Hotshot Racing and Inertial Drift: the second youth of arcade driving games - article

I think it's important to be grateful for what you have and as a fan of driving games I can say with some conviction that we have rarely experienced such a flourishing period. The current crisis that has seen garages around circuits around the world close their doors has put the spotlight on simulations as drivers have fun in the virtual space and show us what a beautiful proposal is currently available: there is iRacing, never like this solid in its 12-year history with rFactor 2 finally shaping up as a worthy rival, all while console gamers recently had the chance to experience the splendor of Kunos Simulations' Competition Racing Asset. And looking even further, on consoles there is a ton of choice with F1 going from strength to strength as off road fans take home not only Dirt Rally but also the equally excellent WRC series. What an extraordinary time to live.

"But!" I already hear you asking, "what about arcade driving games?" Well dear friends, be patient and maybe save a few euros because they are coming. And they will do it very, very soon.

With a large catalog of cars to customize there is a good deal of depth to be found in Hotshot Racing. This coming week is set to be one of the most memorable for the genre ever since Blur and Split / Second collided at the release (and then both had a bad end shortly thereafter but I hope it won't go that way this time), with two of the best arcade racing games of the last decade ready to go head to head. Hotshot Racing is the first contender, the highly anticipated arcade title from the early 90s by Lucky Mountain Games and out on September 10th. The next day will be released the lesser known but no less fantastic Inertial Drift developed by Level 91 and Pqube, a game that draws inspiration from the racers of the late 90s with more than a handful of new features to the formula.