The Super-Scaler Reborn: Slipstream Review

When it comes to new retro inspired releases, we really do have pretty much all bases covered. From NES inspired platformers like Cyber Shadow to 16-bit style shooters such as Xeno Crisis, we’re not short on tributes to the classics of yesteryear.

There’s even been a multitude of retro racers in recent years, with Hotshot Racing giving us a dose of Model 1 themed visuals.

But there haven’t been many games that have evoked the look of Sega’s legendary Super-Scaler arcade games. Horizon Chase Turbo provided something akin to classics like Outrun but was rendered in full 3D, so the gap was only partially filled.

Enter developer andsor, a one man studio seemingly determined to bring the spirit of Outrun, Sega’s Super Scalers and the arcade feel of the 80s to modern consoles.

Slipstream is a love letter to that era and to Sega. As soon as you see the title screen, the synth-wave look and feel, the supercar and palm trees hit you with the force of a Delorean driving at 88mph.

It doesn’t stop there. Checking the stage list gives you half a dozen early Sonic the Hedgehog references, while each new play session begins with a Sonic Mania style card that flashes with the countdown.

The main Grand Tour play mode even allows you to choose your route by steering left or right, just like Yu Suzuki’s classic.

However, this is far from merely an imitation of a legendary game.

Super Scaler games occupy a strange place in history. Hi-end, coin guzzling cabinets built to look incredible and end your play quickly. Sure, there were ports, but the visuals didn’t scale as the arcade games did, animating in different, chunkier ways. By the time home hardware was capable of delivering arcade perfect ports, polygonal graphics had taken over. As such we never got to see a game of its type expanded to appeal to the home.

Slipstream addresses this with a host of options, modes and gameplay styles. There are 5 cars to pick from, all fictional and unlicensed, but close enough that you’ll recognise a Lancia Delta, a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and even one that resembles a Lotus Esprit, no doubt evoking a certain Turbo Challenge Mega Drive and Amiga owners will have fond memory of.

The main game mode really is an ode to Outrun, there’s no other way to describe it. You race primarily against the clock aiming get to the next checkpoint and stage fork before the timer reaches zero. But Slipstream throws its own additional challenges in rivals who will taunt and narrate as you jostle for victory. It works similarly to rivals in Outrun 2, albeit against drivers with more personality.

Also similar to Outrun 2 is the drift mechanic, a short tap of the brake before hitting the accelerator again as you’re turning allows you to bend your car around corners at ludicrous speeds. It takes some getting used to, the mechanics are stricter than in similar racers, but it works very well.

Outrun isn’t the only series where mechanics are borrowed. There’s a rewind function too, which is popular in the Forza series. Again, the implementation is stricter, you only get to rewind up to 4 seconds once you earned that time, and if you rewind and make the same mistake, you won’t get another chance for a while.

And of course you have the slipstream mechanic. This works similar to the Mario Kart in its implementation, charging up when you are directly behind another racer (the word “slipstream" spelling itself out as you do so is another cool touch) then kicking in as a speed boost.

And as for other drivers, it's not just the rivals, but like Outrun and its ilk, there is traffic to navigate too, though the cars are faster and more aggressive than the in the game that served as Slipstream’s inspiration.

If you don’t want to contend with the traffic however, there are a plethora of other modes to play. Grand Prix and Single Race modes are pretty much as you’d expect, but feature a tonne of options to enhance the experience. Time Trial is present too and is useful not only for logging your faster times, but for practicing and learning the courses.

There’s also Battle Royale which works like an elimination race whereby the racer in last place is eliminated, rather than a Destruction Derby style free for all! Its a decent way to run through the tracks without the time limit and traffic.

Finally there’s Cannonball mode, which acts like the regular Grand Tour mode but with all the tracks played back to back.

Add in the robust local multiplayer options and there is oodles to enjoy. For a meagre £8, you get an awful lot of game here. As I mention, it expands the arcade super scaler game for the home in ways you’d rarely ever see in their heyday.

Slipstream has been available on Steam for a while now, but launched recently on all modern consoles. If you love Outrun, Chase HQ or any games of that kind, or if you love all things Sega, I’d say this is nothing short of essential.

Slipstream is a nigh on perfect execution of what Ansdor set out to do, a retro racer that looks and plays the part, while having the depth of a modern title. Not only is it authentic enough to hit you with an super-sized bout of 80s arcade nostalgia, but it's a fantastic game in its own right at the same time.

Formats: Xbox Series X|S (Reviewed), Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC

Official site: https://www.blitsoftware.com/games/slipstream/