Fanboys of the movie Tron have probably played all of the lightcycle/disc throwing games that have been inspired by the film since Tron’s release in 1982. Many of those games did not live up to the premise’s potential and I was never able to find a good one (although I haven’t tried them all). Fortunately, Pankaku inc. has released Lightbike 2 for the iPhone, a nearly perfect recreation of the Tron “LightCycle” game – and here’s the two biggest selling points: it has online muliplayer, and it’s free.
I never had a chance to play the first Lightbike game, so I won’t be able to tell you how much of an improvement the sequel is, but I can tell you that this game is extremely fun. I do know that the original game did not include multiplayer for free, you had to pay for Lightbike Online. Basically, Lightbike 2 is like a 3d version of the classic “Snake” (also known as nibbles), with four players. As your lightbike moves around the playing grid, it leaves a trail that serves as a wall. Your job is to navigate the level without running into any of the walls that are created by yourself or your three opponents. The game takes place from a third-person perspective, bit also offers a top-down minimap to make navigation easy (or if you prefer playing it like “snake,” you can just use the minimap).
The controls in Lightbike 2 are quite simple, allowing you to put most of your focus on where you’re driving – or trying to drive. There are turning buttons on the left and right edges of the screen, and “boost” and “jump” buttons on the bottom. The boost button gives you a quick burst of speed, allowing you to outpace an opponent if you are travelling neck-to-neck. Then you can turn, cut off the opponent, and send his/her Lightbike to its doom. The jump button allows you to hop over a wall, therefore avoiding a collision. Both of these power-ups take time to recharge, forcing you to use them sparingly. This makes sense though, as one gives you a chance to take someone out, and the other lets you save yourself.
Once a game gets started, it’s a hectic, high-pressure race to stake out some territory and try to cut off your opponents. Rounds usually don’t take more than a minute or two to finish, and once someone wins three points, they win the match (the point total required to win is a changeable option in multiplayer). It’s funny how often someone runs into their own “tail,” or simply cruises off the playing area, plummeting to their death. The death animations are awesome, and often hilarious – it’s always fun to see someone’s Lightbike go spiralling off into oblivion.
Lightbike 2’s best feature is online multiplayer. It’s very easy to create an account and get started, and the online has played smoothly for me thus far. I have yet to have a serious framerate issue or be kicked from a game. You have the option of creating or joining a room, and the game offers stat-tracking and a friends list. Rooms allow 2-4 players to join, depending on the setup. There’s a ranking system as well, which allows you to upgrade parts of your Lightbike as you earn points. The upgrade system isn’t super deep – you can upgrade 3 parts of your bike two times each – it still offers the “carrot” to keep you playing multiplayer.
Considering the mobile platform it’s on, Lightbike 2 is a great way to kill 5 minutes at a time. I can’t remember a game that was longer, and these bite-sized skirmishes are just what I was looking for on my iPhone. It may not have the incredibly-deep upgrade system of Eliminate Pro, but it offers way more replay value than something like Call of Duty: WOW Zombies, or Assassin’s Creed Multiplayer. The best part is that the game is free, so pick it up and feel free to add me to your friends list, my Lightbike 2 name is “Jordanfwc.”
Lightbike 2 is available from the iTunes AppStore for Free.
This app was independently purchased (for free) by the post author in the iPhone App Store. For further information regarding our site ‘s review policies, please see the ‘About ‘ page.
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