GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	NdCube
	PUBLISHER
	NEC
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Created by the same development house that created the GBA F-Zero title, Maximum Velocity, a new racing game was born exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. With obvious comparisons with other futuristic racing games, Tube Slider kept some elements that made the other games popular, and put its own twist on the genre. But is Tube Slider the true champion of futuristic gaming like it claims? Let's find out...

visuals

From the opening of the game, you are treated to a cool introduction that truly embodies and emphasizes the future. From the unusual vehicles designs to the tube racing tracks, this game is all about pushing the boundaries of what you mentally envision when you think of a racing game.

Some of the car designs are awesome. They have flashy bright colors and stripes, running the gamut from traditional Formula 1 racing cars, to the simply bizarre, ”what were they thinking” car designs. Then comes the Tube Slider racing environments which have a few “wow” moments, but once again, nothing too spectacular.

Running at a fluid 60 fps, the neon-lit game successfully grabs your attention, but it does let go every once and a while.

audio

It’s all about the techno in this game. From hard thumps to high pitch guitar strings, Tube Slider successfully puts you in the mood for some serious racing action. Under a close listening ear, the music really isn’t that grand, simply falling into the mediocre category.

gameplay

Here lies the meat and bones of the game: You race futuristic vehicles down these cool tube-shaped tracks. What a great idea: Racing without having to worry about running into walls or obstacles! Right? One would expect that one can race on the walls and ceiling and all the while keeping speed... on the contrary! If you tried to do just that for a period of time your vehicle would gradually loose speed or could go completely out of control. Not really a great trait of a game that claims it is the true champion of futuristic gaming.

Next, there is what the game calls “Sub Verniers” or speed enhancers. In Tube Slider, a racing vehicle can lock-on and use a tractor beam to absorb another vehicle’s energy, gaining a quick boost. This is a pretty neat feature, yet gets pretty pointless when racing in a close race and the competition zaps your energy, you zap its energy, and the cycle keeps repeating itself, or things can take a turn for the ugly where the competition first zaps your energy, and rams directly into your vehicle, sending you out of control, with no speed left. This will happen a lot!

Then there is the difficulty level of this game. Just like similar games, F-Zero GX for example, the game starts off fairly easy in the first couple of levels only to increases sharply soon after. It's far from the gradual progression of difficulty you might expect. This must be addressed.

Many are quick to compare Tube Slider to F-Zero GX, myself included, and for good reason. They are both in the same genre, pushing wild vehicles, and brightly-lit vast locations. Judging both games on the same level, it is quite obvious which game is superior -- F-Zero GX -- but judging both games on their own merit, Tube Slider gains some points for having cool racing locations, such as racing through a huge twisting tree. You can go up, through and all the way down a splashing waterfall, among many other venues.

multiplayer

In this game, you can play up to four players simultaneously, which can be quite fun racing against other players who aren’t computer controlled and insanely difficult to beat. With friends, it is fun to steal boosts from their cars and zoom past them laughing hysterically. Multiplayer definitely adds fun elements to what is otherwise an unbalanced game.

overall

In conclusion, I found that Tube Slider is a mildly fast racing game with mediocre techno beats, unbalanced gameplay, but “wow” worthy environments. I recommend you rent this game first before considering purchasing it to see if it’s worth adding to your gaming collection.

7.0/10