racing

Editors' take: One of the games used as a showpiece for the iPad's gaming capabilities, Real Racing is an upgraded version of an iPhone game with the same name. More than the other games we tried, Real Racing takes advantage of the iPad's larger size by turning the entire device into a steering wheel.

We've tried the same mechanic on similar iPhone games, and always end up wildly oversteering; we were able to at least stay on the road (mostly) on the iPad version. For a premium iPad game, the graphics are crisp, if a little bland, … Read more

I'm sure I'm not alone in my anticipation of what Steve Jobs will announce on Monday at the Keynote for the WWDC. With that (the iPhone 4G or "HD") in mind, I've decided to make my iPhone apps post about games this week in the hope that we can all kill some time this weekend before the big event.

To start off, possibly my favorite iPhone game from 2009 went on sale today. Meteor Blitz (99 cents; usually $2.99) for iPhone is a fun and challenging classic arcade-style shooter where you use dual joysticks … Read more

Everything old is new again--or at least resurrected. This week's batch of new games includes an early arcade classic, the sequel to an early iPhone smash, and the martial-arts legend himself, Bruce Lee. Get your trigger fingers--er, screen thumbs--ready for all kinds of crazy action.

Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior  This is a must-have for fans of fighting games, Bruce Lee brings incredibly fluid 3D motion capture to the experience. In other words, martial-arts smackdowns never looked so realistic. The game has five modes of play, including an interesting chapter-driven story mode. Alas, there's no multiplayer, at least for now, so you're stucking whooping AI butt. Price: $4.99.

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2  The original Crash Bandicoot was among the first and most popular games for the iPhone. The sequel is more of the same kart-style racing on a dozen new tracks, but with one major improvement: multiplayer. Up to four players can compete online in three different race modes. That's a splendid addition, but is it worth $9.99? Come on, Activision, you know you'll end up dropping the price in a month or two anyway. Make this $4.99 and be done with it.

Karate Champ  Karate Champ is one of my all-time favorite arcade games, this pixel-perfect recreation gets everything exactly right: the look, the sounds, and even the "upright arcade cabinet with dual joysticks." However, as with so many games, the controls can be frustrating. Sliding onscreen 'sticks is just no substitute for pounding the real deal. Plus, you can't resume a game from where you left off. Like the arcade version, if you walk away, you're done. On the plus side, there's local multiplayer! Price: $1.99.… Read more

Know what I just realized? I'm on game overload. There are too many great games for the iPhone and iPod Touch and not nearly enough hours in the day.

In fact, I'm concerned about the platform's effect on national productivity. I can't prove it, but I think Apple is responsible for lowering the country's GDP. Thankfully, I was able to resist the siren song of gaming just long enough to write up these five new arrivals:

Chop Chop Tennis  So this is what the kids of South Park would look like if they dressed as ninjas and played tennis. The latest in the Chop Chop series lets you play singles or doubles on any of five colorful courts. The gameplay is decidedly Wii-style, but here you're swiping (with your finger) instead of swinging. Alas, for now it's a one-person outing, though developer Gamerizon says local multiplayer is coming soon. (But what it really needs is online multiplayer.) Price: $2.99.

Fast & Furious: Adrenaline  Does the iPhone really need another racing game? Hey, if they're good, keep 'em coming. Fast & Furious: Adrenaline (the latest title based loosely on the movie franchise) breaks little new ground in the genre, but it delivers plenty of high-speed, free-wheeling action for those who like arcade-style street racing. Multiplayer is limited to local competition, but at least the price is right: 99 cents.

Flick Baseball Pro  There's been a lot of advance buzz about this title, and with good reason: it's without a doubt the best arcade-baseball game to date. You get to pitch, bat, and even field fly balls, all by engaging in various types of timed tapping. The graphics, audio, and presentation are all console-quality, making it all the more surprising that the game is priced at just $2.99.

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While it has been fun watching Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's "Top Gear" fame test out fantastic rides for a thrill, I figured why not keep the fun going and bring on all the guys from "Top Gear"--Anthony Davidson and The Stig in this instance--as they try to figure out what the best car is for drifting.

In case you didn't know, drifting is "a driving technique and to a motor sport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a … Read more

On Wednesday, we had a snippet of Jeremy Clarkson (of BBC's "Top Gear") blazing through the Swiss Alps in a Maserati GT. This clip is a part of his "Thriller" DVD, in which Jeremy tries to find the ultimate thriller automobile. Clarkson seemed underwhelmed by the Maserati but what else did he find during his search for the true king of thrill rides? Well, Jeremy stumbled upon this Porsche 944 Turbo, a pretty cool car in its own right. But this particular Porsche has a little something extra that makes it even more righteous: this … Read more

In Tuesday's blog post, we got a closer look at the supposed ultimate lady thriller automobile, the Maserati Quattroporte, and I figured since we're on the subject, why not go for a thrill ride in a Maserati Gran Turismo? Climb in and let's go for a spin with Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's "Top Gear" fame--and away we go!

This clip comes courtesy of an excerpt from Jeremy Clarkson's Thriller series where he pushes all kinds of fine automobiles such as the Alfa Romeo 8C, the Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 GT, and in this … Read more

I love checking out car restorations and seeing what some people are doing to their old-school rides. Well it doesn't get much more old school than this: a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster, and in Wednesday's blog post we got to see and hear about the work that was being done by Black Horse Garage to improve the body shell. In today's clip we join up with the Black Horse gang to see what work they are doing to the engine, and it should be quite interesting.

This video begins with a Black Horse Garage tech checking out … Read more

In yesterday's post we learned that part of the historic significance of the legendary 1937 BMW 328 Roadster was that the car's engineers (who had previously worked on post WWI airplane technology) had designed the would-be touring vehicle with unforeseen lightweight chassis that reportedly weighed roughly 800 kilograms. This statistic, which allowed for maximum performance on less petrol, helped the 328 become one of the hottest race vehicles of its time period.

And for today's video clip, I found a very recent clip (from just two days ago!) of what the 328 Roadster's body shell looks … Read more