UPDATE: April 7th, 2011
Disc Drivin’ recently received another update that gives players three more courses to skate around on, as well as a more eye-pleasing user interface. And in case you have questions about the game, they’ve also added a FAQ.
This is a game we’re still playing regularly, so it’s great to see the developers continue to attend to it. It would be nice if we had the option to remove the “games played” list, but that’s a small quibble. And thanks to the FAQ, we now know that it only displays the 10 most recent games.
The bottom line is that if you’re nervous about spending the money on this game, you don’t need to be. The asynchronous multiplayer gives the game lasting appeal. But if you do play it, make sure to take your turn in a timely fashion. After all, you don’t want to keep your opponents waiting.
UPDATE: February 8th, 2011
Pixelocity Software really stepped up to the plate with Disc Drivin’ updates. Since we reviewed the game, two substantial updates have cleared away the two big downsides to the game: the lack of random online multiplayer and friend lists.
Now, competing in random online multiplayer is as easy as tapping the “Random Online” button when creating a new game. This automatically matches you with another player on a random track. It’s simple, effective, and broadens the appeal of this game so that you don’t need to come into the game with a long list of opponents stacked up.
One downside to random multiplayer is that it only supports two-person play. We’d love to see them add the ability to play against two or three other random players in the future.
Another major addition is a recent opponents list, which basically acts as a friends list. Any opponent you directly challenge will appear in this list. Random online multiplayer opponents will only appear here if you challenge them again after a match has ended, which is a good thing. This list makes challenging friends much easier.
Starting a new game against somebody you just raced used to be quite tedious. No longer, as a rematch button now appears after you complete a race. This works for races against single and multiple opponents.
These additions, along with some social network integration, make this already Must Have game an even sweeter deal. If you haven’t yet, there is no reason not to check out the fully-featured ad supported free version. As before, we recommend upgrading to the paid version if you enjoy the game.
Few multiplayer games have drawn us in like Disc Drivin’. The idea is simple: take turns with up to three other players flicking discs through racetracks. The first person to make their way around the track three times wins. It may sound simple, but we guarantee this game will suck you in as well.
Each track is structured around different challenges, such as jumps, curves, edges without walls, and bumpers. You also have a power-up meter that fills as your disc moves along. When it’s full, this meter grants you a power-up of your choice, like a speed boost, full stop, or hazardous object to place on the ground.
Falling behind isn’t always terrible. Those behind first place get the benefit of a faster-filling power meter. We’ve been in races where we were half a lap or more behind an opponent and then come back for the win.
Some of the other features include the ability to watch replays of any move made by a player, zoom out to view the entire track, and chat with other players. You can also play with others via hotseat multiplayer, Bluetooth, and local Wi-Fi, although we feel Disc Drivin’ is best played online.
The competition is very lighthearted, mostly because you can only play with people in your contact book or whose in-game name you already know. Unfortunately, there is no friends list or matchmaking, but we were able to find plenty of people willing to race us on Twitter.
Also, the free version of Disc Drivin’ offers all of the game’s features with ads, in the menu and in a pop-up ad after each turn. If you want to race a friend, all they need to do is download this free version and you’re ready to go. Still, $2.99 is not a bad price to pay for the removal of ads, and it goes to support the developers.
If you’re on the go, Disc Drivin’ is the perfect way to get your multiplayer fix. It requires no more than one bar of service and 30 seconds to open the app, update your race list, take your turn, and send it off to the server. This easy in-and-out is exactly what mobile gaming is best for.
We have some suggestions for future updates, such as in-depth player profiles, computer-controlled opponents, and so on, but at the end of the day we rarely have this much fun with an iPhone game. Pick up Disc Drivin’, tell your friends to do the same, and start your finger-flicking engines.