Ahh, racing games. The constant thrill of the road captured in a small gaming package. It allows us to do what we never could in real life. We’ve all had those urges to see how fast our cars really can go. But unfortunately, society dictates that we go the speed limit. Racing games are a great way to have all the fun of going very fast without the law getting involved. Unless you’re playing it while you’re driving. Then I can’t help you. So let’s take a look at 3D Pixel Racing for iOS devices.

The Basics

To get this right out of the way: Mario Kart will always be my favorite racing game. So, naturally, I will always analyze other racing games on the Is It Nearly As Good As Mario Kart-O-Meter. However, I can take some games with a grain of salt. I realize some games will try to go for a more realistic driving approach. In other words, they won’t all have cartoon gorillas throwing turtle shells at others. Which, while I find it to be a shame, is the reality we live in.

The Gameplay

3D Pixel Racing operates, strangely enough, much like Mario Kart for the Wii. You have simple accelerate and brake buttons, while steering is controlled by tilting your device. Ultimately, this is a much better steering option than the usual digital control stick. As long as it works correctly. Does it work correctly? I’ll talk about it soon. Just you wait.

Is It Fun?

While I did enjoy the motion controls of the game, they are pretty difficult to get the hang of. They can be a bit clunky at times, meaning sharper turns will be a tough task. Even when trying to use my brakes while turning, I found it pretty difficult. So, I thought of a brand new strategy: Not using my brakes at all. I rocketed up the 1st place. Until I took a turn too soon and glitched back to 3rd place. I suppose that was karma.

The Bottom Line

I’m not going to say that a 3D racing game would be easy to put on a mobile device. It takes tight controls and great environments to make a good racing game. Unfortunately, 3D Pixel Racing has neither. The controls are innovative but difficult to master, and the environments are blocky and unoriginal. Sadly, this game scores pretty low on the Is It Nearly As Good As Mario Kart-O-Meter.