Well, this one definitely lives up to the description. It plays just like the pseudo-3D racing games from the 80s and early 90s. The upbeat soundtrack and vibrant visuals go a long way toward replicating that vintage charm.

There are couple of issues worth pointing out. First of all, the nighttime races have terrible contrast. There's nothing more annoying than having to crank the brightness on my phone just to see where I'm going.

More frustrating, however, is the nature of how races play out. I feel like there are two parts to every race -- the early part, when you're fighting through through throngs of other races to avoid momentum-draining collisions, and the late part, when the course feels empty and you just need to navigate the curves. Because of this, it often feels like the outcome of a race is decided within the first half of the first lap. Maybe that's realistic, but it means that races often feel less tense the longer they go on. The only exceptions were a handful of the later races, when I felt like I needed to nail every curve to get first place.

Despite this, the game is quite a bit of fun. It doesn't hurt that there are plenty of tracks, as well as upgrades and cars to unlock. I'm even tempted to delve into the DLC, but given how many other games there on my phone it's unlikely I'll get around to it anytime soon.