When compared to Mario Kart Live, Hot Wheels: Rift Rally seems like the next logical step
Mario Kart
We wrote about Mario Kart Live, Velan Studios’ RC-car reminiscent “mixed reality” game, a few years back. It was a lot of fun to play (so much so that my family and I bought a Luigi cart so that we could race with our child), but it was obvious that it was trying to do more than it could. Hot Wheels: Rift Rally, Velan’s latest offering, is a more polished affair. For the price, that’s the best option.
It’s not too difficult to get started with Hot Wheels: Rift Rally.
Like Mario Kart Live, Hot Wheels: Rift Rally brings the excitement of a racing video game into the real world by combining a remote-controlled vehicle (equipped with a camera) and computer software. This version of the vehicle, which can transform into a wide variety of retro Hot Wheels cars, is aptly named the “Chameleon Car,” even if Mario isn’t cutely poking out of the driver’s seat.
You can see the track on the screen, complete with any actual hazards or layouts you come up with, by setting up four “gates” in various rooms around your home. Rift Rally has cutting-edge technology and can be played against both human and computer-controlled foes.
For me, setting everything up was a breeze. An iOS or PS4/PS5 software must be loaded after opening a small panel on the car’s side that allows for USB charging. I was reminded a lot of the step-by-step method Nintendo employs for Labo as Rift Rally will walk you through everything in an organic manner (including connecting the car and instructions for building the gates by hand).
