Although this year seems to be the year of advanced graphic technologies, stunning game physics and devious AI’s, there are still a few producers who keep making small and cool games. The latest example is Trackmania, developed by French producers Nadeo, a stylish combination between Stunts and Roller Coaster Tycoon.

As the title suggests, the focus in Trackmania is not on the cars, but on the race circuits themselves. This is why there are only three cars that you can drive: a pickup truck, an American muscle car and a rally car. Each car corresponds to a specific tile set (Snow, Desert, Green) and each has it’s own defining characteristics (handling, acceleration, top speed, brakes, suspensions). The control system is as simple as it can get and it works wonderfully in about 99% of the tracks. The remaining 1% are the ones with nasty twists and turns, loops or with sharp corners, which can prove to be difficult to handle, especially on tracks where a mistake can force you to restart the race.