Race Driver 2006 review

Some people could watch NASCAR and its purgatorial oval endlessly, but the rest of us demand a little more variety. It may not be quite up to the visual or simulation standards of its console brethren, but Race Driver 2006 is certainly a damn fine portable surrogate.

Fifteen different racing disciplines can be tackled in three main formats. The first is a career mode, through which you're introduced to the world of racing, and your mentor's thick Scottish brogue. Whether you're drifting a rally car or keeping a squirrelly open-wheeled indy from spinning out, there's more than enough diversity to keep any racing fan interested, even if your competition tends to be a bit more psycho than you'd expect. Secondary are the free racing and time trials that let you compete in championships on-the-fly, but they only become accessible once you've reached them in the main career mode.