With boring gameplay, crummy controls, and lazy achievements, New Rally X isn’t worth the 400 Points it costs to buy.
Essentially, playing New Rally X is like taking Pac-Man and replacing him with a racing car that, contrary to the name, looks nothing like a Rally car. Then, you change the ghosts with similar not-Rally cars. And instead of eating dots, you collect flags strewn across a series of maze-like levels.
Aside from being groan-inducingly derivative, the real problem with New Rally X is that the controls range from mediocre to complete garbage. As you attempt to dodge through the mazes and collect flags, you’ll certainly miss several turns you intended to make. You can use the analog stick or directional pad, but both feel inadequate here. This is a problem when your rival cars seem to have no problems taking corners and are often faster than you are. Luckily, you can make liberal use of smokescreens that pour out of your car, spinning out enemies and buying you some valuable time. However, chances are you’ll willingly die so that you have an excuse to leave the world of New Rally X and never return.
There are some quick achievements to be earned here, and if you’re in the business of maximizing your Gamerscore, this is a quick and dirty way to do it. But beware: the extremely dated New Rally X is bad to the point of being a little bit depressing, and unless you’re really hard up for points or are a devout masochist, this isn’t something you’ll want to spend any amount of time or money on.