Cro-Mag Rally

Filling a void on the iPhone and iPod Touch, Pangea software delivers a new way to look at racing games on a mobile platform. With a price tag of under ten bucks the ease of purchase on the iTunes Application Store, does Cro-Mag Rally deliver an experience that makes the game worth the price of admission?

The hardest part of any handheld game--especially those on a mobile phone--are the controls. The iPhone and iPod Touch make this job quite a bit more difficult with the absence of buttons on the device. To compensate for the lack of physical buttons, Pangea Software utilizes the built in accelerometer, found in all iPhone and iPod Touch devices, to provide a way to tilt your device left and right. This action mimics a steering wheel but causes for some sensitivity problems. After racing a few races, it s a little easier to grow accustomed to controlling your racer. However, I am still not yet ready to turn in my physical analog control sticks.

In addition to the tilt mechanics of steering, players press the lower left hand portion of the screen to accelerate and the lower right hand portion of the screen to use any weapon or item that you currently have. Despite not feeling what I was hitting, I found this portion of the experience to be just as satisfying as a normal racer with real buttons.

Players can choose between nine different courses to race on. To be more open to the casual player, there are no courses to unlock and you are free to race on any of the tracks that you wish. You can choose between racing strictly for first place with three other AI controlled players or participate in the Gather mode. In this mode, your goal is to collect all of the arrowheads in the level and finish in first place. The difficulty can be adjusted but there is enough variety to keep players of all skill type racing without risk of quitting Cro-Mag Rally in frustration.

With great graphics and somewhat challenging tilt controls, Cro-Mag Rally is definitely worth the cost of admission. At $9.99, you will be able to pick up and play a quick race and have a lot of fun. However, without any multiplayer modes, story elements, or any sense of challenge by having all courses unlocked, the hardcore racer may not enjoy himself. For all others, Cro-Mag Rally offers a great racing experience.