A top-down arcade racer, Super Woden GP is like a new R.C. ProAM or Super Sprint only with more RPG features. There are quality gameplay elements here but it is just too bad the game is horribly unbalanced, so much so, that I wonder if there was any play testing at all.
Besides having the player navigate a busy and unexplained UI, the opening segment appears to be open ended and vast but is instead highly restrictive. By only having enough cash to the buy the first, default vehicle, the player must use this jalopy to win racing. By winning races, you earn credits. Credits are then used to unlock more cars, which have better stats, so you can win more challenging races – the loop is nothing new. Unfortunately, winning that first race is nearly impossible.
From my captured stream embedded in this article, I managed to get 2nd place once. Keep in mind, I already played this track about a dozen times, so I had some experience. Thing is, if you take one bad turn, tap the wall once, or even smash into a car, you have no chance to win. Zero. The first default car also has no grip so you are basically drifting the entire track. Then, in order to unlock track two, you must first win track one. After numerous attempts, I rage quit and will never go back. The opening stage in an arcade top-down racer simply should not be this unplayably hard and frustrating.
There are other odd design choices too, like the mosaic tile filter found in the background images or the robust but never-fitting soundtrack. That opening UI is also confusing and doesn’t make much sense. Why can’t I just simply pick a track from an easy to read menu instead of trying to find the “start race” icon?
Super Woden GP is like fruits mixed with veggie salad – it has some quality ingredients but they do not mix well together and could have used more time to ripen.
For Another Challenging Racer Play: Formula Bit Racing
Not As Good As: R.C. ProAM 2 (NES)
Play It Instead: Moto Roader MC
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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Rating
Our Rating - 4
4
Total Score
What looks like a fun and friendly top-down arcade racer is nothing more than a lesson in poor design choices and difficult that is so high it is never fun.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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