The Bottom Line
Tube Slider looks and feels good. Unfortunately the very linear tracks and lack of variety keep it from taking 1st place. The same game with better level design could be a 5 star game.
Pros
- Fast, Fun, Futuristic Racing
- True 360 degree maneuverability
- Sharp, smooth graphics, even with 4 players
Cons
- Lack of depth - only 10 tracks
- Linear, not enough variety
Description
- Graphics: 4.5/5 Tube slider looks sharp. The vehicles were designed by the studio that made Akira
- Sound: 3/5 Not too bad, not too good. In the future, race cars sound more like Volvos than dragsters
- Concept: 3/5 Futuristic racers are cool, but we've seen this before. There's no twist.
- Controls: 4.5/5 The game's highlight is the feel of the hovercraft
- Replay: 2/5 Mmmm, it can be played through fairly quickly, and there's not much to go back for
- Multiplayer: 4/5 The graphics seem as smooth and as crisp with four players as with one
- Difficulty: 3.5/5 Some levels are cake, some make you want to shout obscenities, not very balanced
Guide Review - Tube Slider - GameCube
After an 8 year hiatus NEC is back, and planning to produce titles for all three major consoles. Tube Slider is their first venture, and all and all not a bad way to start things off.
Tube slider was developed by the folks responsible for F-Zero. While they are both futuristic racers, they are very different games. Tube Slider hides nothing in its name. You race hovercraft in tubes. The ability to race on all sides of the tube is done surprisingly well, and the multiplayer is solid. Unfortunately the game is short, and the level design could really use an overhaul.
Tube slider looks and plays well, but lacks the speed and depth that most modern racers have. Tube slider is a good racer in a market that has several great ones.
