Jet Car Stunts

Summary

The year is 2030. Scientists have developed the first prototype of a jet-engine car… and you’re the lucky person who gets to test the controls for the first time!

The story behind today’ app might go a little something like that. I’m testing Jet Car Stunts for you today—and let me tell you: you will get hooked on this game!
If you’re a fan of Trackmania be sure to check out Jet Car Stunts—chances are you’re going to love it!

Christian Brüggemann wrote today’s review.
 

Testing device: Nexus One
Android-Version: 2.2.1
Root: Yes
Mods: CyanogenMod 6.1

Jet Car Stunts’ gameplay is pretty simple: you control a car via four buttons located on the display (hence multitouch is a pre-condition) and the accelerometer.

What the four buttons do:

• Activate jet stream
• Brakes (even when you’re up in the air)
• Back up
• Step on it!

The first function mentioned can only be used for a limited amount of time; an indication at the top of the display lets you know for how much time the jet can still be activated. Once you release the jet button the indication bar fills up again quite rapidly—provided you’re in Casual Mode (see below for more information).
Your itinerary is filled with jumps, breaches, and other obstacles. Most obstacles can only be avoided or surmounted when you’re up in the air for a longer period of time.

A word of warning: be mindful of the way in which you hold your phone throughout the game, otherwise you might miss the finish line. Practice makes perfect!
Checkpoints line the route, and you’ll find that you will often have to return to these checkpoints (I’m speaking from experience).

All that being said let me emphasize that this game is in no way frustrating—on the contrary, it’s oodles of fun!

The game’s physics are superbly designed: if you steer too much in one direction you’ll begin drifting, if you collide with something whilst up in the air you may find yourself spinning on your own axis, etc.

There are several modes to choose from:

• Tutorials
• Platforming
• Time Trial

Tutorials explain both controls and gameplay. There are two sub-categories for both Platforming and Time Trial: Normal and Casual.

Normal Mode comes with a ranking list (via OpenFeint), a limited amount of jet fuel, and ten trials only.
The same restrictions do not apply for Casual Mode.

The ranking system is really well made: you can check out other players’ replays when you’re in Normal Mode, check out your friends’ scores in OpenFeint, etc.

Normal Mode and Time Trial:

• Ranking list
• Limited jet engine fuel
• 5 Rounds

And Casual:

• Unlimited fuel
• 3 Rounds
• Simple collision geometry
• No ranking list

The app’s settings:

• Volume
• The accelerometer’s responsiveness
• Calibration
• Control button layout
• Button design

Jet Car Stunts is a blast but unfortunately it doesn’t take all too long to play your way through the 25 levels.
The level of difficulty is augmented slowly but steadily so that you aren’t overwhelmed when you get to a new level.
 

Jet Car Stunts‘ design is simple but good. The graphics remind me of the ones in Mirror’s Edge which looked awesome on my AMOLED-Nexus, really vibrant colors.

The platform and obstacle design is relatively sharp and edgy and looks good IMO.

Controls are pretty good but only ran on multitouch devices, which means that SE’s X10 and revisit device owners can’t play this game.
Buttons are located at the bottom of the screen which means they don’t cover up the game.
 

Jet Car Stunts runs very smoothly and without crashing.

You can download Jet Car Stunts for1,45 € and the game is really worth it. A lite version is also available.