Hotshot Racing is a rare and precious work that hearkens to the spirit of 90s racing games without being bound by it. A great title for players of all ages and backgrounds, its modern and fresh driving system provides endless joy, challenge and enjoyment. And it has both local and online multiplayer!
Hotshot Racing is a title that fans of racing games will love. Its technical section may not be the most modern, but its good controls, its large number of unlockables and its gameplay make it an accessible proposal that is worth playing if you like the genre.
I got this game about a year ago, and played it a few times, and then got The Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. I played Need for Speed quite a bit, and didn't play this one for a long time. Recently, I came back to this game, and my review takes into account the NFS game (controls, content, etc) to compare HSR to that.
When I first got this game, I definitely undervalued it. I played it a few times, and then forgot about it. It's only after playing NFS quite a bit, and coming back to it, that I've found I'm really appreciating it.
Hot Shot Racing on the switch has fantastic controls; you can drift and change your trajectory while drifting. You can smash into objects and other cars, and feel the vibration in the controller (or handheld) when you do.
You can race as multiple characters; and even win Grand Prix's when you do.
You can earn rewards the better you race, as you get paid, and can use that "money" for suping up cars and characters in the game.
Each character has their own back story, and when they win a Grand Prix, it shows how it affected their life (pretty cool concept - makes it much more engaging).
Overall, I've actually found myself playing this game MORE than NFS - this actually shocked me, as NFS is definitely a good game as well, and very interesting and challenging.
The graphics on Hotshot Racing are not as good as NFS, but that's about the only thing that it's lacking, and in my opinion, it's good enough for the game.
I would definitely recommend this game, as it's become one of my favorites to play.
Fantastic arcade racing game. Reminds me of the classic Sega arcade games like Outrun, Daytona and Virtua racing. The action is fast and frantic. One of the best games this generation.
Hotshot Racing is a high-octane racing treat for the Switch. Whilst self-aware of its 90s inspirations, these never get in the way of providing a solid arcade racer – something any current console will benefit from.
Racing down memory lane has never felt so good. With that being said, it’s unlikely you’ll stay there for too long as there isn’t too much to see. [Issue #2, p.60]
Hotshot Racing looks like a dream come true to those who lived the golden age of the arcade racing games of early '90, but shallow gameplay and bland track design are keeping it far away from those glorious milestones.
A successful attempt to reincarnate arcade races with everything. Perhaps more interesting circuits are missing, but in the whirl of racing, every fan of arcade titles will quickly forget about it. [Issue#309]
I don't understand the reviews placed here by the users. This is very nice arcade racing game and with some nice mechanics skidding the corners/turns where you'll gain more nitroboost by doing this correctly and gaining extra speed by driving behind (slipstream) the other racers. The steering is good, not perfect but solid. Also the performance on the Switch is very good with quick load times and the overall sound is nice with some icon polygon retro gfx from yesteryear and super cool announcer. You win races in 4 GP (3 difficulty modes) or play single-player/multiplayer with different modes like arcade, cops & robbers, ... and also some classic time trails. With the winnings you can buy cosmetic upgrades for your drivers and cars. For the price you can't go wrong!
Rubberbanding-AI kills all the fun. The drifting takes some time to get used too and doesn't feel as rewarding as it should. Hard to enjoy. Really sad, because it has the potential to be a great game.
I read the reviews, watched the videos, and was completely blind-sided by how not good this game is. The drifting is something between terrible and super touchy. Nothing like the arcade racers I own (including Virtua Racer and Daytona). At one point I had 10 races in a row end the same way - on the last lap a CPU collided with the back of my car sending it veering off to the side and T-boning the wall. Your car veers at the slightest tap from a CPU, requiring you to constantly regain control, but the touchy controls mean you are fighting fish-tailing constantly.
Arcade racer = easy to pick up and play.
THIS IS NOT AN ARCADE RACER!
If you go in knowing that you'll feel much better about the experience. This is not a game you can turn on and have your friends join in and play with you. They need to be experts in the game before you can race together.
...and the framerate, which I'd heard called a solid, constant 60 fps, are an inconstant MESS in Cops and Robbers mode, and have random dips on certain other tracks.
For someone looking for a modern day Daytona - this game isn't it. Controls are mess, I recommend looking elsewhere if you want an arcade racer.
Summary Hotshot Racing is a blisteringly fast arcade-style racing game fusing drift handling, razor-sharp retro visuals and an incredible sense of speed to create an exhilarating driving experience.