Racing occurs on ten different tracks: Arizona, Chicago, the Amazon, London, Norway, Egypt, France, Hawaii, Tokyo, and New York. A race consists of six laps around the circuit, most of which have vertical components and branching routes. In addition to single races, the game also offers a championship mode which tours you through multiple tracks. Between rounds, it is possible to upgrade your vehicle with various weapons and boosters. You can also acquire things as pickups in the course of a race.
There are ten competitors to choose between, each of whom has their own vehicle. They are: former air force pilot Cobra; British gentleman Eddy Royce; abrasive German ace Horst; Isis "the Crisis" of Egypt; twins Kin and Gin Matsu; biker gang boss Rysho; Native American "medicine man" the Shaman; ex-marine Slayed; surfer dude Ted "Malibu" Beech; and glamorous socialite Victoria Venice.
The game was developed for the PC by The Software Refinery (who also did Hardwar) and published by Gremlin Interactive. It was initially released in 1995; more recently, it has been made available through websites like Steam and GOG.
Tropes:
- 20 Minutes into the Future: The game is set in "the first few decades of the 21st Century".
- Ace Pilot: The ten competitors, although their vehicles are more flying race cars rather than traditional planes. One of them, Cobra, has a military background and (judging by his portrait) may well have flown "real" planes for in the air force before becoming a racer.
- Badass Biker: Rysho was leader of a Tokyo bike gang before joining the races. His vehicle is one of the smallest and narrowest, perhaps because he wants to treat it like a flying bike.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: Some of the racetracks use monuments and landmarks to make sure you know where you are. The London track, for example, is mainly underground, but you pop out for long enough to pass St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower Bridge. Similarly, the Egypt track features the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, while the New York track features the Statue of Liberty. However, some tracks avert it — for example, the France track is entirely in caves, with not a single Eiffel Tower to be found.
- Egypt Is Still Ancient: One of the drivers is Egyptian, and she uses ancient Egyptian symbolism — her racing name is Isis ("the Crisis"), she wears an ankh pendant, and so forth. However, this could just be a branding gimmick employed by the character (who, like other racers, is an international celebrity).
- I Am Very British: Both Eddy Royce and Victoria Venice are distinctly British in accent and phrasing — "For queen and country!", "toodle pip", and so forth. It's unclear how much is real and how much is just keeping on-brand.
- Interface Screw: One of the anti-powerups you can encounter inverts all your controls, which is especially dangerous when moving at speed in a narrow tunnel.
- Kaiserreich: One of the drivers, Horst, seems to play into the "dastardly Hun" stereotype. He's skilled, but has a brash and abrasive personality, and has a reputation as unsporting.
- Magical Native American: The driver known as "the Shaman" either is one, or acts the part of one as his brand. He talks about ancient "medicine" which helps him race.
- Nitro Boost: You can deploy a boost from time to time. It isn't hugely faster than your normal top speed, but can still be useful.
- Quintessential British Gentleman: Charles Edward "Eddy" Royce is (or presents himself as) this. Unlike most of the other drivers, he's supposed to be a firm believer in etiquette and civility (although that isn't the same thing as never attacking anyone — that's just part of the game).
- Semper Fi: The driver calling himself Slayed was apparently in the Marines. These days, though, he looks more like a gang leader.
- Socialite: Victoria Venice, one of the drivers, seems to be this (or at least adopts that persona). Over the radio, she may tell you that "it's party time" or complain that she Broke A Nail.
- Stripperiffic: The female drivers, to varying extents. Isis just has a lot of cleavage on a relatively sensible jumpsuit, but Victoria is basically in a bikini top, and the Matsu twins are somehow even more minimally clad. Since the competitors are all celebrity icons, impractical costumes may well be part of their public brand.
- Surfer Dude: Ted "Malibu" Beech, one of the drivers. He comes from California, talks Totally Radical, dresses like he's on a beach, and calls his vehicle the Wave Rider.
- Trash Talk: The other competitors can send you insults via radio. This can actually be useful, because what they say often tells you their relative position (e.g. coming up behind you) without you having to take your attention away from the track.
- Twin Telepathy: Kin and Gin are alleged to have telepathic abilities, which would presumably help their coordination when driving a flying car together. Whether they really do have such abilities is not stated.
- Wacky Racing: The basis of the game — flying cars with weapons.
