FingerGaming

Rating:

• Price: $7.99 (Get It)
• Version: 1.0
• Official Site: 2XL Games

I’ve recently played several iPhone games that stretch the abilities of the platform — titles that push the iPhone into a more PSP-like arena. 2XL Supercross is one of these games, a smooth and fast racer that reaches far beyond the boundaries of what I originally thought possible for iPhone gaming.

And while other top-tier racing titles have recently arrived in the App Store, consider this advice: If you like racing, supercross, or games with stunning graphics and solid control schemes, you need to purchase this title.

For starters, 2XL Supercross is simply a beautifully-rendered game, sporting slick and fluid graphics that are well beyond my expectations for the iPhone. The game’s ten tracks are wonderfully designed, especially in terms of ground contours and terrain shading. And there’s a fair amount of additional detail (the standard track advertisements, the crowd, other racers, etc) that, when zipping by you at full-speed, adds up to an incredibly immersive experience.

Of course, any racer is only as good as its control scheme, and it’s here that I’ll give 2XL a lot of love: The game features eight preset options for control. These schemes range from tilt to analog stick to d-pad controls, but the inclusion of so many options is a selling point in and of itself.

For example, I started playing the game with the tilt scheme (a method to which I’d like to return, once I’m a more skilled racer) but eventually found the virtual analog stick to be an ideal means of control. Regardless of my preferences,  2XL Supercross presents a myriad of interface options.

Beyond the basics of controls and graphics, I just found this title to be a lot of fun. The races rarely last more than a few minutes, so they’re an ideal quick-fix. The tracks are challenging, and the AI is relentless.

Moreover, there’s a lot of nuance to this title. Finding the right time to overload or the right moment to brake before a turn can mean the difference between first and last place. While I’ve focused on the impressive graphics in demoing the title to friends, it’s really the well-controlled gameplay that makes it less of a tech demo and more of a top-tier racing title.

That said, if there’s one disappointing facet of 2XL Supercross, it’s the lack of a career mode. Replay comes largely through unlocking and then re-racing the same tracks on higher difficulty levels. While the missing career mode might be a minor gripe for the platform, it’s still a significant oversight—especially considering the forward-thinking look of this game. And without a career mode, there isn’t anything to bind the racing experience together. Rather than advancing the prestige of your player, you’re instead caught in an endless loop of individual races, challenges that mean little beyond the lap time on a high-score list.

Still, I maintain that the absence of a career mode is a forgivable oversight, especially at this early age in iPhone gaming. 2XL Supercross presents a massive step forward, marking the arrival of the iPhone as a serious competitor to the PSP and the DS. We need more titles like this one.

Tags: 2xl, 2xl supercross, Racing, reviews, supercross