Speed Forge Extreme App Review

If you're like most people, you probably love hauling ass -- it's practically part of human nature. Whether we're zipping around in red Cameros or living vicariously through starships, spinners, and 3-D racecars, most people like to laugh at the speed limit until they pick up a pair of white pants and head somewhere humid. With a name like Speed Forge Extreme, you'd probably expect this app to scratch your nagging itch for speed, and that's 100% correct! But once you overcome its initial velocity, Speed Forge Extreme is an app with both a lot to offer and a little ways to go.

As you might have gathered, Speed Forge Extreme appropriates nearly all of its powerups and premise from Wipeout, but its occasionally wonky landcruisers remind me of a game that time promptly forgot --  Star Wars: Episode 1: Racer. On top of its standard four-lap tracks with narrow corridors, boost/brake paths, and a lot of missiles, it has a few deathmatch stages that send you in a loop blowing up everyone you can find on Mars (it's chosen locale). While it certainly looks better than SWE1R, some of the larger ships have a "floaty" feeling about them that will either enrage or endear early adopters of the N64. Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to get used to your new ships and enjoy your surroundings; as the game is impressively fluid and sports fancy schmancy OpenGL motion blurring and speed effects for 3GS or 3rd Gen iPod Touch users.

With 15+ tracks, 5 unlockable ships, and multiple weapons to pick up over time, it can take anywhere from 1-3 hours to complete Speed Forge Extreme depending on your chosen difficulty and knack for its controls. The straightforward tilt mode is the easiest to start with, while those looking for a bit more control might want to try tilt steering and "inverted" acceleration arrows (which moves the gas/brake to its natural position on the righthand side). Once you get a hang of your chosen scheme, the Easy and Normal difficulty levels are a walk in the park until the last few areas -- the Hard mode is where it's at for seasoned gamers.

Speed Forge Extreme's biggest problem is one that's all too familiar to fans of Mario Kart Wii: a glaring lack of defense. Once you're in the lead, it's near impossible to keep your position amidst guns and missiles unless you can keep a lot of distance between you and the pack. The developers tried to ameliorate matters with temporary force fields and mines, but they're simply not enough to protect you from the brutal onslaught that ensues every time you take the lead. Quite simply, this game needs a "boost" weapon or some sort of pop-up shield to help you focus on the action. If Chillingo can add multiplayer and new powerups to distinguish it from its source material, they could very well have something special on their hands.

The Verdict

Will Speed Forge Extreme satiate those hungry for Wipeout on their iPhone? In a word: Yes. Speed Forge Extreme does an extremely good job of forging a formidable sense of speed, and with a lot of tracks, unlockable ships, and powerups, it'll keep you in the game if you're interested.

Is it worth $2.99? For $3, I'd take the Lite Version out for a spin first. While the flashy visuals are worth the price of admission, it's in desperate need of some balancing and additional powerups. With that said, keep an eye on this one!

[iTunes: $2.99]