Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

Coming into my appointment for DTP Entertainment, I was really there for one game, Gray Matter and the designer, Jane Jensen, but first I was shown a couple of other titles, including a new title they were going to release for the PSP, XBLA and PSN called TNT Racers.  TNT Racers is a fun little arcade stuled racer title that is played from a top down perspective on the track.  It was a simple, fun racing title that is targeted towards family audiences and is very easy to pick up and play.

In TNT Racers, you start the game by picking from the selection of cars, each with their strengths and weaknesses and head out to a track of your choice.  I was a little confused by the way the tracks were configured, as you do not race a total circuit of laps, but you play through sections of the track, with points being awarded based on your place in that section.  The first person to collect 15 points wins the race.

The cars in TNT Racers are animated in a very cartoony style and can be controlled either by standard analog controls, or with Sixaxis motion controls if you are inclined to do so.  I used the standard controls as I cannot wrap my head around Sixaxis controls in any game.  One only has to look at my play of Lair to know how badly that can go.  Each section of the track has multiple pickups that you can get that give your cars special attacks, like shields, missles, oil slicks and more, similar to what you would find in Mario Kart.

All in all, the gameplay in TNT Racers is very simple and may not appeal to the hardcore gamer, but for those amers that have young children, or families that might not want to delve into a hardcore racing experience, TNT Racers is designed for them.  No pricing was revealed at the time, but I would take a guess that it will hit at the $9.99 or 800 Microsoft Loonies price range.  Again, this is not confirmed, but my guess as to where it fits in the pricing.