Using the boosts triggers an impressive blur effect, making it feel like the speed has ramped up significantly. Cars feel distinct (though they look similar) with accelerate, max speed, and weight stats all factoring heavily into how they take turns and overtake other cars. The cars control well, and the twist of changing your car between orange and blue phases to hit boosts and jumps adds a fun layer to the racing. The core racing is Fast Racing Neo’s strong suit. That’s why Fast Racing Neo is a welcome surprise for Wii U owners tired of replaying Mario Kart 8, but without much to experience outside of pure racing, its long-term engagement misses first place. Racing is a popular genre, but the arcade middle-ground between sims and kart racers is slim these days. Though far from being dead, the futuristic high-speed racer genre inhabited by games like F-Zero and Wipeout is not one that receives frequent updates.
