Exclusive: Hands on with Real Racing wi-fi multiplayer on iPhone

Firemint's Real Racing is set to redefine not only the quality of iPhone racing games, but our perceptions of what the iPhone is capable of as a games console (yes, I'm considering the iPhone a console from now on).

Real Racing is feature packed, which you'll be hearing a lot more of in our forthcoming review. But we really wanted to get behind the wheel in multiplayer mode, and Firemint was good enough to send over a couple of copies of Real Racing so we could see what it has under the WiFi hood.

A connected game is very easy to set up, with the host launching a hub and choosing the track from their selection of unlocked races (unlocked by the career mode, that is). The additional players choose to join a game, which will highlight the host's race.

The racers then choose their cars from their own list of unlocked motors before the race begins. Each step of the way is clearly shown on each handset, so you know who you're waiting for before the chequered flag is ready to fly.

There are online leagues to compete in, but for a real-time multiplayer game you need a local WiFi connection. Sure, it'd be great playing online, but once you see the quality of Real Racing it's easy to appreciate that a whole new generation of data connectivity would be required to play this one over the air.

Once the host begins the race, you're into a game that's identical to the single-player (only the other drivers aren't as good). The fact that there are no dropped frames or moments of CPU drain to slow down a single player game is impressive enough, but to see a multiplayer game operate every bit as smoothly really highlights the new standard Real Racing has set for the iPhone.

Combining the facts that we're at once clumsy buggers when it comes to driving, and sadistic, road warrior warmongers, you can imagine how much pranging, crashing and muscling was going on between the cars during multiplayer. This wasn't so much a race as a motorised beat-'em-up.

To really whip our iPhone's within an inch of their lives and push Real Racing's code to the bring of destruction, we're also taking screen captures during the heat of battle, which has crashed simple puzzle games in the past.

Throughout this entire workout, the game continues to play at full speed, full frame rate, and without lag. Three laps was an exhausting and expletive-filled thrill ride of burnt rubber (and I'm talking about the iPhone case as well as the car tyres) and mouthfuls of virtual dust to eat.

In the interests of completeness, if I absolutely had to find a fault, it could be said that the experience was a tad cacophonous, since the music wasn't synchronised and each handset was playing a different track. But to be honest, the music was drowned out by shrill screams of girly excitement anyway, so it's hard to care about the music.

There's little else to say that won't be covered in the full review, since Real Racing performs a multiplayer rendition as breathtakingly as it does a single-player game; without compromise or complication.

Chances are you're not really considering buying Real Racing because of its multiplayer function, but if the pleb in the cubical across from you at work, or the guy on the desk next to you in the classroom has an iPhone or iPod touch, then it should be a feature that demands serious consideration.

Real Racing has now been approved by Apple, and is expected to tear out onto the App Store on Monday June 8th. Be there, or get left behind.

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