Zippy Race

"Zanily Zip to the Racing Rank Zenith Beyond Your Oppressingly Obstructive Opponents"

Also titled (the Arcade version) as Motorace USA, Zippy Race is another one of those games that has you racing across the United States from checkpoint to checkpoint. While the premise of Zippy Race isn't unique, it does provide a quick source of fun and a bit of freshness every time you loop the game.

The loops play a fairly interesting roll in the gameplay, actually, as you'll be required to play differently on subsequent loops. Each loop is another “CC” class (e.g. The starting 250CC) and loops beyond the first add 60 km/h to your maximum speed. Now, since you start at the 250CC with a top speed of 180, this means on Loop 4, you'll be going twice as fast (360 km/h) than you were when you began. Obviously, the challenge isn't quiescent, it picks up very quickly. Even going at 240km/h could present some problems as the environment will become a real threat.

There are two environments in the game: a highway and a desert. As you race across the US, you'll encounter the highway three times and the desert twice. The desert has many more obstacles than the highway, including rocks, shrubs, and rivers. Your gas is at a premium out there so some predictive and conservative driving. Conversely, the highway only has one physical hazard to call its own, puddles of water. However, what it lacks in road hazards it makes up for in its curves. While the curves are fairly negotiable on the first few loops, the high speeds require you to slow down.

Both areas do share a threat in the form of cars, however. Since you're in a race, you'll have to pass the other vehicles in order to get a better rank. This isn't as easy as it may sound – the opposing cars are ferocious in their goal to maintain their positions. They'll swerve as you swerve in an effort to hit you. Cars pose an especially heinous threat on curves and near other hazards, where they may box you in and leave you very little room to breathe. Ultimately, to pass a car you're going to need to go faster than it.

There are three speeds in the game: slow, fast, and the median of these two speeds (hold both A and B simultaneously). Utilize high speeds to pass cars and slow down if your speed is a danger. Every time you crash you're going to lose some gas, so you're going to want to control your speed as much as possible. The gas meter you'll see onscreen is basically your life meter. You can pick up gas on the road and you get a variable portion of it back depending on how well you do in the races. Gas also runs out as you drive so strive to place well!

If you run out of gas, you will get a game over. If you manage to race to all five checkpoints, however, you begin the next loop. Your Zippy Racer will be a different colour and you'll be going faster. It's a shame, really, the fourth and fifth loop seem to have been designed not to allow progress. The fourth loops drains your gas very fast – you're forced to place well and that's going to be difficult to do without hitting something at least a few times. So, under normal circumstances, the later levels may go to waste (they're hard to reach, and doing so may become tedious). A difficulty select option would have worked out well here.

There is one other mode of play in the game – behind the racer. You'll enter this mode as you approach your next checkpoint. Cars will speed towards you, meaning you'll need to be evasive. This mode does get harder with the loops, but not by much.

However, as far as the replay factor is concerned, the game does well. The game is a nice way to relax if you're not concerned with doing phenomenally well. An actual loop is really short once you know how to control your speed, making it a desirable short-term challenge. As for extended play, you could see just how far your abilities can carry you. If you're set on making it to the higher difficulties, the game may become a little more aggravating and tedious.

The game has a few nice graphical touches that are worth a note. The back of your racer's jacked is animated to show it blowing as you driver your motorbike. The tilting of your racer as you swerve and the wave the bike turns upon collision are also fairly well done. Your racer is pretty basic, a black suit with gloves and helmet colours representing your current loop. The character and bike seem to be the better graphics in the overhead races – the environments and cars are kind of bland. The backgrounds you'll see as you approach a checkpoint are fairly well-done, with some animation. It's an overall decent graphical quality.

The game has a small stable of sounds, like skids and horns, and they fit a racing game. The music also seems to fit, the compositions are appropriate for the high speeds. They're ‘exciting,' the tempo is relatively high for the race music and there very few pauses. Each environment has its own musical track, one for the desert, the highway, and behind the racer. Even the point-tally has a musical score. I've actually grown quite fond of this game's music throughout the years.

Overall, Zippy Race provides a fun and challenging experience. It's difficult, yet the challenge increments are worth experiencing. The later loops are exhilarating, it's a waste we can't select them when we want. The gameplay can and cannot be cantankerous at times. Occasionally you'll be able to slip through the slightest crack, while other times the same tactic will lead to ruin. The loops are short, so if you want a game to blaze through, you may want to consider this one.

The overall score will be a 7/10, the challenge and gameplay are pretty solid, but there's a few issues with collision detection, and the game becoming tedious at times. While it is fun, the fun may last you only short periods. It's got a fair bit of replayability, but there's not a whole lot to spice it up each time. You can try pushing yourself to the higher loops, but you may find that overly frustrating. Besides the downsides, the game is pretty fun and I recommend you give it a try.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/04