🚗🚗🚗 Total Arcade Racing | Nintendo Switch | Review | 7/10 | "Total Arcade Racing Takes its Cues from The Retro Racing Classics" 🚗🚗🚗 @CasualGames_nu #GameDev #IndieGames

Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off-Road had one of the clunkiest names of any game I've ever played, but it was great back in my Amiga days. 

Super Sprint too. Total Arcade Racing takes its cues from both of these classics and does a good job in bringing the multiplayer pain to the Switch.

The premise is about as simple as you can get - it's a racing game therefore you need to win races. These range from the opening course, which is just a square, to courses with obstacles, oil slicks, and even a moving train that will smash you up if you get the timing wrong. 

There are 13 different courses so there's plenty of variety. The controls are responsive, so you'll soon be cornering at high speed before misjudging it and hitting a wall with the best of them. You also get a boost that recharges, as well as a 'secret' boost at the start if you time it right, like Mario Kart.

From a single-player perspective, you can play against AI racers to get your eye in, but you'll very quickly end up lapping everyone before the end of the race, meaning that the best value comes from time trials - you face off against two ghost cars, one being your best time and the other being someone from the online leaderboards, which can help you learn the best cornering and boosting techniques on each track.

The proper fun you get from this game is with a room full of people and given that we're on our way out of lockdown that's becoming more likely. You can play up to 8 people on one Switch system, which is great. Take note that there is no online multiplayer though, so you're limited to whoever you can fit in the room.

As well as the races, you get some other game modes that extend the life of the game. Car Hockey is pretty much what it sounds like - get the puck into the goal a la 2D Rocket League, although with less spamming in the chat. The delivery mode has you trying to get a crate to your destination, while the other players try and steal it from you. There's also a Demolition Derby mode, and while it's not the excellent Wreckfest it's still good fun.