Your character chatters as you collide with other cars, activate boost, drift through corners, and generally mix it up on the course. That said, the international Cannonball Run-like roster of drivers gives the game some personality.

The car upgrades are purely visual Hotshot Racing is designed for pick-up-and-play sessions and doesn't try to bog you down with automobile tweaks like the Codemasters' F1 series. Money earned from placing well in the various game modes lets you buy new cosmetic parts for your whips, such as exhausts and spoilers. Each vehicle has distinct acceleration, drifting, and speed traits, so you can find a car that fits your particular driving style. Though the characters themselves don't impact how you race, their cars do. There are eight selectable drivers, each representing a different country, that possess their own car stables. It's a better version of what was once considered cutting-edge racing game graphics. The graphic style is the true treat, as the low-poly visuals carry an undeniable retro charm, but without the technical limitations of the eras that the game homages. Each stage pops with vibrant colors and features upbeat music that delivers a feel-good video game vibe. Hotshot Racing contains 16 racing circuits (as well as mirrored tracks) that showcase a relaxing seaside coast, dense jungle, cartoony take on Las Vegas, and other eye-catching environments. Still, the PC game is worth a spin for anyone looking for a satisfying throwback racing experience.

In many ways, the Lucky Mountain Games-developed title (with an assist from the racing masters at Sumo Digital) captures those decades' racing vibes, but it lacks those games' classic, awe-inspiring level designs. Hotshot Racing replicates those arcade-style driving competitions, with its pick-up-and-play control scheme and angular, low-polygon visual aesthetic. OutRun 2, Ridge Racer, Sega Rally, and the like focused on blistering speed, fabulous vistas, and memorable music more than earning licenses and learning about spoilers. For a generation of racing game fans, the 1990s and early 2000s represent the genre's best moments, and not simply for nostalgic reasons.

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