AiRace Speed review: speeding is tons of fun, especially with no cops around

In some parts of life, finishing fast is a bad thing; however, in AiRace Speed, the faster you finish, the better. And who exactly are you racing against? No one; no one except the clock and the times of other players, and the clock can be cruel, penalizing every death with a few extra seconds each time that may mean the difference between a silver and gold star. It is all extremely simple, with only one mode and eighteen well-designed races full of secret paths and alternate routes, essential for those looking to reach the top of the leaderboards.

I am nowhere near the top of the leaderboards, but, despite dying plenty of times, I still had a lot of fun with AiRace Speed. The reason my many, many deaths never frustrated me is because AiRace Speed doesn't over-penalize death; sure, each death brings a few extra seconds to your final time, but, in order to receive a bronze star, all you have to do is finish the race, no need to finish it in a reasonable manner; if it somehow took you three hours to finish one race--insane, I know--you would still receive a bronze star, allowing you to move on to the next race (silver stars are needed later in the game).

While it would be insane to spend three hours on a single run of one race, spending that time cumulatively would be easy to do because each race has shortcuts and alternate paths, each one filled with different obstacles, and experimentation is the only way to find the best route for a race. And, if you're on a leaderboard hunt, you will be replaying each race many, many times, which remains fun thanks to variety and a challenge that isn't too brutal.

AiRace Speed snuck up on me and surprised me. I'm not the biggest fan of racing games focused on time trials, but I had a lot of fun with AiRace Speed and, at only $4.99, it's a pretty good deal. My only problem is, some levels have a long string of spinning structures and obstacles, which gave me a slight headache, exacerbated tenfold when using 3D; so, if you get dizzy easily or are prone to headaches, you may want to pass; if not, AiRace Speed is a great addition to anyone's 3DS library, even if you don't usually enjoy racing against the clock.

*AiRace Speed is available now on the Nintendo 3DS eShop for $4.99.

AiRace Speed (3DS eShop)