While theres nothing quite like finding a bargain in todays overpriced console market, opting for a budget title over one of its full-price rivals is a decision most players live to regret. And while Iridium Runners is a world away from the titles currently wowing next-gen players, its still a fun racer for younger players and console skinflints.
An unholy blend of Track & Field, Super Mario Kart and WipEout, Iridium Runners is a futuristic racer that ditches snazzy space vehicles in favour of on-foot scrambles, the athletic heroes using special boosters to run at impossible speeds and sprint through a variety of twinkling cityscapes.
From a visual perspective the game feels like a Kiwk Save WipEout, the muddy graphics and boring characters looking like something from a three year old PS2 game and doing nothing to charm gamers used to gorging themselves on PS3 and Xbox 360 eye candy. Moreover, while the techo soundtrack is acutely annoying and repetitive, what irritates most is the tendency for the computer-controlled characters to cheat during critical moments, miraculously getting hold of the best weapons at precisely the right moment and scuppering your chances of victory when you think a race is in the bag.
But, despite these problems, theres something irresistibly charming about Iridium Runners: maybe its the old-school controls, where hammering on the buttons allows you to edge ahead of the pack; or perhaps its the races against human players, where deploying the attacks scattered on the tracks is hilarious when it brings your rivals grinding to a halt; or it could be the pacy platforming sequences that pepper later tracks, forcing you to be quick on our toes and the buttons to avoid plummeting off the edge of the track.
Whatever, Iridium Runners is one of the few budget releases thats actually worth a punt. And even though its clearly worth no more than its 20 quid asking price, its still the ideal gift for anyone still clinging to last-gen hardware.