Billy Tompson: 'Tron'-Inspired 'Neon Rider' is a Multi-Tasking Thrill Ride

Saturday, December 11, 2010

'Tron'-Inspired 'Neon Rider' is a Multi-Tasking Thrill Ride

Perhaps you've heard of a little game that came out recently called 'Gran Turismo 5.' The long-awaited racing simulator has finally dropped on PS3, and we've had racing games on our brains. We can't escape the urge to experience high-speed thrills, and we know we're not alone. This week, we're addicted to zooming along, rocketing though our latest picks for Flash and indie racing titles.

'Neon Rider' combines a lot of ideas into one tight, multifaceted racing game. First, we have the simplistic, 'Tron'-inspired aesthetic. Then, there's the drum 'n bass soundtrack that takes us back to our misspent raver days. Gamewise, 'Neon Rider' uses physics similar to another game featured this week, 'Gloomy Truck', but adds a tricky color-changing mechanic. The WASD keys are used to move your racer forward and back, while the arrow keys change your color. Changing hues will make like-colored lines solid, allowing you to ride on them. This is essential to maximizing your route time (as well as not falling to your doom), but is pretty tricky to manage while trying to keep your racer from tipping over. Smart drivers can shave precious seconds off their course by doing risky aerial flips or bold jumps and clever line manipulation. All this adds up to a thrill ride that will test your multitasking abilities to the max.

Gallery: Neon Rider