For about a second, I stand around, until it quickly occurs to me what a rarely stupid dog I am and I wildly press the L2 button to get going. I was so much in racing driver mode that I pressed the R2 button like in every other racing game. Thus, I was initially in last place. Far behind. At first. Because now begins a monumental chase like none ever seen before. Braking is not allowed, only relentless acceleration (or whatever you use to get moving with a Sparrow).
I pass through the gates that I’m supposed to drive through and that accelerate me pretty well, and I actually get closer to my competitors. Somehow, I even manage to briefly take the lead. But that feeling of good luck is quickly cut short by a cliff. Where did that come from? After three laps on this fast-paced downhill track, I ultimately finish fourth. But I was actually better than the others. That goes without saying. If only that cliff hadn’t been in the way.
The next two races also take place on Venus. These are used to try out some buttons while driving. Pressing square is a very bad idea. Better leave that alone. Really. Better press the arrow keys. A lot of gesturing will be going on.
You can… honk!
With circle, you can also honk. There are different horns that can drop after a race and can then be selected in character settings. A fun idea (especially since at the start of a race there are whole honking concerts assaulting the sound system), but not very original. Two very important buttons that I have come to love are L1 and R1, as with them you can quickly steer the Sparrow left or right, which is especially helpful in curves or before the “acceleration gates”. This can save quite a bit of distance, and you can laugh when it pushes the opponent far to the outside while you have “steered” yourself onto the inside lane. Well, I’ve been in the top three in both races, but the first victory is still awaited.
