F1 Race Stars plays fully as you'd expect a Mario Kart clone to, though it's surprising how well those disparate elements come together. The half-baked observation that F1's becoming more like a video game in recent years is revealed to have a fair bit of weight: Nintendo's template fits as snugly around the technical intricacies of the sport's contemporary make-up as a nomex glove.
So in place of speed pads are KERS sections, coloured segments of tracks where it's possible to gain a boost that can be maximized by pumping the accelerator. DRS is one of many power-ups, acting much like an invincibility star and propelling you down the track while you shunt other cars out of the way.
Balloons take the place of rockets, and they're available in familiar flavours: red ones seek out the driver in front, purple ones fire straight ahead while yellow ones ricochet across the track. There are some more bespoke power-ups, too - wet weather soaks the track while granting you treaded tires, leaving other drivers sliding around while you power through, while getting a safety car slows up the leading bunch and gives you an opportunity to catch up.
Races are brash and chaotic, and while the handling lacks some of the depth of a Mario Kart, F1 Race Stars has it where it counts. There's character in abundance, and it should make for a disarmingly charming offshoot of Codemasters' official series.
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but its just not what I d want and had hoped for this game.
