Rocket Ski Racing, a game originally released on iOS, made the jump to Steam last week, albeit in Early Access. In its current state, is this unique and retro racer worth your time and $10?

Gameplay

Rocket Ski Racing, at its core, is an arcade racer, but with enough changes to keep things fresh. First, you are a skier with a jet pack, so forget about controlling acceleration. Once the race starts, you'll be running at full thrust the rest of the way.

Secondly, crash into a random boulder or fall off the edge and you are done. There aren't any respawns or restarts. This ratchets up the tension and sometimes simply finishing a race feels like an achievement.

The ice is a little more forgiving and doesn't feel quite as "floaty" as the old '90s-era NHL games. You can't quite turn on a dime -- no brakes, remember -- but the controls are responsive enough that I never felt beat by the ice itself.

Modes

For now, there are only two modes, not counting a poorly constructed tutorial that you can fail: single race and season. Single races can be a gate chase, where you try to pass through as many gates as possible without missing one; or you can choose to race AI opponents.

Currently, the AI opponents are functional, but not spectacular. They try to hug the line (visible on the ice) as much as possible, but do get spread out thanks to collisions. While there is collision detection, it doesn't seem to have a great impact. I was never knocked off the ice, nor did I have enough control or force to eject an opponent.

"It took me a while to figure out I needed to be using my controller, not the keyboard."

The season mode is interesting as you race through 36 sessions, typically alternating between gate chases and races for points. Because this game is so unforgiving, you really can knock out a season in one sitting. Again, one crash or missed gate and you are finished.

Final Thoughts

Again, Rocket Ski Racing is in Early Access, so some of the features like multiplayer and a track designer are currently missing. What's here is really unique and good for a quick gaming session, which were probably central ideas in the iOS design.

In fact, that's probably one of the few complaints I have about the game now: It is definitely an iOS port. Hit escape at any point and you quit all the way out of the game. The graphics look pretty much unchanged. Currently, there is no way to view controls, which on the iPad were unmapped tilts or taps. It took me a while to figure out I needed to be using my controller, not the keyboard.

Speaking of iOS, if you are able, you can try the game for free on that platform then decide whether paying to play on a bigger screen is worth it. Of course, you'll also get the satisfaction of supporting an independent/individual designer.

For now, the game is an interesting and difficult challenge. When the other features drop, especially the track editor, the game will hold even more value.