Driift Mania

Driift Mania
Driift Mania
Driift Mania Coverart.png
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Platform(s) WiiWare
Release date(s)
  • PAL July 31, 2009
  • NA September 28, 2009
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)

Driift Mania (formerly titled Driift) is a WiiWare racing game by Konami. It was released in the PAL regions on July 31, 2009.[1] and in North America on September 28, 2009.[2]

Contents

Gameplay

Viewing the whole track from a bird's-eye view, Driift Mania sees players racing against each other in a variety of vehicles ranging from sports cars and trucks to buses, tanks and hovercraft. The game features fifteen tracks set across four different environments including the city, country, desert and snow, with each environment raising different advantages and disadvantages for particular types of vehicle.

The game supports up to eight players simultaneously using a combination of Wii Remotes, Nunchuks and Classic Controllers, and features several game modes including single and multiplayer championships as well as team races. Competitive modes include "VIP", in which players must protect a designated player's vehicle, "Contamination" in which a player must try to "infect" others by crashing into them, "Cold Potato" where players scramble for the said vegetable on the track, and "Meteorite", which involves players racing during a deadly meteor shower.[3]

Development

Driift Mania is the first console game developed by Konami's European studio, which had previously only developed games for mobile phone platforms. Initially motion controls were implemented early in the game's development, but were deemed frustrating to use and ultimately removed from the final game, while online multiplayer was not considered because the developers believed that local multiplayer created a much richer experience for players.[4]

Reception

Nintendo Life praised Driift Mania's presentation and multiplayer-orientated gameplay, but wished for a fuller-featured single player mode.[5] Wiiloveit.com gave the game a 26/30, stating that "the minor niggles of the game are really overpowered by the compelling multiplayer modes" that allow for a strong "social interaction".[6]

Due to its similar presentation and gameplay, Driift Mania has been likened to the arcade games Super Off Road and Super Sprint.[5][7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Rock out, burn rubber and return to Monkey Island with new WiiWare and Nintendo DSiWare downloads". Nintendo of Europe. 31 July 2009. http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2009/rock_out_burn_rubber_and_return_to_monkey_island_with_new_wiiware_and_nintendo_dsiware_downloads_14336.html. Retrieved 28 September 2009. 
  2. ^ "Art Lessons, Auto Racing, and Arcade Action Multiply the Downloadable Fun". Nintendo of America. 28 September 2009. http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/_awl_FLReUbcL1u7VyJEGQAj8UglQUIL. Retrieved 28 September 2009. 
  3. ^ "Konami Driifts on to WiiWare". Konami Digital Entertainment. 14 April 2009. http://www.voltagepr.com/release.asp?i=818. Retrieved 28 September 2009. 
  4. ^ Interviews: Driift Mania - Konami
  5. ^ a b Nintendo Life review
  6. ^ Wiiloveit.com: Driift Mania Review
  7. ^ Konami Reveals Driift for WiiWare
  8. ^ Media: Driift Announced For WiiWare
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