Try as I might, it’s hard to keep up with every single gadget/device/connected toy released, and Anki’s Drive racing game totally passed me by first time around.

However, the company has just released its second robot racing game in the form of Anki Overdrive, which is partially compatible with the existing Drive track and cars.

In a nutshell, it’s like a 21st Century version of Scalextric, but one that turns it into feeling like a hybrid between a video game and a real-world game.

Contents and set-up

In the Anki Overdrive Starter Kit, there’s a few sections of track (10), two cars and a charging pad for the vehicles.

Opening it up, I had flashbacks to spending hours setting – and then re-configuring – Scalextric sets when I was younger. I’ll be honest, it didn’t make me want to leap straight in.

Thankfully, it’s a whole different system – and it’s exceptionally easy to get up and running in just a few minutes.

To create a track, you simply click the magnetic sections together, and because it doesn’t need any sort of power, it doesn’t need to be plugged into the wall so you can put it wherever you like.

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Changing configurations is simply the case of spending a minute or two adjusting the track, and then carrying on with your racing.

You’ll need to charge the cars before you can use them for the first time too, but again, this is a quick process – from flat to fully charged in around 10 minutes, which minimises downtime between rounds.

Once you’re ready to start and have downloaded Anki Overdrive for your Android or iOS device, the app will guide you through the rest of the connection process (and prompt you to switch on Bluetooth, if it isn’t already).

Race time

The first time you place the cars on the track during the pre-race set-up, something really pleasing happens: the cars shoot off to scan the track, automatically driving themselves to optimize for your layout. Once that’s done, they both automatically pull up at the Start line, ready to begin the race.

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This last bit brought a smile to my face instantly, piquing my excitement to get racing.

The ‘big secret’ (not at all a secret) about Anki Overdrive is that a large part of the driving is automated – your car will happily navigate its own way around the track without your interference at all, but you get to control the speed and can change lanes by tilting your phone from side to side.

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You might want to change lanes to tactically line yourself up with your rival, or you might want to just try and smash them off the track as you go around a corner.

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At this stage, I was already impressed and having fun – and then the tutorial introduced weapons.

That’s right, you get an array of virtual weapons to help you win in battle and race mode.

 
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Author: Ben Woods