Turbo Sliders

Infobox VG| title = Turbo Sliders


developer = Antti Mannisto
publisher = Jollygood Games
designer = Antti Mannisto (Code & Design, Sound & Music), Shaun Tsai (Art), Jani Penttinen (Producer)
engine = Unknown
released = April 16, 2003
genre = Racing
modes = Local Play (1-4 players) / Online Multiplayer
ratings = Unknown
platforms = Windows / Linux
media = Internet Download
requirements = Windows 98/2K/XP
Pentium II 400MHz
64MB RAM
input = Keyboard / Joystick

Turbo Sliders is a racing game with a classic top-down perspective that allows up to 20 network drivers compete against each other over the internet. Created by a small gaming company called Jollygood Games, who make computer games for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. It initially comes as a Demo download with minor features disabled, but unlimited game life.

Gameplay

The gameplay is that of a usual racing game. You compete against opponents racing around the track in a set number of laps to try and achieve first place. There are no special weapons or techniques a racer can perform to give them a dominating edge. However, there are some shortcuts on various tracks. At the end of each race, players are awarded points based on how they ranked in the race. Bonus points can also be given to a player who makes the fastest lap of the race.

Cars

After a player installs the Turbo Sliders software, there are 5 cars to choose from. EasySlider, AntiSlider, Slider, Speeder and Spinner. Each car has their own pros and cons, and choosing the right car for a race is usually critical. It also takes practice to master each car, because they have their own set of handling.
*EasySlider: An all-around car. Good handling and good speed. Its main function is the "slide", which is a turn marked with smoke coming from the wheels.
*AntiSlider: The "cornering" car. Very good handling, but poor speed. It picks up speed dramatically while turning. Best used in tracks with many twists and turns.
*Slider: Decent speed and very good handling. This car can "slide" the best.
*Speeder: As its name suggests, it is very fast, although has poor handling. Best used in tracks with many straightaways.
*Spinner: More or less, it is a better version of the EasySlider. It's top speed is just slower than the EasySlider but has an acceleration almost as fast as the Speeder. It turns quick but it also slides.

Other Cars

Players can create their own cars for their own enjoyment, a new twist, or just for the heck of doing it. Creating a new car involves a process of making a .CAR file, a .pngimage of the car and (optional) a .WAV file of the car's motor. A .CAR can be created by opening a text editor such as Notepad, and designating the specifications of the car. Here, as an example, is the layout process for the EasySlider car.

Car EasySlider description 6 #601 #602 #603 #604 #605 #606 acceleration 200 enginefriction 0 viscosity 0.75 nonslidesector 0.8 slidebraking 40 slidedeceleration 20 braking 80 steering 2.5 elasticity 0.8 grip 100 weight 1000 mask easyslider-pat.png0 0 32 32 rotimage easysliderc.png 0 0 2048 32 2 tire 11.5 21.0 tire 20.5 21.0 enginesample engine.wavEnd

After creating a new car, you can share it with other users by hosting a server and using your car in the races. Their TS programs will automatically download the cars to their own car folders, and can then use them in races, too.

One other thing to note about the cars is that they do not sustain damage when bumping into other cars or track obstacles. They also do not need to be refueled, and also do not have wind resistance or drifting capabilities.

Tracks

In the Demo version of the game, a player can only play the initial three tracks that come with it, Minileap, Sandslid and Forestry. This also contributes to another Demo limitation. A Demo player can only join Demo servers, which host the same 3 tracks during every cup (although they can be put in random order). When a player enters an activation key to unlock the game, they will be able to play the many other tracks that come with the game. They can also create and play on their own tracks by making them in the Track Editor that comes with the game.

When unlocked, a player can also participate in Full Servers, where they can compete with other players in the various other races. They can also download tracks created by other users through those Servers, making the possibilities of diverse gameplay endless. It also allows a player to play Punaball.

Features

Recording

Races can be recorded for later viewing offline by pressing the F4 button anytime during a game. One can also set races to automatically record in the Options menu. Recordings are not a type of media video, instead data is recorded and the game itself is used to play the recording. The recorded gameplay is made into small size text files, usually 30-300 KB in size (depending on length of the recording, weather it was recorded online of offline, and some other factors).

Custom File Sharing

As mentioned before, a player can share their custom cars or tracks with other players by hosting them on his or her server. Cars and Tracks are the ONLY things that can be shared with other users, and not any other files.

Punaball

An interesting method of gameplay is Punaball. It's almost exactly like soccer with Turbo Sliders cars (almost always the AntiSlider, though others can be used). Players split up into teams and try to knock a sphere-shaped object into the opposing team's goal.

There are several different tactics a player can resort to, such as intercepting the ball from an opponent (or teammate), ramming his/her car into an opponent to throw off their strategy, or slamming the ball into a wall which will usually send it shooting like a bullet to another part of the field.

A player can create their own custom Punaball or Punaball field to share with other users.

Computer-Controlled (AI) Opponents

Released with version 1.0.6, is the ability to play against AI Opponents. This feature was never available before, as a user had to rely on internet communications with other players or get friends to play with them if they didn't want to play alone. The AI have 5 levels of difficulty, depending on how tough they want their races to be. The number of AI players and their difficulty level can be edited in the Players Menu in the main game.

Fuel and Damage

In the 1.0.8 version of the game (the latest release), fuel and damage support was added. These additions can be used in different game modes, but are mostly used in races. Fuel is drained based on how long the acceleration key is held down. Driving into the pit area will fill the car. Fuel settings can be fully customized; slowdown (fuel weight slowdown), fuel length time, refuel time, and other things can be changed. Damage will slow the car down, hitting objects and other cars will inflict damage. Damage settings can also be customized.

Battle Mode

Also in the 1.0.8 version, battle mode was added in 2 forms. The first is a mode called "X-Bumpz" in which the object of the battle in to push the other cars out of the arena. This mode was played before the 1.0.8 release, but now the game supports it (player's cars are disabled when the touch a set terrain). The other battle mode is Missile Battle. Players can shoot missiles from their car to disable the other players. It can be played in Team mode (as can X-Bumpz). There is also Missile Infiltration mode, which is a form of team missile battle, in which any member of the team may drive into the other team's base to win the round.

External links

* [http://www.turbosliders.com/ Turbo Sliders Official Website]
* [http://www.turbosliders.com/forum/ Turbo Sliders Forum]
* [http://www.jollygoodgames.com/ Jollygood Games Website]
* [http://xihalife.com/games/turbosliders/ Turbo Sliders at XIHA Life]