Slipstream (Switch) review

Price: $9.99
Developer: ansdor
Distributor: ansdor
Release Date: April 6th, 2022 (Switch)
Platforms: Linux / Mac / PC / Switch

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you might have righteous memories of a whole parade of arcade racing games from Pole Position to Outrun. Growing more sophisticated as time went on, these added better graphics, and of course awesome tunes. Ansdor’s Slipstream attempts to fatefully recreate this experience on modern platforms. Before we get going with the actual review, it's important to note that Slipstream was released to wide acclaim for PC/Linux/Mac in 2018 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. This review covers the Nintendo Switch version of that game, which is due out in April 2022. This is a significant note, as the platform totally makes a difference.

Now that that’s out of the way, let's drive on. Described as a “love letter to Sega” Slipstream resembles several late 1980s games, most notably Sega’s Outrun from 1986. It uses a custom engine to reproduce the pseudo 3D sprite graphics of the era and possesses some very clever mechanics to simulate drift and (wait for it) slipstreaming and of course offers a soundtrack to match, which is available independently online. There are multiple tracks, various game modes and the game looks (as intended) very much like a port of an arcade game to a 8bit computer like an Amiga or Atari ST.

The main mode in Slipstream, is called Grand Tour, and is a more casual experience than the other “main” mode, Grand Prix, which features Mario Kart style "Cups.” Then you have the usual selection of single race modes like Time Trial, a Battle Royale mode that rewards the longest lasting driver, and your usual single race practices for each of the 20 tracks. The game's driving mechanics are well-thought-out but once again not well executed on the Nintendo controllers. Drifting and of course catching another car’s slipstream for a boost require lightning like reflexes.

But right off the line we have problems. Before and after each race, all Switch Controllers disconnect and need to be reconnected. I tested this on two separate Switch consoles with different controllers, and it appears to be the game, not the console. Okay, as grody as that was, we can suffer through the controller issue and still play the game. Okay, here we go, we are off, and in 12th place with the other cars disappearing over the pixelated horizon.

How long must we suffer the reviewer’s stale and poorly remembered ValSpeak?

The computer drivers have an insurmountable advantage at all levels of difficulty. If you have a very good round you can sort of keep up if you don’t make any mistakes, but if you fall behind or wipe out, the race is effectively over for you. This happens across all game modes and frankly made the game nearly unplayable on the Switch. Being ancient enough to have actually played games like Pole Position and Outrun when they were in arcades, I was excited to play Slipstream and was honestly disappointed and a little baffled. I do research games before I review them, and what I was seeing was not reflected in the reviews of prior versions. So, I purchased Slipstream for PC from GOG and had a vastly better experience. So remember, platforms matter, the PC version functioned well while the Switch version has issue. Hopefully these will be ironed out by the time you read this.

Bottom line, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the game's design or execution. But my experience with the Nintendo Switch port of Slipstream was heinous, fer sure. I hope my control issues are idiosyncratic, but I was able to replicate the issue so I think the game needs a bit more play testing. I urge the developer to look into this, so I can totally beat my boys on their Switch.

The Good:

Awesome homage to classic arcade racing games.
Righteous graphics and music.
Excellent design and mechanics.

The Bad:

Gnarly Switch specific controller issues
Computer players have totally bogus advantage

Slipstream (Switch) Review