TUAW Preview: SlotZ Racer for iPhone

If you're a male who grew up in the 60's or 70's, you probably remember slot cars! You had a plastic race track with electric "rails" running through it, and your car had a little pin on the bottom that rode in a slot on the track for control -- hence the name 'slot car.' I have fond memories of setting up my slot car set underneath the Christmas tree, and racing against my Dad.

Someone at Freeverse apparently has the same memories, since they'll soon be announcing a new racing game called SlotZ Racer. I was able to test a pre-release version of the game, and it's a ton of fun. You can race on pre-defined tracks ranging from a simple oval to a curvy Grand Prix course, and there's a track editor for creating your own race courses. There are settings for the number of lanes, the car scale (1:32 or HO), and whether or not cars can change lanes.

To accelerate your car, you just hold down on the lower left corner of the iPhone screen. Like real slot cars, if you go too fast your car will flip off the track. You can slow the car down by taking your finger or thumb off of the screen.

No price has been set, but expect to see SlotZ Racer officially launched at Macworld Expo. Check out the gallery for pics.