The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2D)

I like fish and chips. You do, too, probably. Right now, there's nothing I want more than to nip down the chippy, buy a large battered cod with some perfectly done chips, and sit down and stuff my face.

I'd enjoy doing the same thing tomorrow, just as much. But while I'd still find it appealing the day after that, it'll probably start wearing a bit thin. I'd want a steak instead. And, before I succumbed to coronary disease, some salad.

The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2D) is fish and chips. Let me explain.

Released to tie in with this summer's movie, in this game you're a nobody who's starting out on the mean streets of Tokyo with nothing but a moderately sporty ride and a boot full of ambition. So it is that you decide to explore the illegal drift racing scene in order to win fame, fortune and, naturally, respect from the locals. One dark night you find yourself hanging about with little to do but look dark and brooding when you get a phone call – there's a race on and you'll need to get there quick if you want to enter.

It's a case of "Last one there's a rotten pickled egg!", except with people of an age that should know better.

Anyway, it serves to set the scene for what unfolds in The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2D). You compete in a series of races, earning cash and respect along the way. The former can be spent on upgrades to your car while the latter enables you to progress to the later levels.

The Story Mode is the main course of The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift and takes place across seven different locations in Tokyo, ranging from the docks to the heavily vegetated mountains. Each location offers up three races, from 'The Call', where you race to the phone, to the Twin Battle, where you face off against the local honcho.

It's enjoyable fare, too, at least for the first three locations, after which it all gets a bit repetitive. The track in each location is repeated in every race and when you go through the same The Call-Show Off-Twin Battle menu every time, you start to lose interest.

Depth is added, however, by the Solo Runs mode, where you can re-race the tracks you've opened under Survival (keep your respect metre filled by doing lots of drifting), Last Man Standing (race against three competitors, the person in last place is eliminated after each lap) and Time Trial conditions.

There's also an upgrade aspect to the game, where you can buy new parts for your car. There's the standard acceleration, top speed, braking and tire upgrades to boost performance – so far, so tastes like chicken. It's the bodyshop that offers up the really succulent morsel; along with respraying your car, you can add decals, bonnet scoops and wings in an effort to pimp your ride and increase your respect on the street.

But it's all scuppered by the controls: they're too fiddly and take too long to get used to, largely due to the sideways-happy drift style of driving. Power-sliding around the corners is an integral part of the game (you can't complete the Show Off races without filling up the respect bar by doing this, for example) but the controls aren't finely-tuned enough to make you feel as though you're ever totally in charge. It's like scrabbling for a bar of soap that's fallen into the bath – you've almost got it but never quite completely.

So while The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2D) initially satisfies and gets your mouth watering, it soon dawns upon you that it's not as fancy a fare as it appeared. We've no doubt at all that some people will find it heavenly, but if you like the idea of a more rounded gaming diet, you'll want to eat elsewhere.

May I suggest Cars or, if it's not too impertinent, the 3D version of The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, which is a completely different prospect and absolutely delicious. Stay tuned for our review of that dish next week!