80's Overdrive

If you didn't grow up in the 1980s, then you might not realize just how different racing games used to be. Instead of going around a track, many early racing games took place on a highway with checkpoints and traffic. They were basically cross-country affairs where you saw how far you could drive before time ran out. The new Switch game 80's Overdrive takes over where classic titles like OutRun and Rad Racer left off. This is a fun and surprisingly lengthy game that manages to mix the old school design with just enough modern enhancements to keep things fresh.

The first thing you need to know about 80's Overdrive is that this is not some shallow throwback racing game. This is a game that doesn't want to just emulate the look and feel of those early racers, but goes the extra step to offer an impressively long single-player campaign and a whole bunch of bonus modes. Considering the ten-dollar asking price, I was genuinely shocked by how much was in this speedy package.

The most impressive part of 80's Overdrive is the career mode, where we buy a car and travel across the map while taking on three dozen increasingly difficult races. We'll race through beaches, deserts, cities and ancient ruins, with each of the locations having a slightly different background. And watch out for those speed traps, because the police are always on the prowl for racers and will run you clear off the road.

As we win races and rack up the prize money, you'll want to upgrade your equipment and even buy new cars. You'll also need to spend that money on gas and repairs, which can really add up if you're not careful. This means that you'll occasionally need to replay past events in order to grind for much-needed money. The good news is that you'll run into optional challenges that will throw heaps of cash in your lap. These include everything from trying to run an opponent off the road to coming in dead last. Some are easier than others, but the challenges are a great way to earn money for upgrades.

As a racing game, 80's Overdrive is ... fine. It controls a lot like the early 8-bit racers I grew up with, which is a good and bad thing. On one hand, I like the nostalgia. The driving mechanics aren't all that realistic, because that's how it was back in the day. That said, the throwback gameplay can get in the way when you're trying to avoid traffic and other hazards. It's not always easy to maneuver where you want to go, especially as we start to pick up speed and deal with curvier courses.

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This ultimately ties into my two biggest complaints with 80's Overdrive -- the levels are too long and there's often no way to catch up when you crash. That's right, this is the kind of racing game where if you mess up halfway through the level, you might as well restart from the beginning. That's not a big deal early on, when the tracks are just a few minutes long. But as we make our way to the big city for the ultimate prize, those levels become frustratingly long and unfair. There will be huge stretches of road where everything narrows and there's too much traffic to catch up, and losing because you made a single mistake is never fun.

The brilliance of the career mode is that there's almost always something else you can be working on, so there's no reason to keep slamming your head against the wall. And if you need a break from racing, you can always create your own custom levels that can be shared with the world. But don't get too excited, because this is more of a level generator than a traditional creation tool, something that may disappoint some players. It was one of the few times when I was reminded that you can only expect so much out of a $10 racing game.

If you grew up loving OutRun and Rad Racer, then you're going to feel right at home with 80's Overdrive. This is a loving tribute to the past that ends up being a lot more than just another nostalgic throwback. Between the lengthy career mode, upgrades, time trials and level generator, this is not a game you'll beat in a single sitting. The gameplay is occasionally weak and it's often too difficult to catch back up after a single crash, but 80's Overdrive is the kind of fun and charming old school racer that is easy to recommend.