E3 2010: First Look At Rhythm Racer 2 For iPhone And iPad

Planning for E3 can be a rather difficult task simply due to the sheer amount of games that have to be seen.  We try to schedule meetings as far out as possible in order to fit everyone in and to give all developers a fair shake, and we think we did a pretty good job this time around.  However, sometimes those last minute meetings in the LA Convention Center hallways or in restaurants nearby turn out to be the most surprising, and this year that award goes to AvatarLabs and their soon-to-be-released game, Rhythm Racer 2. Rhythm Racer 2 is the direct sequel to the hit racing/rhythm game released in early January 2010.  It features even more music, flashier graphics, and more dynamic gameplay than the original, all of which will once again be obtainable free of charge.

“We listened to the more than quarter million fans who downloaded the original Rhythm Racer app and craved more music and more features,” said Rex Cook, CEO and founder of Avatarlabs. “Rhythm Racer 2 and Rhythm Racer 2 HD for iPad deliver on all levels, offering more free music and more music overall, from both independent and platinum artists.”

In Rhythm Racer 2 you control a speeding ship by tilting your device side to side in order to collect the orbs scattered on the tracks.  Hitting consecutive orbs and jumping through rings builds up your multiplier, which obviously helps you achieve the biggest score and move up the leaderboards.  If you miss a sphere or a jump, however, the music doesn't get distorted like other games in the genre, it simply gets quieter. The game also features much crisper and much flashier graphics than the original -- which are especially appealing on the iPad, multiple levels of difficulty, the ability to fine-tune the accelerometer controls, and OpenFeint integration. All of this is well and good, but like all rhythm-based games, it's about the music choices.  Rhythm Racer 2 will feature four free songs at launch by Parry Grip, Ordinary Peoples, King Atom, and Kill the Alarm with more to be added later.  The game will also feature premium music packs that contain two songs each for the price of $.99.  The first two premium packs will be: Classic Rock Pack 1, featuring Smokin' by Boston and Free Ride by Edgar Winter, and Alternative Pack 1, featuring Weapons of Mass Distortion by The Crystal Method and The Take by Filter. AvatarLabs intends to add even more hit music by popular bands such as All American Rejects and OK Go down the road, so there will be much more to look forward to.  That's to go along with the free tracks that will be added frequently as well. Rhythm Racer 2 for iPhone and iPod touch and Rhythm Racer 2 HD for iPad should be hitting the App Store any day now.  Check out the brand new gameplay trailer embedded below.  We have a gallery of screenshots available below as well.

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