EnjoyUp Games has been a long-time digital contributor to Nintendo’s digital catalog. Their newest release: Rally Rock ‘n Racing, is the next budget-friendly title to be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
Rally Racing
After Grand Prix Rock’ n Racing and Rock ‘n Racing Off Road being 2D style racing games, EnjoyUp goes 3D with Rally Rock ‘n Racing. With Championship, Time Trial and Arcade modes included, Rally Rock ‘n Racing can surely offer you something to quench your need for speed. Being a budget title, don’t expect the best racing experience out there. Nevertheless, the game does what it says on the (digital) box.
Rock
Besides the many rocks you’ll encounter while driving, the rock in the title obviously refers to the soundtrack. Throughout the game, you’ll hear every rock cliché known to man. Don’t get me wrong, the soundtrack is by all means not bad for what it is. It’s just the fact that in there’s a reason why this type of classic rock ‘n roll isn’t heard on the radio in 2019. It sounds all a bit too dated to give it that little bit of extra.
Arcade feel
The racing itself feels like something you might expect from a budget racing game. The controls work but aren’t always as responsive as we’ve grown accustomed to with today’s hyper-realistic racing games. After a while, I got the hang of it and was drifting in and out the corners like a badass. The only thing throwing me off was the difference in terrain. The time trial track, for instance, features a whole array of terrains to really show your driving skills. The game feels more like the racing games back in the arcade felt.
4-player split-screen
While the single-player modes all offer some challenge and fun, the multiplayer mode is, in my opinion, the most interesting part of this game. The ability to play this game with 4 joy-cons on 1 screen makes this a nice game to bust out when you’re having friends over. The classic 4 player split-screen has not been featured as much anymore, which I find a shame. There’s something very nostalgic about racing with your friends this way. As a side note, Rally Rock ‘n Racing doesn’t offer online multiplayer.
Realistic vs. cel-shaded
For a budget-friendly title, the graphics in Rally Rock ‘n Racing look OK. It’s not 4K OK, but more like PS2/early PS3 OK. for the cars and roads, they went with a realistic look while they chose cel-shaded graphics for the environment. This seems a bit odd in my opinion. The two don’t seem to blend that well. I would’ve actually preferred a full cel-shaded look as opposed to the realistic look. The transitions between different terrains are pretty non-existing. They just change abruptly from normal asphalt to snow to dirt which looks laughable at best.
Conclusion
Rally Rock ‘n Racing is an OK racer for such a low price. The handling of the cars feels like it did back in the arcade but might probably not please the hardcore racing fan. The 4-player split-screen mode is the best part of the whole game.
