When Hotshot Racing first entered the scene in 2020, I admittedly missed out on it despite liking what it was offering. At a time where Animal Crossing was dominating my playtime, with a few other games not long after, smaller games easily fell to the wayside whenever I bought them. And so it was forgotten. Until this year. So now, with this Racing Month, it’s time to see exactly what I was missing.
First thing once loaded up, I jumped into a Grand Prix on the normal difficulty. The first race of that cup immediately had me thinking of Ridge Racer, which is a very apt comparison for the entire game. Races take place across three laps, with a countdown which will time me out should I not get to the next checkpoint in time. Across those three laps, there’s seven other racers to compete against for first place.
The act of driving involves drifting around corners to build up a boost meter. Which is segmented into four slots, with each boost using a full slot. It’s ever so nice to use a boost for a sneaky shortcut or speed up a drift around a long corner. Boosts are powerful, as is the slipstream from tailing another car. I’ve been a fair distance behind another racer as the slipstream effect started quite a few times.
The tracks of that first cup were varied, as are all the tracks featured in Hotshot Racing. Once I ventured into arcade mode, I found that there are four zones with five tracks per zone. For the GPs, there’s a track from each zone. Even among the zones there’s some differences, with a particular favourite of mine being the dinosaur themed track found in the Jungle zone. No matter the track, they all feel well built for the mechanics, even if some favour long easy straights where drifting might not be the best option.
Progression is as simple as competing in the GPs and claiming the gold cup on all five. I’m not likely to be giving any other than the base of normal a try for some time, but I’m sure they’ll be tough whenever I do. Another form of progression is in the unlockables. Eight characters, with each of them having four vehicles. Each vehicle has a checklist of the same objectives, such as boosting or drifting a certain number of times. Each one unlocks a new customisation option.
This type of progression I can see myself investing in, as it means using every vehicle the game has. So far, I already have a favourite from Marcus, being his acceleration class vehicle. And one from Keiko, which is the speed class F1-like vehicle. Winning GPs as characters also presents a few unlocks, as do completing GPs on higher difficulties. Which is why I’m eventually going to tackle them. Though maybe once I’ve done everything else.
Once the first GP had been completed, I found myself in arcade mode. All 20 tracks available to race on, mixing things up such as increasing the number of laps up to seven or mirroring them. Or taking on one of the other modes Hotshot Racing presents here. Where, one game of cops and robbers later, I’ve found a mode that’s going to be the bulk of my playtime.
This is a mode where two racers are cops, aiming to destroy the robbers to bring them to the side of the cops. Each checkpoint the robbers run through on the three laps earns them more money, with the amount determined on a countdown. For each robber that a cop takes down, they get money based on how much that robber holds. Whoever has the most money at the end wins. Should a robber manage to survive the three laps, they will be recognised as such.
It is such a riot of a mode, with so much chaos taking place. At one point I was a cop to start who was crashed out into a barrier. By the time I managed to catch up, the last lap was almost over and barely anyone had been converted by the second cop. Another time I was a robber who survived to the final corner before being taken out. There’s so much to be aware of and so much happening that no two events are ever the same.
The other modes also have that chaos element, with Drive or Explode being like Speed but as a race. Each checkpoint, the minimum speed needed before entering the danger zone increases. Thus, by the end of the race, a single mistake can be very costly. Meanwhile, Barrel Barrage provides an explosive barrel to each racer after each checkpoint, letting them place it wherever. While a single barrel won’t destroy a racer, those barrels will soon provide so many obstacles to avoid.
Hotshot Racing is some of the best racing fun I’ve had from one of these retro-themed racers. A good variety of tracks, vehicles, and modes to swap between keeps things interesting. Some nice driving physics allow for tight fights, even if things get floaty in crashes. And overall, a very nice package that I can easily recommend. It’s one you cannot go wrong with.
Images Taken From:
Hotshot Racing | PC
