Anyone with a little white hair remembers the old radio-controlled tracks, famous in the seventies and remained more and less still in those years, until the advent of this new Anki Overdrive, which removes the remote control and puts an iPhone behind the wheel, for the happiness of adults (especially) and children.
Anki Overdrive, the review
Fantasy behind the wheel
Anki Overdrive is a set for a complete toy car track: inside we find two toy cars, a charger, various instruction booklets (quite futile, the App does more or less everything, also offering instructions during games) and the track real, made with flexible plastic parts, which are hooked through small blocks at the ends.
Preparation for the race, the car is rubbed a little on a special tire to improve the grip of the tires
The construction of the track is the beginning of the game: everything is very simple, so much so that the child of the house understood everything before the writer of this review, opting for a canonical form (as in the photos), to then try more solutions. aggressive.
1 of 6 
Once assembled with “0” shape, the track measures 180 x 120 cm (which increase if mounted in a different way), so you also need to calculate the space well, although to assemble and disassemble everything you need no more than 5 minutes of patience .
Also interesting is the part in the pits, with a small black box that contains a special paste that increases the grip of the cars on the track, a kind of tire change to be done from time to time.
1 of 3 
An iPhone in the pits
It must be said immediately: the mechanism of Anki Overdrive, as well as the “intelligent” part of the game, is all in the App for iPhone, iPad or Android, there is no way to play without it.
The little ones will need the assistance of the grown-ups to download the App and create the character, but then they will become autonomous for everything.
The App itself allows you to create a profile for the player and behaves like an App of a classic videogame, with the character running, buying points and improving his car, becoming stronger and challenging friends or the computer in the races. The only difference is that the race is not virtual, but real, on the track.
the initial screen that invites you to put the toy cars on the circuit, after charging, to start the test ride, which basically serves to scan the form
3, 2, 1 … departure!
Once the car is paired and positioned on the Anki Overdrive circuit, preparing for the race, both cars make two test laps, probably to “learn” how the circuit is made. During these two laps, the cars follow the route and make small accelerations in a completely autonomous way, also often changing position, probably to refine the scan.
It must be said that there is no need to “instruct” the App for the shape of the circuit, the game does everything by itself and is a kind of magic: at the end, both position themselves correctly on the starting line and wait for the start.
1 of 3 
Once the device starts, it controls the acceleration, the brake and the position of the car, moving it left and right within the track, while for the curves Anki Overdrive is completely autonomous.
The races are about speed (without exaggerating, because as tradition dictates, too much acceleration in the corners causes the car to skid and sometimes it goes off the track and human intervention is needed to reposition it.
A little “petrol” before the race
But the game is not just a factor of speed: it is possible to insert variants, such as the possibility of “shooting” the other car, slowing it down. The weapon, mounted on the car in a virtual way, involves a visual feedback given by the lights, and can also determine, based on the type of race, even victory and defeat if it is hit too many times.
As you progress through the game, you can buy other weapons that change the range and direction of the shots, making the game always varied and extremely fun.
The possible combinations of the pieces of the beginner pack
Considerations
The idea behind Anki Overdrive is very simple, it is inspired by a game that, while undergoing practically no substantial improvement over time, has never really faded and it is not difficult to find its basic edition in the homes of those who have children.
So praise to Anki Overdrive for finally giving a new meaning to this game: not only the introduction of a smartphone or tablet as a guide, but much more, such as the scan of the track, the definition of a virtual world in which the track is only a part and the mechanism of the races, which ultimately brings the game closer to the idea of a “Fast and Furious” for the youngest (there is also a dedicated edition).
In all honesty we don't see any negative sides: the operation is modular, so by purchasing two boxes you have many more pieces available for the tracks, which can become larger, and it is also possible to play in four (a situation that we do not have tried, but that is clear from the site).
All in all it is also possible to play alone, against the computer, to grow your character and make him become stronger, even if the game's artificial intelligence, modular, did not seem like much, and it is clear that Anki Overdrive gives the best. with two human players.
For those who feel like it, on Amazon there are a number of options, from replacement cars (such as trucks) to new pieces of the track such as ramps or intersections.
Pro:
• A lot of fun • The idea of mixing virtual and real is sometimes brilliant • The cost of the basic kit is very convenient
Cons:
• The game is designed for two players
Price:
• 68.00 Euro Anki Overdrive (Beginner's Kit) • 58.00 Euro Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious edition • 30.99 Euro Thermo, Game Expansion Car • 22.96 Euro Expansion Track Collision • 16.28 Euro Elevation Kit • 19 , 45 Euro Corner Kit • 49.99 Euro Travel Case for Anki Overdrive
Readers can find Anki Overdrive and all the accessories (not strictly essential, a box is self-sufficient) directly from the Amazon.it pages
