I've been watching this thread and was glad to see the last post from Sega themselves (or what was said by sega). I'm throwing in my 2 cents: This game was on console back in 2011 and then again on PS Vita last year. I played the Vita version, which was identical to console sans some graphical fidelity. The game didn't have all characters unlocked to begin with, so the same here where u have to race to unlock more races, which will lead to boss battles to win characters (still races). The same goes for tracks, you have to keep playing to unlock. **There was only 1 character that you couldn't "win" or obtain, and that was Metal Sonic because he was a launch DLC exclusive. So with all this said, you have your comparison to console. I won't be buying this as I already own it, but to all those who were sketchy or just downright angst, get over it.....it's the same game for a 1/5 the cost. Stop being cheap or thinking that you're getting ripped off, because you're not.....now if someone comes back and says more than 1 character is IAP only, then I'll give the argument some merit. Otherwise, take this as ur official recommendation to hop on this franchise.
^^ I agree that this is a great game and a steal at the $5 entry fee. But I think what may help is more definition on how things are unlocked. For example, the game recommended trying BD Joe for drift events. I have over 20,000 rings. Went to buy him and got the message that the character can be unlocked playing the world tour. I've been playing the world tour and so far not a single character has unlocked. Do I have to play the entire world tour? Is there a specific event that unlocks things? That's my only issue. I love the game but unlocks are not clearly defined at all.
This is what i found on Gamefaqs for the Wii U version, the Vita Gamefaqs only showed achievements. BUT i´m not sure if it applies for this app. Maybe it helps, so i posted it anyway Unlockable How to Unlock AGES World Tour Mode: Superstar Showdown - Win Ranger Rush (Sprint) and purchase for 165 stars. Alex Kidd Automatically unlocked on December 25, 2012. Amigo World Tour Mode: Sunshine Coast - Win Studio Scrapes (Versus) and then purchase for 8 stars. Danica Patrick World Tour Mode: Frozen Valley - Win Pirate Plunder (Race) and then purchase for 16 stars. Doctor Eggman Win all five mirrored Grand Prix cups. Gilius Thunderhead World Tour Mode: Moonlight Park - Win Molten Mayhem (Ring Race) and purchase for 120 stars. Gum World Tour Mode: Moonlight Park - Win Jet Set Jaunt (Boost Challenge) and purchase for 105 stars. Joe Musashi World Tour Mode: Twilight Engine - Win Shinobi Showdown (Versus) and purchase for 85 stars. Mii Win all five standard Grand Prix cups. NiGHTS World Tour Mode: Scorching Skies - Win Carrier Crisis (Sprint) and purchase for 80 stars. Pudding World Tour Mode: Twilight Engine - Win Hatcher Hustle (Sprint) and purchase for 50 stars. Reala World Tour Mode: Superstar Showdown - Win Nightmare Meander (Ring Race) and purchase for 160 stars. Shadow the Hedgehog World Tour Mode: Frozen Valley - Win Seaside Scrap (Versus) and then purchase for 35 stars. Vyse World Tour Mode: Scorching Skies - Win Rogue Rings (Ring Race) and then purchase for 30 stars.
^^ Thanks for posting that. Doesn't explain much for character unlocks, but it may be helpful. BTW, I feel this game is a good value so far and understand the devs explainations. But people shouldn't just discount anyone's concerns about IAPs in any game. With some of the things that have happened on the App Store to treat members here like they shouldn't have any concern over IAPs is just as unfair. IMO, it's absolutely pertinent to discussion of new games. I don't necessarily believe this but even "professional" reviewers have been not appreciated the model here. From 148apps: "A great racing game, damaged by a business model more fitting of a free-to-play game than a $4.99 one." Again, I don't know if I agree with that statement. BUT as much as I love the game, I think the dev could at least come back here and post an iOS specific list of how to unlock characters and other things in the game. After putting around two hours into the game and STILL not unlocking even the ability to buy other characters with rings, it's hard to maintain the optimism from the dev's post on IAPs. So please, if you're reading, explain unlockables more thoroughly.
Well, went ahead and got it though there did seem to be alot of concerns about the business models. Hopefully if they do drop in price fast, they will give us early adopters an early adopter bonus somehow later. Well, time to see how it is.
With all the discussion about the IAP in a $5 game (yes I know it's ONLY $5) I'll wait for a price drop and then decide if the game is worth buying an IAP.
