Reviewed: May 20, 2003
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
NEC Games
Developer
NDCube
Released: April 15, 2003
Genre: Racing
Players: 4
ESRB: Everyone
6
7
6
6
6.4
Supported Features
Chances are if you own a GameCube then you probably owned a N64 back in the day, and if you did there is an even greater chance that you probably played a game called F-Zero. Regardless of whether you played that game or any of the dozens of other futuristic racers like Wipeout, Extreme G Racing, Quantum RedShift, HSX: Hypersonic Xtreme, etc. you probably have a good idea of what to expect from a game called Tube Slider.
This is the launch title for the new software division of NEC Games and was created by NDCube, the designers behind the GBA version of F-Zero. While the name isn’t as glamorous as it could be it does accurately reflect the gameplay. Tube Slider is a futuristic racing game in which players pilot sleek hovercraft around tubular tracks that twist and turn and test not only your speed, but also your ability to keep your craft in control. Choose between Grand Prix or Free Run modes as you race one of fifteen different tweaked-out vehicles around ten unique and highly detailed elevated courses. The game features an interactive Tutorial mode, and multiplayer for up to four players (split-screen).
Tube Slider is about as simple as a racing game gets. You pick your race mode, your vehicle, and your track then you are stuck in a tube with some seriously tough AI opponents that will require every ounce of skill and precise power-up acquisition if you hope to finish in the top three, let alone win a race.
About the only thing original this title has going for it is the fact that you are racing in a tube. Racing in a tube has its advantages and its disadvantages. Unlike F-Zero and Wipeout you cannot launch into the air or race off the edge of the track, so you have a bit of reassurance that you can at least stay on the track for the entire race, but it is now possibly to get yourself into weird angles that will bring your ship to a screeching halt.
Racing controls are as simple as the game. The analog stick steers your ship while the A accelerates and the B/Y button boosts. One clever innovation is that the game lets you pick the type of boost before each race. You can choose Booster for a powerful instant burst of speed or Turbo for a lengthier less powerful sustained boost. I found no real advantage to one over the other, so it’s basically a matter of personal choice. R/L triggers activate your side-boosters to help you navigate sharp turns and the X/Z button cycles through the camera views.
The other feature that sets Tube Slider apart from the rest of its peers is the ability to “draft” your opponents and steal their boost energy. This is loosely based on the same technique that NASCAR drivers use to reduce wind resistance before they slingshot around the lead car. In this case you pull in behind another hovercraft and you will start to bleed off their energy for as long as you stay behind them and don’t hit them. The downside to this process is that the computer can do it to you and they are usually better at it than you are. Stealing turbo power takes a level of precision driving that just really isn’t possible when you are racing through twisty tubes at 300mph.
While the selection of racing craft is pretty balanced the overall gameplay is horribly skewed. The early races are easy, presumably to ease you into the game, but once you reach the second set of tracks the game just gets downright “evil”. The super-human AI is nearly impossible to beat and the slightest screw-up on your part will send you to the back of the pack, which is where you are likely to finish.
A lot of the strategy is to learn the tracks. The track design is fiendishly clever and designed with the tube aspect in mind. You can often see arrows on the walls of the tube that indicate the ideal path. This takes into account the curvature of the tube and your momentum so don’t be surprised to see the path take you high up on the walls or even spiral around the ceiling. You’ll also need to memorize the location of those power-ups and make sure to get them on each lap.
You’ll need to fully explore the Grand Prix mode to unlock all the extra cars and tracks and then you can entertain 1-3 other players for some exciting split-screen racing. I normally panic on these 4-player games, as framerate often takes a severe hit, but Tube Slider manages some impressive framerates. It dips down from the single player game but not by much.
Visually, Tube Slider is pretty good but it didn’t really blow me away. The ships are creatively designed and the track design is excellent as are the environments these tracks exist in. You’ll find yourself racing around mountains, cities, and my personal favorite, a giant tree where the tube is actually held in the branches.
Cars and tracks are very colorful, sometimes over-saturating the screen with vibrant colors. There’s nothing too sophisticated about any of the models and the textures are generally not that detailed. This probably helps keep the framerate at a solid 60fps throughout the game, but it also contributes to the major flaw in this game.
There is simply no real sensation of speed – something that is magnified with the fluid framerate. Sure, the speedometer is telling me I’m going 542mph but it doesn’t look like I’m going that fast. The sensation of speed is all about how fast the scenery is moving past my craft and you would think that racing in a tube it would be easy to have structural supports, lights, or something flashing by at blurring speeds, but it all just seems like a lazy ride through one of those water park slides.
Special effects are minimal. There is great use of transparencies and colored lighting but there are no particle effects or shadow casting. The engine flames and light trails from the craft are impressive and almost Tron-like, but in the end the entire presentation is just a bit flat and doesn’t really exploit the power of the GameCube.
Somewhere in the world is a collection of music called “Futuristic Racing Tunes” and anyone who makes a game like this is required to use songs from that collection. This is all the same techno-trance stuff we’ve all heard a thousand times before. It serves the purpose and for every tolerable song there is one that will make your ears bleed. Thankfully, you can cycle the music or turn it off entirely.
Sound effects are merely adequate with suitable noises for engines and a buzzing sound when you are going “vampire” on the car you are drafting. You can’t really scrape the walls so collision sounds are non-existent unless you hit another car then you get a “bump” sound. No Dolby Pro Logic II here; just basic stereo for some very basic audio effects.
If you can overcome the stiff increase in difficulty you can finish the Grand Prix mode with all the cars in a couple days. Expect 15-20 hours if you have the patience to play it that long. The multiplayer modes might give this game some extended life if you have people hanging around your house that enjoy these kinds of games. A track editor would have gone a long way in giving this game some added value.
I’m not sure what I was hoping for when I started playing this game but I know it was something more than I got. Tube Slider is not a bad game, but it also pales in comparison to the competition. It’s a bit shallow on content and the gameplay is highly unbalanced.
Admittedly, the GameCube doesn’t have a lot of futuristic racing titles out there, so this may fill a temporary gap in the genre, but it won’t be long before F-Zero redefines hover racing on the GameCube. While you wait you may want to give this game a chance, either as a rental or wait for it to hit the budget bin.