ankiDRIVE full review! The slot car revolution has begun!!

What is it?

It's a fantastic revolutionary realtime / videogaming racing game, using the most up to date smart phone technology, all put together to make a unique experience.

What I thought?

I'm a big fan of seeing the retro in modern toys/technology and I personally see this as a modern take on the very cool Scalextric! Of course with some very BIG changes!

Set up the race mat on a flattish surface, prepare your cars to be charged (note you have the one usb but it can charge 3 cars at any one time!) Just a few clicks to download the AnkiDRIVE app and a nice tutorial will play out, autonomously!

As they make their way around the track, a certain Sir Patrick Stuart teaches you how to drive, race and BATTLE! Yes, he tells you how to play and the cars act it out! Simply amazing to watch!

Once you get into playing, it's strange as you have the feel of being not in complete control but at the same time in TOTAL control..sounds a little weird but bare with me...

The user interface in the app is brilliant and very stylish; you have access to join or host a game, the garage, general game settings and also some handy playing tips. 

Very Simple Controls! 

A swipe speed control - reminiscent of the gameplay in Scalextric, just slide up or down on the left to accelerate and decelerate (you can't STOP though, just go very slowly)

Buttons for the first and secondary weapons (yes SECONDARY too!) which are different for each car and up-gradable after every battle/race.

Lastly, the tilt motion sensor (or accelerometer for you fellow geeks!) of your device allows the car to change lanes, so no finicky steering to get your head around. EASY PEASY!

This game really does bring the whole family together thanks to the even playing field and simple controls! (until you start upgrading of course, then the real competition starts!)

The tech used is mind blowing! Firstly you have an iPhone camera on the bottom of each car which tells the car where they are on the track. Bluetooth is also used as the wireless link between the car and the controller (your Apple device).

In the picture on the right you can see the camera in the red circle at the top. In the red circle at the bottom is a button which turns on the bluetooth (and also the off switch)

Charging these cars will take around 8-10 minutes, and this gives you around 25 minutes of play. What IS good is that ANKI understand your gonna play with a friend and also want to play with A.I. so the charger supplied with actually charge 3 cars at the same time! Which is fantastic! (Cos I got CORAX!!, more on him later!! )

WARNING!: This game is EXTREMELY addictive!!!

There's so much to do with this game, if you're not racing or battling friends you can play the A.I., you can also upgrade your cars inbetween races in the Garage!

Points (or Bounty) are given at the end of the race to the winners and as this mounts up you can upgrade your cars! You get more points for beating a medium or advanced A.I. than just on easy. Unfortunately I've not yet advanced to medium, just getting used to it!

Be it weapons, armour, speed or manovoporability, there's enough to keep the kids (and the adults) playing for hours!

There are also different medals to collect during your play, which also get awarded to everyone after the races e.g.

• Revenge - if you make an immediate kill to the car that just killled you.
• Kill Streak - Kill 10 cars in a row without being killed (uh huh, yeah.. I'm good!..)
• Flawless Victory - Win a match without being killed at all! (told you I was good! What do you mean that was a practice match? ;P

There are tons of medals to collect and these can all be viewed when you're not playing the game so you and your friends can boast about the different medals you have!

The cars can even manage going up hills if you wanted to manipulate your track! for a different experience, you can even put the track on grass if you don't have the room inside! The cars cling to the 'road' perfectly and you don't loose speed as they compensate bumps and hills etc.

OH OH!! 

One last thing to mention before I leave my verdict are the other cars you can purchase, they all have their stock primary weapon but the secondary is different initially when you buy them. For example one of the cars you get in the set BOSON has a magnetizing secondary weapon, which pulls your enemies in so you can blast them! One of the other cars available to buy CORAX (a BAAAAAD mother hubbard!) starts off with a timed mine, these are very tricky as, for the time being you can't see where the mine is dropped.

There are currently four extra cars to complete your collection! 

As per the picture above, the cars also have their own personalities (as such) and abilities they are better at.. 

CORAX is available as a LOCKED A.I. which means you have to beat him in a battle on the medium setting BEFORE you can play AS him.. he's a bloomin' hard nut.. but I've actually unlocked him now! I was terrified!!

The Verdict

When I first saw this advertised I thought 'how can little kids play this?' After playing the game myself and understanding the VERY simple controls I now feel very different and believe the targeted age range is bang on! 6-12 year olds, and their Dads! My son of 5 years picked this up very quickly and for all my tactics he still manages to beat me!

The starter set RRP: £179.99 which includes the roll up track, 2 cars, Charger (for 3 cars) and wheel cleaner. The APP is free on the Apple Store if you wanted to check it out first! there's a BRILLIANT intro video on there! 

Additional cars are £49.99 each, and I'm not sure, but I believe we will get some new tracks very soon!! (they're already out in the US if you wanted to pop over!)

For more information on ankiDRIVE, goto anki's website or go to purchase from your nearest apple store.