To unlock characters you have to complete world tour sections. After the second section I unlocked Gum. You don't just play the world tour and suddenly get a character. If you scroll to the end of the section you will see what will be given to you as a reward. For a character it will show a portrait with a question mark.
I'm can't really make a statement either way about whether this should be F2P, but certainly am enjoying it. It's just troublesome when's things don't seem to be unlocking and there's no explaination on how they are unlocked. The game is probably worth just the whole $15 purchase. But that if a dev defends the game saying everything can be unlocked through gameplay then all I want to know is how? I like to earn things. I don't want shortcuts. I just am not seeing much in the way of rewards in unlocks yet and rings are just piling up.
I never said you can just play the world tour and "suddenly" get a character. But not knowing when or how is frustrating. Thanks for pointing out the character with the "?". I've played 16 events in world tour at various skill levels as well as a bunch of Grand Prix events. So, yes, I have played probably 2-3 hours and haven't unlocked any character. Knowing this, I can at least have an indication that I may unlock something at the end of my current tour section. To prompt people to use a character in an event, and not explain that it's not unlocked or when it will be, is still IMO pushing people to get IAPs out of frustration of not being able to unlock the "suggested" characters. There may have been good intentions with this implementation, but to say it isn't flawed is putting blinders on.
Strange, boot up game, and it asked me for my itunes password. Hopefully it was to do that vip pack. Makes one kind of nervous.
I dont think this was for that app. All day today it has been asking me for my password randomly, i decline everytime but i dont even own this app
I've seen console games that tell you to try using a character that isn't even unlocked. It's just a simple dialog. I'm pretty sure they weren't trying to push anyone into purchasing iap.
Have to agree with AWP on alot of things, delightful game, definitely is the best kart racer on ios. Competes favorably to even the big racers like asphalt 8 and ridge racer splitstream. But, the inapps, coins, rings, store, are really scary. Definitely has a freemium feel to it. So far just beginning, so races are easy and money is easy to get, but do wonder what about the future. Nonetheless, great fun game. If it does drop in price quickly, hopefully Sega can reward the early adopters by adding some of the inapp packs later to the early adopters. Great fun though. Tilt seems to be a little off, but the touch sliderish like controls work pretty good.
Jesus Christ this game is a proper IAP mess. Nothing newsworthy in that though I guess. Or well, there is the brand name, and hence less need to mess up a game with ridiculous IAP systems. Also, some people, stop being sheeps , mmkay? ; ) Nintendo expressed being curious to dip their toes into the mobile (phone/tablet) market. I wonder how deep they'll end up. Maybe we'll see a Mario Kart game in a couple of years even though they have their own system.
They are optional -- it appears. Just poorly implemented and people not knowing if/when/how to unlock various things in the game will likely get sucked into them not knowing. The unspecified way unlocks are achieved and the spinner, IMO, are two things that make a premium game look freemium. And, I have no doubt, IAPs will be bought purely because of the "unknown" factor of the game. Don't get me wrong. I love the game. And it IS the best kart racer on the App Store. Period. But I just feel like the way it was designed is so muddled in its IAPs that a normal customer who doesn't look into these things will likely be the ones to fall for them. And for a high profile game like this, that's a bit sad. And don't give me the "well even with the IAPs it's only $15". If that's the way you want to look at it, that's the way it should have been priced. It's a confusing mess IMO.
Get an retina ipad, looks really good on it. Flying tracks are good fun, the water tracks though seem sluggish framerate wise.
K... I'm hooked. At the time of purchase, I was in the middle of about 8 games from my backlog (I made a new years resolution to try and get only a couple iOS games this year...), and now that's screwed. They're back on the back-burner. I'm only about halfway through the World Tour, and have gone through 2 Grand Prix cups... and I'm just hooked. I've got the four characters (I didn't put in my iTunes password the first couple times the game started up, if that's what that VIP thing was... I dunno...), and then Gum (by completing the first Grand Prix Cup - Dragon Cup), and I've got both Sonic and Gum fully upgraded with their tier 2 upgrades. I'm really enjoying every single minute. There's quite a few races, and the tracks changing is fantastic. I'm finding the controls surprisingly precise and tight... Just very glad that this is on my phone. I don't have any other version of the game, and I doubt my PC can handle it... so that does play a part in what I think of the game... But... damn it's just a great game. =oP That's all...
