Hands-on with Top Speed: Drag & Fast Racing for BlackBerry 10

While there may be quite a few car racing games available in the storefront, there is always room for one more, at least in my opinion. The latest release from Thunderbull Entertainment is certainly a drag racing game filled with action, stunning visuals, and customization. As someone who spent the better part of her youth playing racing games, albeit with those clunky wheel attachments, I was not going to pass up the opportunity to try this out.

First off, let me point out Top Speed is a native application, not an Android port, though it is available on the other platforms. Next, the object of the game, as with these types, is to dominate your rivals in each of the head-to-head drag races and become the supreme underground racing kingpin. Sounds easy right? Far from it.

What I like about this game is how you can customize your car, it's color, and add decals. There are 69 stock cars to choose from and 20 criminal overlords to compete against, though, these are unlocked as you progress and earn cash. Of course, each car has its advantages and disadvantages, and you can fine tune the specifications to your liking. For instance, you can increase the engine power, upgrade the gear box and nitro (for that extra push), or repaint your car.

As for the gameplay itself, the controls are easy to use. All that is required on your part is tapping on the gear or nitro buttons using the dashboard at the bottom of the screen. You are not tilting or changing direction but waiting for your meter to reach the ideal speed (highlighted in green) to activate these functions.

In the easy levels, the drag races are short (i.e. quarter of a mile) and you accumulate points and cash for each race you win which be used towards upgrading your vehicle and purchasing fuel. As you progress the courses become more difficult, and your crew will alert you if your car doesn't meet the criteria of a certain race. Hence, the reason for the various upgrades offered.

Features

• Pick from 69 cars: stock rides, dragsters and police vehicles
• Let your creativity flow through a ton of tuning and customization options
• Drive in 5 city districts, each with its own unique theme and gang crew
• A real-life inspired aircraft carrier to race on
• Epic arcade game modes
• Adrenaline inducing Most Wanted police chases
• Mind blowing 3D HD visuals

This is a unique take on the classic car racing games though many of the beginning head-to-heads are repetitive. The graphics are beautiful, gameplay is solid, and being able to switch between different race modes (i.e. Street race, boss battle, most wanted, master race, sponsor event, etc.) make for some interesting matches.

Top Speed is free to download for BlackBerry 10 and again there are in-app purchases if you wish to obtain certain items. However, quite of few of these items can be earned through gameplay, waiting for the countdown timer to collect more fuel, or by obtaining special deals with sponsors within the game. Otherwise, you could purchase upgrades and fuel for various fees so that you gain an advantage over your opponent quicker. It is a decent racing game that will not disappoint.

Learn more / Download Top Speed: Drag and Fast Racing