Super Toy Cars 2 Review
Fast Facts
Super Toy Cars 2
Developer: Eclipse Games
Publisher: Eclipse Games
Website: https://www.eclipse-games.net/stc2.html
Genre: Racing, Arcade
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: PEGI 3
Release Date: 12/06/2020
Price: £9.99
A code was provided for review purposes.
Toy Racer!
In 2018, Eclipse Games bought out Super Toy Cars: a game I played back then and felt it wasn’t refined enough to stand out from other racers in the genre. However, Eclipse Games are at it again with the second entry in the series, Super Toy Cars 2. Is this a better racer though or does it suffer the same engine problems as its older brother? Let’s find out.
Modes!
Super Toy Cars 2 has two modes to play from the main menu: Career mode and Quick Race. Career mode is the main mode, offering 12 different cups with multiple tracks and events in each. Stars can be earned by winning cups, and these will help you unlock extra cups when you’ve earned enough. However, some cups can be made available by simply owning a certain class of car.
This time around, each car has its own catalogues including Wacky cars, Muscle cars, Gran Turismo, Supercars, as well as open-wheelers. All vehicles will be unlocked for purchase by completing cups in the Career Mode, and each vehicle class is only permitted entry into certain cups throughout. These details are highlighted on each of the 12 cups information screens. However, some cups will allow different vehicle classes later on, which provide more diverse races.
When you first begin the career mode, you need to buy a car – again remembering that certain cups required certain types of cars, so it’s best to check the cup information screen beforehand, so you know what racers are available, and what cars are required to race on them. Completing cups reward you with a cash prize which you can use to buy more cars and upgrade them in the garage.
After upgrading a few cars, I didn’t find the game all that difficult, and I breezed through the Career Mode reasonably quickly. It was still enjoyable, but I did encounter some issues.
Events, Quick Race!
Super Toy Cars 2 – much like the original – has built-in events allowing you to play a lot of different racing events. Some of my favourites are Death Race which sees you racing normally, however, if you total your car then the race ends instantly making it all about survival. Of course, apart from the crazier events, you’ve also got good old fashion racing events which throw power-ups out the window and focuses just on racing.
There’s also a Quick Race mode which allows you to pick from a selection of events that you might want to play. Any of the 16 tracks or vehicles are all unlocked in this mode, allowing players a lot more accessibility – especially for players who want to jump straight in without the need to unlock everything first. This mode also supports two-player local multiplayer as well.
Improvements To The Old Formula
It definitely feels like this time around the game has had a little more polish added to it. The cars look a lot better, and there is a Mario-style drift mechanic this time too. Also, I like the damage which can be caused by impacts or power-ups, which sees pieces fall off your vehicle over time. There’s also a wide variety of different cars available as well such as vintage and high-performance vehicles, each coming with their own paint jobs and statistics.
The drift mechanic is a nod to the Mario Kart drift system however it is nowhere near as perfect. Instead of sparks like in Mario Kart, smoke trails appear behind your car when drifting. It will change colour the longer you hold it, and once you’ve released it or come out of your drift, you’ll gain a short speed burst which can help you stay ahead of the competition. It does take some time to master it correctly, though.
Issues!
My issues with Super Toy Cars 2 is the wonky re-bounding issue when you crash or slide against any fence outlining the track. It feels bizarre as you simply bounce off them as though you’re in a bumper car. It doesn’t feel right as it affects your speed and jolts you back into the middle of the track – it’s all very unnatural.
Also, I found myself getting stuck on some of the telemetries which got annoying, even though you can press the X button to respawn back into the race. It feels incredibly slow, and sometimes you need to press it more than once as it doesn’t register the input. Finally, the performance isn’t great: I’ve seen noticeable slow-down during races which is odd as the game doesn’t really appear to be pushing the system in term of graphics, so it is hard to understand why it’s having any trouble. I also encountered a crash which happened just as I was about to win the final cup, which I wasn’t pleased about.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics this time around in Super Toy Cars 2 look a lot better than the original. I feel like there’s more detail on car models, and the destruction element is excellent too. Some of the tracks look good with small added changes to keep things varied, but you will mostly see the same themes such as a: nursery, backyard, casino, dinner, and music room repeated throughout all 16 tracks.
I will say that the music room tracks were pretty cool! The music, on the other hand, has a lot of spoken lyrics this time around. It features pop and techno tunes to listen to which are not that bad in all honestly.
Final Thoughts
Super Toy Cars 2 is better than the original outing on Nintendo Switch – it has lots of cars to buy, upgrades, and tracks to race on. There is also a variety of different events to play as well as supporting two-player local coop. Unfortunately, the game still doesn’t offer any online multiplayer, which is criminal, in my opinion. There is fun to be had; however, the game still suffers from performance issues which can hinder your enjoyment of what could have been a great little racer!
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Super Toy Cars 2 from the Nintendo eShop.
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