Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder

Extreme 3D Slot Car Racing

NA release: 28th September 2003
EU release: N/A
JP release: N/A
Developer: King of the Jungle
Publisher: Encore Software
NGC Magazine Score: N/A
Mods Used: Widescreen Hack

Essentially Scalextric: The Game, just without the license of the popular British toy. Despite this, the game initially was only released in North America on Xbox and GameCube, before making to Europe a few years later, but only on PS2 (which did not get an NA version). It really feels like the developers had a passion project but had to just accept whatever publisher terms they could get for platform and regions of release.

Scalextric is a track which consists of four lanes, you put a special car in it then pull a trigger to make it go, usually sending it flying off the track. The only control is acceleration, which is fine for the physical product, but would make a for a weak game, but thankfully the developers had some neat ideas. The analogue stick accelerates and brakes while the shoulder buttons change which slot your car is in, vital for avoiding obstacles and using power-ups. It reminded me a lot of grinding in later Sonic games, and is simple but smooth.

The game is incredibly speedy, requiring split second reflexes to stay on the track, and there’s a surprising amount of gimmicks to add more to the game. Some lines can provide an extra boost of power (or slow down) and there are switches which can change the layout of obstacles and open alternative routes, along with split tracks, gaps and loops.

To extend its length, Grooverider does the annoying thing where you complete a few cups, then have to move up a difficulty and play all the older ones again alongside the new ones. There’s a surprising amount of variety to how the tracks feel, and it really does seem like they’ve done all that they can do with the idea. It’s simple, but brings a smile to your face. It’s something a bit different, which helps to make it stand out.

Fun

Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder is a great budget title that succeeds in many key areas. At it’s heart, Grooverider is fun to play and encourages you to play with a couple of friends. Unfortunately, repetitive gameplay bogs down the fun factor and makes it difficult to keep your game playing motivation going. The final verdict is mixed but, if you have patience, Grooverider is great for someone looking for a change of racing pace.
Kyle Williams, Gaming Target

Remake or remaster?

A re-release would be fun.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to get Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder.