If you needed some indication as to how much power the iPhone had for games, this Raging Thunder demo should make you giddy for what's to come. Not only does the game use the accelerometer, which acts as a more-than-adequate wheel, everything's rendered in pretty decent OpenGL 3D graphics as well. It's no GTA4, but you can download it from Installer.app now. If Zune can do multiplayer Wi-Fi games, the iPhone should too. And maybe, just maybe, multiplayer games over the internet? [ModmyiPhone via TUAW]
Raging Thunder iPhone Racing Game Shows Tons of Potential
9:00 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Jason Chen
7,200 views
41 comments








Comments
I make my own sound fx anyways... vrrrrr, screeeeech, gulp gulp (40oz), pew, pew!
nice wallpaper. and no link to the iPhone book? I am disappointed.
How can an iphone haver better graphics then my wii????
Jailbreaking again just to get this.
I've been playing this for the past couple of days. Loads of fun! There's still a lot of work to be done on the game because it's still in its development phase.
Still, it's a good game.
I got this game when it was first released and I have to say that despite the bugs (which there are still a lot of) it's still a really great effort and I can't wait for the next release. Hopefully most of the bugs will be fixed in the next version.
imagine how good of games the new iphone will be able to support. looks like the psp has a new rival
Neat proof of concept of the graphical capabilities of the iPhone, but using the accelerometer to steer when your screen is attached to your wheel? That's pretty much the worst idea ever.
This would be 16 times better with a landscape view. Maybe even 17!
@rimshot515: Maybe Nintendo can come up with something. I know handheld consoles aren't really their thing but if they know Sony was making SO MUCH BLOODY MONEY with theirs, I'm sure they'd do something crazy to make theirs individual, like giving it 2 screens and a microphone (where it's at!).
But it'll never happen!
Will this work on iPod Touch (Jailbroken, of course)
and secondly, drive with this while driving a real car = good story, legal bills, medical bills, and jail time!
Wow i I just downloaded it and i have to say i am really impressed...
ITS REALLY SMOOTH !! The grafics are great and the control scheme works perfectly and is razor sharp. Very responsive.
@novacthall: I think that use of the multitouch would be better suited for steering, like a pair of sliders on either side of the display when it's in landscape mode so you can slide up and down with your fingers to steer, rather than moving the entire phone. The accelerometer is cool to use in a 3D environment like touch fighter, but for a race car, I'd prefer controls that didn't require me to move the entire device.
it also runs at like 60fps......there`s a lot of room for improvement, graphics wise...
Gah! The glare is blinding!
meh, 2 problems.
1, aspect ratio.
2. no buttons.
no buttons?? That's unbearable for gaming! I mean sure, you can use the touchscreen's buttons, but they're too small anyways...
Especially on the iPhone, controls are very important. I'd say that it would have been much better if the game were in landscape view, plus use the touchscreen for acceleration and braking.
I've been saying this for a while but Apple's entrance into the handheld gaming market is a PSP like shell that you can dock the touch and iphone into.
@thechansen:
Comment on Raging Thunder iPhone Racing Game Shows Tons of Potential That is probably the worst idea I've ever heard of. Apple would never lower themselves to making gaming peripherals, much less a "snap on". Leave your kinky attachments for kinky sex.
has anyone else noticed that the car models are those found in GTA: Vice City?
@Sam_Zebian: but i bet your zune would play this 100 times better right?...... hahahahahahahah
Vrooooooom.
How's the battery life with all these fancy games?
@imTheKing:
obvious fanboy is obvious.
i was thinking a DS or psp, or gp2x, or Pandora.
@CarrollArion: "Apple would never lower themselves to making gaming peripherals.."
Perhaps, but the last time I checked GTA4 made over [A HALF BILLION] USD it's first week. If one game can do that on just 2 consoles, I'd bet Apple would love a slice of that pie.
I absolutely love the way his iphone is skinned. How hard is it to replicate something like that for personal use? When I finally manage to switch from Verizon that is.
Obviously my iphone knowledge is atrocious, be gentle.
@Collins1:
handheld consoles aren't really Nintendo's "thing"?
You mean, things like the GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, GameBoy DS - those aren't really Nintendo's "thing"?
You might say Nintendo isn't "serious" about console gaming because they're not like the PS3, or the Xbox - but they (Nintendo) have always been geared towards the younger crowd - not the teen to adult group.
@tidybowl
@tidybowl:
Read what he said. Then think for 2 minutes...
@Collins1:
Uhhh.. I'm quite sure that the Nintendo DS hand-held system has 2 screens.. And dominates the hand-held scene.
@novacthall: Yeah, I got carsick just watching that video. Stop tilting the system already!
@Collins1: don't know if you were born yesterday, but they've been trying to catch up with Apple and Sony for the last 20 years in the handheld market. If they don't stop, they'll find themselves at the edge of bankruptcy.
*Looks*
Oh, that's... nice I suppose.
*Goes back to playing Asphalt 3 on N95*
Wouldn't it be better in landscape view... you would so look like a fool playing it like that on the train. even better it would make it easier to turn
Looks pretty good.
As good as it looks, the stability is laughable at best on my 1.1.4 jailbroken iPhone - The accelerometer wont work in it and it crashes my entire every time i touch the screen to pause it.
So much potential, but atm I'm gonna steer way clear of this (No pun intended).
my entire phone* - curse my hasty comments...
god hes so nervous and bad at the game its almost hard for me to look at. shit looks tight though, will definitely give it a try.
so the iphone is trying to be a game system now? confused.
@Sleeper_Service:
Are you trying to state the obvious by saying Asphalt 3 on your N95 is better?
Great job... I suppose.
You've got to admit that this is pretty impressive and take it for what it is. It is more of a proof of concept than anything.
I vote for landscape mode, touch buttons on the screen for added control AND I want the graphics to alway maintain their orientation relative to the horizon no matter which way one turns the 'wheel.'
I am really impressed. It crashed the hell out of my phone but it was cool up until that point. I love it when giz has a story about something I can try immediately.
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