Neo Driftout is a fun arcade style racer and, in my opinion, the best of the racing games on Neo-Geo. It's a Rally game, so while there are a few other cars, it's mainly you against the track. While your car may slide more on dirt than on pavement, the game is really about seeing the direction arrow of the next turn (presumably told to you by your navigator) then driving through the turns without losing speed.
So it's basically a twitch-style game of reacting to the tracks (with a little bit of memorization during tricky sections). While that may sound simplistic, the level of polish all around makes for a very addicting game. Both the graphics and sound are top notch. The cars appear to be 3-D rendered, but with a 2-D "painted over" look that matches the rest of the game. The tracks have just the right amount of detail considering how fast you should be going, and there is a nice zooming in and out effect as you race around the track.
The techno music goes well with a racing game and does not get annoying or repetitive. (The opening song reminds me of Pachelbel's Canon in D, which I thought was a nice touch). The car sounds are well done and the announcer is "non abrasive".
The controls in the game are simple — left, right, gas and brake — but they are very responsive and feel just about perfect. You have three real world cars to choose from: Toyota Celica (fastest), Mitsubishi Lancer (best handling) or the Subaru Impreza (best all around). I found that the Celica worked best for me.
There are seven stages total (including a short practice stage) and they include the standard rally fare of dirt, sand, snow and ice. There are shortcuts in each track, but they are not hidden and are not necessary to win. The difficulty ramps up nicely and the last track is difficult but not frustrating.
Neo Driftout is a little on the short side (it is an arcade game after all), but I had fun all the way through. If you have a Neo-Geo and are a fan of 2-D racing games, I highly recommend it.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.