'Super Night Riders' is a self-proclaimed retro Arcade Racer that ditches the traditional racing formula and focuses on crossing checkpoints until time runs out.
I would argue that this game almost shouldn't be considered a racing game at all. You don't actually compete against other riders (although there are other riders that only serve as obstacles), but rather you just ride from checkpoint to checkpoint, much like the classic retro arcade racers use(actual arcade racers, that is). I guess you can say you are 'racing against the clock'. But by this logic, I suppose you can say that any game with a timer could be considered a racing game.
Regardless, the big takeaway you need from this review is that this game is bad. Like, really bad.
The first issue that needs addressing is the premise. As previously mentioned the entire premise (not a large part of, literally the entire premise) is driving from one checkpoint to another.
Have you ever asked someone what their favorite part of classic arcade racing games is and the response was "The racing part is ok, but I really like the concept of failing a race if you don't hit an arbitrary checkpoint in time"? No. That is because no one has ever said that. Ever.
And for those that are not familiar with the concept, these checkpoints were created for arcade racing games (real arcade machines, mind you) in order to artificially limit the amount of play-time on a machine. Instead of allowing players to dilly dally though the entire course, game developers utilized this checkpoint feature to keep the line moving at arcades by punishing players who were taking too long progressing through the course. This was similar to tactics such as the 'health' system in games like 'Gauntlet', that would count down to your death if you take too long to play.
So the entire premise of 'Super Night Riders' is based on an unfortunate necessity of coin operated machines. I can understand the idea of making a 'retro' styled game that pays homage to those classic arcade games, but they literally forgot to pay homage to the actual games, and only used the flawed game mechanic.
Anyways, next lets move onto the graphics and such. There are two different visual styles, 'Super' and 'Classic'. This is actually very confusing because the choices are brought to you in the difficulty menu. So, when picking your race you get: Super, Classic, and Easy Mode. It makes it sound like 'Super' is hard mode and 'Classic' is normal mode. But really 'Super' is Normal mode with improved graphics, 'Classic' is Normal mode with lesser detailed graphics, and 'Easy Mode' is Easy. Make sense? Of course not. You will find that this is par for the course when it comes to this game.
'Super' mode, while sporting some improved graphics, still looks like something you would play on PlayStation 2. I get that this game is advertised as 'retro', but the outdated graphics looks less like it was intentional and more like it was as much effort as the developers were willing to put into the game. The funny thing is, the game has a hard time handling this mode. With the increased graphics, the game experiences some slowdown (which I found made the game a bit easier, albeit artificially so). It is also hilariously bad to see trees and light poles popping out of nowhere as the game frantically tries to load them onto the screen as you are driving.
Another area in which the game falls short is with it's stage selection. Unlike other racing games that use exotic locations such as Venice and Las Vegas to create an original racing experience and immerse the player in the action, this game gives you some amazing track choices such as: Forest, Desert, Canyon and Valley. I shit you not. What's worse is, each 'stage' is virtually the same gameplaywise, they just do what is essentially a 'skin change' for the backgrounds.
But to add a little flavor to mix, you can play these tracks at: Dawn, Morning, Afternoon, Dusk and Night. It will almost make you forget you are playing the same bland tracks over and over again.
Next, on to the music. I almost feel bad for criticizing the music, because it seems that the developers were really proud of it. Each track actually has it's own song title. Furthermore, they implemented the controller so you can cycle through tracks while you are driving (like you would in real life). Unfortunately, these tracks are bad. While original, they are basically just 45 seconds of music that just loops. The big issue is that most songs don't fit the feel for the game, some being very abrasive. It is like you are listening to the soundtrack at the climax of an action film, but in reality, you are casually riding through the forest. In fact, there was only one song I was able to tolerate. It is not so much that it is good track, it was actually rather forgetful, but it set the mood and essentially served as background noise (which is what game soundtracks should typically strive for). When browsing through guides on this site, I found two different users who suggested turning the music off completely. I can't remember the last time I heard this advice for a game. But twice for the same game? Ouch.
Lets talk about the gameplay. After all, that should be the main focus of any video game.
As you could have guessed, there are some serious issues with the controls. First of all, the game lists the control setup before each race. It has 'acceleration' as RT. While use of RT is not uncommon for racing games, the button typicaly has a variable sensitivity option to make it feel more like how an accelerator would work. For this game, it seems it is pressed, or released, with no variation. This felt a bit unnatural, especially since you need to release the trigger during turns to avoid running off the road. I found out later, in the guides, that you can use the 'A' button as an alternate. Not only does it work, but it works better. It honestly should have been the default. But if you weren't told, or didn't test the controls out for yourself, you would never know. The game doesn't ever list it as an alternate control scheme.
Also, the game has a 'brake' control. Makes sense, except you fundamentally cannot use it. The premise of the game requires you to proceed from checkpoint to checkpoint in efficient time. Using the brake will slow you so abruptly that if you use it, you will likely not make it to the next checkpoint on time. No kidding. You need only release the acceleration button when you need to slow down. Why put it in the game then? Like most other things, because the developers seemed to copy from other games without ever really considering if it made sense.
Another issue with the checkpoint formula is that not all stretches are possible to complete in the allotted time without some time in the bank. What I mean is, you may cross a checkpoint with 0.01 seconds left, and the game awards you an extra 25 seconds. But, even if you perform the next stretch perfectly, you need 26.5 seconds. This means that there are sections where you have already lost when you cross a checkpoint, you just don't know it yet. Glad the game loves wasting our time.
In addition to that, there are lots of issues with the gameplay. Hit detection seems to be a big one. Nothing is more frustrating than hitting a rival (which is almost a guaranteed show stopper on later stages) when you can clearly see that you didn't even make contact. It honestly takes about an hour of playing to get to optimal efficiency. After that, it is just a crapshoot on whether or not you will make a successful run. The game operates mostly on reflexes, which would be great if the game operated a bit better. Instead of formulating strategies, you have to do the opposite. Since the game's hit detection is so unpredictable, you will find yourself wasting valuable time giving other riders a wider berth in the off-chance the game feels like sabotaging your run.
Finally, there is the extras. This game has a interactive manual of sorts, with some neat hand drawn animation. It tries to expand the game by introducing you to the character and rivals, but it is so bland and basic that it isn't even worth including.
And for those that can beat the game with all achievements, you are awarded with an Anime clip. Spoiler: it is a four second clip of the protagonist looking at you. Congratulations! (I suppose)
This entire game was based on a play mechanic that serves no purpose on a console exclusive game. Add to that the effortless graphics, out of place music, questionable control choices and poorly executed gameplay, this was a truly disappointing experience.
1.0