14 DAY TRIAL // With the Apple's SDK out, learning of new games hitting the iPhone/iPod touch every day is going to become a routine really. It's been eight days since the Cupertino folks have released the kit and we're already flooded with video game news. Today, it's Crazy Kart 2 for the iPhone. French-based developer Int13 has confirmed that it has successfully begun porting it to the Apple device.
As any console gamer will notice (especially Nintendo gamers), Crazy Kart 2 looks an awful lot like the Mario Kart games, making their debut on the Nintendo 64 home entertainment system. The game was originally created for Windows Mobile and Symbian Smartphone.
Crazy Kart 2 does pretty much what you'd expect from a fun and colorful racing title of its class. Some of the main features include virtual steering wheel, which players will turn left and right through touch control, 3 vehicle classes, 6 characters to choose from, with downloadable content and Wi-Fi online multiplayer topping the list. Everything mentioned above will be available in a 320x320 playing area, with the steering wheel placed below the gameplay square, so players see everything that's happening in the race without interruption.
"Thanks to its simplified controls and flexible camera system it was not too hard to adapt its interface for the iPhone touch screen, but we're still evaluating alternatives (like tilt control and landscape display). The game is perfectly smooth on the iPhone: constant 60 FPS with a pure software engine, we already plan to work on a sequel with a full 3D accelerated engine to exploit the full potential of the device."
Main features (via MacRumors):
- 320 * 320 pixels playing area - Touch controls with a virtual steering wheel - 3 vehicle classes (karts, motorbikes, hovercrafts) - 6 characters with different vehicles - Downloadable content (new vehicles, new tracks) - Wifi online multiplayer with match making and up to four simultaneous players
iPhone owners should expect quite a number of racing games being announced for their handset, as developers are just begging to scratch the surface of that Apple SDK, mostly exploring the touchscreen features of the iPhone and iPod touch. Many future titles, not just racing, will also make great use of the iPhone's accelerometer, enabling users to tilt their device in order to control the game.