Out of Eight writes:
"New Star Grand Prix generally does a good job adapting the finer aspects of New Star Soccer to F1-style arcade racing. If the top-down perspective isn't enough to hamper your enjoyment, then you'll find close, intense racing (much more so than the real-life series). The tracks are all very narrow and passing opportunities are few (as is the case in the realm of reality), but the damage model is forgiving enough that you can beat and bang at least a little bit to make a pass. The AI drivers are much better during qualifying, as they will exhibit human-like imperfections, and drive much more like robots in races, rarely getting out of your way or deviating from the programmed racing line even if you are directly beside them.
New Star Grand Prix immerses you into the current F1 season by providing all of the current track layouts and drivers, although you will have to rename them for total authenticity."
NSG has released an updated demo for their top-down racing title New Star Grand Prix, now available for download.
The demo offers up a taste of the surprisingly deep retro racer, in career mode you must handle your off track duties just as much as you have to handle them behind the wheel.
Test Freaks writes: "New Star Grand Prix is a brand new top-down F1 racing simulator for the 2009 season. It cashes in on the old-school style of play, reminiscent of classic racers from the NES days of gaming. But unlike those titles, and in New Star style, there is more to this game than you'd find in any archetypal title from back in the heydays. We are modern audiences and consumers, after all."
The top-down racing isn't exactly what you might expect after playing Forza or something, but it is surprisingly addictive. Learning the course becomes more important than just braking correctly, as you practice for several days before qualifying and the big race. Also, each race earns you money which can go to buying yourself houses and cars. You can even drive the cars on the racing track, which gives you a reason to try and get them all. The game becomes more about you than just how fast your car goes.
