Fast RMX – Short Review: Nintendo Switch Version
F-Wipeout Neo Superfast Racing Game: The GAME.
Fast RMX makes for a damn fine first purchase. For a start it’s a full game at the right price. Naturally, I didn’t really play it, as I’d also bought the more expensive Mario Kart. That’s the kinda game it is. Naturally ignorable.
Let’s put it in the spotlight.
It’s a very, very good game. A game that you already knew was good without having to read any reviews. A quick thrill. A game you can easily turn off after a single race, as you say out-loud “that was good”. Quite handy on a handheld.
Fast RMX is indeed fast, oh, and intense, and even, dare I say, old fashioned. You’ll find the same championships and time trials from yesteryear. Your nostalgia gland will violently shudder as you pick ‘subsonic novice’ and embark on the 3 race championship. Soon ‘supersonic’… soon. Your choice of anti-grav racers are plentiful and ever growing, and they are full of wonderful stats that you’ve seen elsewhere. You wanna plodding ship quick off the mark? We gotcha buddy! You wanna all-rounder? We got that too! Come in, come in. We got all the ships and they look fab!
Ship side note – Some of the heavy, faster ships, appear to be ‘welcome to 5th place ships’. Damn scraping the sides.. Damn it all to hell!
Even static pictures look fast.
The race starts with the classic obnoxious voiced countdown.
3-2-1-Go!
Yes. In that Ridge Racer voice and it’s all rather pleasing. You’re immediately struck with how vibrant and alive the game looks. This is a very pretty game and they’ve really nailed that sense of speed. You’ll notice orange and blue boost pads scattered throughout the course, yes, the colour of all movie posters. You quickly learn to hit ‘X’ to switch (yeah, I said it) your ships colour to take advantage of these speedups. A neat gimmick, you’ll agree. You can also pick up traditional boost capsules for use at any time. What I’m saying is… You’ll be boosting to your hearts content.
I AM!
Side note – What’s ‘hero mode’ you scream two inches from my nose? Why, it’s a single player race that uses boost as shield energy. Without shields, clipping the side of the course is deadly and it’s game over. Fly off the track and game over. Smack into a tower of flame, game over again. Don’t finish first, you guessed it buddy-boy, game over. It might be some time before you stop calling this “game over mode”. An interesting addition.
It took me a while to acclimatise myself to the craft and the controls. There is a bedding in period. It also doesn’t help that I’d play a single race before wandering off to Mario Kart and Bomberman. You get back what you put in, an’ that. I’m pleased to report that you can change the controls to you hearts content, if it feels truly off.
A neat and tidy crash. Textbook.
On extended play you come to a simple realisation.
The race-tracks are absolutely fantastic! The whooping jumps, half-piping up half the screen, bursting through water puddles, dodging asteroids; the concentration required. The inventive joy. Racing around a circular pylon, ducking around hazards makes you feel like a daring starship pilot. Unless you crash, of course. But even this is fine, as you’re quickly back in the action. Quick crash, quickly back.
When you finally fall into the game, it all clicks together. You learn to sit on the edge of your seat, constantly pushing it. Taking wild risks, which you’ll need to do if you want to come first.
It’s all pretty exhausting for my old man eyes.
Side note – Multiplayer works fine. Split screen works fine. Brilliant in fact, split-screen really pops, even un-docked. Up to 8 players can play online, if you can find ’em. I only found the one human. That’s fine.
Just about got away with this one.
The championship is fair. Your rivals crash and screw up. They jostle for position and you always feel like you have a chance. Even if you finish 5th, you still have a chance to ace the next race. Dramatic comebacks are possible. This isn’t an easy game. As with the nature of superfast racers, you’ll be bouncing off the sides, ruining the paintwork and doing the opposite of a daring starship pilot. You’ll often embark on chaotic jumps and they feel so damn unnatural. Shaking through the air, aiming for the right spot to land… it’s fantastic! Everything in this game feels just right.
Side note – I was quickly coming to the finish line and it was the last lap, so I did what anyone would do. I boosted. It wasn’t enough. As my boost ran out I swung into a pickup and smacked boost again. I jumped with joy as I took him on the finish line and nearby humans were visibly upset with my display. They will never know.
It’s a bit of a tricky one to score. Thrilling and tiring. Basic and bombastic. It set’s out what it wants to do. It is fast. It is solid. It’s a great purchase that you might not get round to playing. Hmm…
Not a game that immediately demanded my attention. Be warned, it might not pull you in. But if it does, you’re in for a treat.
Nice.
Hey. Remember that other game corner!
“Reminds me of unfancied gem, Split Second, with its quickfire crashes and recovery.”
“If only it had a soundtrack to rival Wipeout.”
“It’s like. Efff. Zero, yeah.”