have come out in the last three years, so it’s not for lack of market. Next on the grid is the reboot of Atari’s oldest series, Sprint, but this time under the name NeoSprint.
From the outside, it’s a very cool little game. Small cars that remind me of the old Micro Machines from my childhood that I used to race on more or less complex tracks. The default is an isometric view of the entire circuit, but you can zoom in to focus more on your car. However, I prefer to see the entire layout. The controls are as minimalistic as you would expect from a game like this. Accelerate, brake, turn right or left, and skid slightly. You can put all these skills into practice in campaign mode, time trials, or classic races. Unfortunately, the online part is pretty much nonexistent. There’s no way to compete against others in an online match, but you can play with four friends on the same couch if you feel like it.
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Unfortunately, while it’s entertaining for a while, it doesn’t last long. The feeling of playing for a long period of time wears off. It’s a title best played in sections. It gets very frustrating when the car’s computer steering wheel behaves like a demolition derby. If you manage to tackle another car properly, you can knock it over, but forget about getting on the podium. However, they do tend to get stuck on tight corners. If you hit a wall, it’s like it’s made of rubber because you bounce back onto the track. But that doesn’t matter much because most of the races are very easy. Even though there are only three laps in each race in campaign mode, I came close to going one lap faster almost every time.
However, the difficulty increases on what are known as obstacle courses. You will come across spilled gasoline, cones and other elements that you must avoid. There are races against the clock where you try to win bronze, silver or better yet gold by completing a lap in the allotted time. If you are one cone ahead, you will be penalized with time. If you get stuck in some kind of mud, it means saying goodbye to the gold medal. It requires precise driving, but this is perhaps the most fun game mode. Time trials use the same concept but without obstacles to get in your way. The struggle to shave half a second or a tenth off lap after lap is fun.
The same cannot be said for the campaign mode, unfortunately. I admit that it is not that kind of game and the plot is so lacking that it could have been removed. Choose a cup in different environments and cinemas and carry out four races, the last of which is played individually. We also meet a character, something like a boss for the entire cup, but we hardly get to know him. It appears in all four races, but only before the last one does this quote appear: “A challenge on my turf? Let’s go!” and when he loses he makes a sad comment: “Oh my God! You’re really good!” (The game has no Spanish translation from Europe and the one from Latam leaves something to be desired.) That’s all. It may be a way to make each drink more personal, but it is unnecessary and just as the next drink begins, the previous boss is already more than forgotten.
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Perhaps the best addition to the entire game is the level builder. If you’re good at it or just fancy editing circuits, you’ll have a lot of fun with this mode. A jump at the start, then a hairpin bend that goes over a grandstand? Come on, don’t be shy. You can also share your tracks online, which adds value to the entire game. Because there are people who are great at creating fun tracks. I’m not great in that area, as you can see in the screenshot below.
NeoSprint is a compelling entry in a retro genre that is already overcrowded with games. It has nothing that sets it apart from the crowd, but at the same time offers the most important thing in a car game: the (arcade) fun of driving. At least for a while.
