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SlotZ Racer is an iPhone racing game based on toy slot car racing. Basically, cars race around a track on a set path (defined by a slot which would power the car in real life) with the player only controlling the cars speed. Go too slow and you’ll lose, go too fast and you’ll send your car flying off the track around turns. It’s a simple concept, but it’s harder than it sounds.

The game takes this simple concept and runs with, creating a wide range of possibilities. There are several different race types ranging from the basic race (with a set number of laps) to endurance races (where the player has a set time to complete as many laps as they can. During this time the game shifts from day to night). The game also provides a few additional options like the ability to simulate fuel, which makes racers need to stop every few minutes to refuel.

The game seems to provide a wide range of tracks, but it also allows users to design and build their own. This is, in my opinion, the best feature in the game. The game gives you a blank mat and tracks are built by choosing one a wide variety of track pieces to place next.

There’s one major flaw however. The AI for the computer controlled cars is almost nonexistent. I’ve never seen a computer controlled car take a turn to fast and be thrown off the track. Worse, they aren’t really competitive amongst themselves. On every race the finish order will be the same, with the human player being the only variable. This really makes the multiple race “championships” much more frustrating, as the same car will always earn first or second place points. Since you need to win championships to unlock more cars and tracks, this can really suck the fun out of this game.

Price: $2.99
Links: Developer | iTunes