Last year I reviewed the original Overdrive Starter Kit from Anki as well as Supertruck X52 ICE. You can check those reviews out here:
The Overdrive lineup consists of AI-assisted Supercars and trucks that battle on a specially coated race track that is embedded with a QR-style code allowing the cars to know exactly where they are on any given track configuration. The cars also use this code to scan through 50,000 different possible actions as it plots to destroy its competition.
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This year, rather than release more add-ons to the Overdrive family of products, Anki has unleashed a very exciting expansion of the Overdrive family with an entirely new version of the racing game. Overdrive Fast and Furious Edition.
What is Overdrive Fast and Furious Edition?
Technically speaking, the Fast and Furious release of Anki Overdrive uses the same technology used in the regular Overdrive kit with the only real difference being a very well done Fast and Furious theme.
Rather than starting with Skull and Groundshock, which is bundled with the starter kit, you can choose to do battle with Dom’s Ice Charger or Hobbs’ MXT.
As was the case with Overdrive, the Fast and Furious release allows you to make up to 8 different track configurations out of the box. However, if you also own Overdrive and any track expansion pieces, they are fully compatible with the F&F version, allowing you to create a nearly endless combination of track setups.
One special edition to the F&F track kit is an exclusive track section known as the “Power Zone” which allows players to trigger a “massive blast that disables nearby opponents” when passed over.
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What’s In The Box?
Inside the box you will find:
- Dom’s Ice Charger
- Hobbs’ MXT
- 3 x straight pieces
- 1 NEW Power Zone track piece
- 6 x 90º curved track pieces
- 12 x guardrails
- 2 x riser pieces
- 1 x 4-car charging platform
- 1 x tire cleaner
As you can see, aside from the F&F themed cars, guardrails and the “Power Zone” track piece, the kit is very much the same as the Overdrive Starter Kit.
Anki has also included a Fast and Furious Edition poster as well. Another nice touch.
Setup
Setting up your F&F Overdrive kit is very simple. The track pieces are connected using the same magnetic connections found on all other Overdrive track pieces making setup simple for game players of any age. This is a big win in from my point-of-view. Kids want to get right to it. They do not want to watch dad fight with the track pieces trying to figure out why A won’t connect to B. The simple assembly allows kids, to be creative with their track designs, especially when you have extra pieces of track. Excellent work here, Anki!
The cars use the same charging base as other Overdrive cars which is very simple to use and charges the cars in only a few minutes.
The Overdrive Fast and Furious application is required to use the cars and is compatible with iOS and Android devices. You can download the apps from their respective stores below.
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Gameplay and More
I’ve only had the Fast and Furious Overdrive kit in the office for a few days now and have been working on different aspects of the gameplay compared to the original Overdrive kit. So far I am impressed with what Anki has done to incorporate the Fast and Furious franchise into their product lineup. Once I have had a chance to dig into the gameplay further I will share more details.
Stay tuned for more and in the meantime, check out those cars!
GadgetSyrup 