If you’ve never played Anki Overdrive with your kids, you’re really missing out on a fun experience. We’ve gave our youngest the Anki Overdrive starter kit for Christmas last year and we’ve pulled that track out and gone head to head so many times I’ve lost count. For the record, my 8-year-old has some serious driving skills, and he knows exactly when to blow me up with his well-earned weapons.
After playing with the Anki Overdrive starter kit so frequently, I was happy to test out a review unit of Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition. I wasn’t sure how it would be different from the original set, but I’m happy to report this set really gives you the full Fast & Furious experience. If you’re a fan of the movie franchise, you’re really going to want to pick up the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition.
What’s in the box of the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition
There more to the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition than meets the eye. Here’s a look at what’s in the box.
- Includes two Supercars: Dom’s Ice Charger and Hobb’s MXT
- Includes 10 pieces of magnetic track that snap together to create 8 unique race tracks
- Risers and guard rails that clip to the tracks
- Includes one Power Zone track piece that adds excitement to game play
- Charging station for up to 4 cars. It takes 8 minutes to charge a car and the charge lasts 30 minutes
- Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious app for your Android or IOS device
Playing with the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition
If you played slot cars when you were a kid and have great memories of racing, you’re really going to love Anki Overdrive. Having the Fast & Furious branding as part of the set just makes it more fun.
The Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious edition works in the same way as the starter set, but this is also a stand-alone set. You build your track by putting the pieces together, charge up your cars, and download the app. These cars aren’t just any slot car: they’re AI robots, and they’re built with technology that allows them to scan the track and learn it no matter what configuration you’ve set up.
The app works with any device including smart phone or tablet, and we’ve found that the kids enjoy racing on the tablet. It gives them a bigger device to grip when they really get into the game.
Because you have two cars, you can battle against a friend from the moment you set up the track. If you don’t have a friend nearby you can also battle against the computer. To race you just hit the gas pedal on the app, and you can turn your device side to side to stay on the track.
Although the cars know the track, we have definitely experienced what it’s like when they take a curve too fast and fly right off. After using this set I found the included guard rails really help with that.
What’s different between the Anki Overdrive Starter Set and the Fast & Furious edition?
I’ve reviewed the Anki Overdrive Starter set before, so take a peek at my review for what I thought. Rather than go over what’s the same between the two, I’ll highlight what’s unique about the Anki Overdrive: Fast & Furious edition.
Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious app
Both the starter set and the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition have their own unique apps. They are somewhat the same, but the Fast & Furious app is fully branded for the Fast & Furious franchise. From the first few taps you’ll be welcomed into the Fast & Furious family, hear the character’s voices, and hit the race track in a battle against the Toretto crew.
There are a few different ways you can play within the app: Campaign mode, Open play, and Battle race. Campaign mode takes you through the various levels, Open play lets you choose your opponent and how you play, and Battle race puts you in a Fast & Furious race to see who finishes first.
Racing with the Fast & Furious edition
You can choose your favourite Fast & Furious character, and the more you play the more characters you’ll unlock. Included in the game are Dom, Hobbs, Letti, and Tej. They all have their catch phrases you’ll hear during your race, and just like in the movies, their race cars are armed with weapons. Those weapons let you fight against your opponent while you’re on the track.
Hobb’s International MXT has a rocket launcher that will fire a deadly missile. Dom’s Ice Charger has a grappling hook you can use to grab onto your opponent’s car and pull them closer to you. There are other weapons you can earn as you play, and there’s also a spot on the track you’ll want to know about before you battle.
The Power Zone is a piece of track that’s exclusive to the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition. When you drive through it, the Power Zone will trigger a blast that you’ll see on your app, and it will disable your nearest opponent.
Overall thoughts on Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition
If you have the original starter set for Anki Overdrive and you’re wondering if you should pick up this set, I think you’ll be extremely happy if you do. If you don’t own Anki Overdrive yet and you’ve been considering which set to buy, I can highly recommend the Fast & Furious edition.
We played with this set from the moment we unpacked it, and although my kids have never seen the Fast & Furious movies, they got a kick out of the characters and they loved the new Supercars. One thing to note: if you’re a parent and you’re wondering if they include profanity or any other of those movie ‘extras’ you’ll see in the Fast & Furious franchise, the answer is no. This is a G app and a G game. It’s really all about racing the cars.
If you want a great race track that’s always challenging and always fun, you can’t go wrong with Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition. You can find the Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious edition, the Anki Overdrive Starter set, and all of the great Anki Overdrive accessories on Bestbuy.ca right now.
