Even though Anki Overdrive is no longer in production, it is still one of the coolest racing sets you can buy. It’s a great toy for both kids and adults, and it’s a lot of fun to race against your friends or family.
If you’re looking for a unique and exciting racing set, Anki Overdrive is definitely worth checking out. Even though it’s no longer being produced, you can still find it online or at certain retail stores. It’s a great toy for both kids and adults, and it’s a lot of fun to race against your friends or family.
The Anki Overdrive
The Fast and Furious franchise, spanning over eight films across the decade and four continents in the course of its story, is an international hit. It’s especially popular among auto enthusiasts, gawking at every noticeable model its cast wields, ranging from muscle cars, Japanese tuners, and supercars to straight-up classics.
The latest movie is no exception, inspiring merchandise of different types, including toy cars. One such example of a company is Anki, makers of the Overdrive, Fast and Furious version.
This slot car set contains a miniature replica of Dominic Toretto’s Dodge Charger. Fans will recall that the cyber-terrorist Cipher coerced the Charger into fighting the hulking International MNX of Luke Hobbs.
With this set, you can relive and somehow recreate the thrilling ice-cold battle in Siberia that involved a submarine along a glacier field, about to be broken by said submarine.
Backed By Amazing Technology
Three Carnegie Tech graduates founded Anki, a San Francisco robotics company, in 2010. The company brings mere objects to life, and its Overdrive series is a testament to this.
The Overdrive series features an array of different interactive software and hardware mounted to model cars. These work in conjunction with mobile devices. It’s quite a futuristic take on the slot car mold.
The Overdrive line, revealed to the world in 2015, is an improvement to their original Drive line released in 2013. Both lines had been on the receiving end of accolades and have enjoyed generous sales figures.
As for the set itself, it comes with 2 straight pieces. One has a gimmick that whoever drives alongside a certain spot will get hacked, resulting in speed loss; and four curve pieces. It also comes with two overpass brackets, guard rails, tire cleaner, and a charger fit for four cars.
The cars are operable on mobile devices such as tablets, requiring an app and doing the necessary scans to read the cars for control. The track pieces latch on by magnets.
These pieces consist of plastic film, which you would need to scan before a race. You can race them in a friendly competition or complete a campaign based on the film. Furthermore, you can use your existing Anki Overdrive cars if you have any. To top it all off, the set has real voices from Hobbs and Toretto!
The Anki Overdrive Experience
The set provides quite a futuristic experience, as you will have the privilege of piloting a drone from your own tablet or phone. Overdrive touts itself as being a real-life video game, making use of software on mobile devices, but with real-life elements added into the mix.
Up to four can play in a track. However, the prerequisite is that you must have an Anki account. To get it, simply download the official app for free from either Google Play or the App Store.
The cars stay glued to the track most of the time, even lining up by themselves at the start of a game. Playtime can be lackluster, as a full charge offers 20 minutes of game-time, which may seem plenty but can easily come and go in a fun session.
Conversely, it only takes 8 minutes for a full charge. This is quite a short time in comparison to most electric toys.
With enough expansion, this set may offer a good time for the whole family, provided all have a device and their own Anki account. Its cars are characters all their own.
This means they have their own unique appearance, strengths and weaknesses. In addition, they have their own unique weapon.
Thus, it is imperative to choose the car that suits your play style the most. However, you can switch around cars for more variety. There are still standard weapons, along with the unique weapon. These relate to a resource called “energy”, which you should manage throughout the game.
Expansion Possibilities
Additional track pieces are also available. These consist of the same materials. In addition, they have the same flexible rubber-like material and have the same magnetic end clips to fasten into other pieces to make a whole track.
The accompanying app also has additional modes, such as King of the Hill, a game of keep-away, and Time Trial, a no-fuss mode where you can practice and set blazing times around the track. Additionally, additional cars are available.
All in all, the set and the line itself are a great example of how playtime can be revolutionized. The Anki Overdrive line is the future of the toy car.
Although with its imperfections, which are usually related to the software, the Anki Overdrive line is the perfect setting for a futuristic toy racing experience. It still is a toy line, although all the high-tech stuff may incite people to think of other categories, one being an experiment in AI.
Can You Still Play Anki Overdrive
Unfortunately, Anki Overdrive ended in 2017. However, you can still purchase and use the sets that are available. The sets may be difficult to find, as they are no longer being manufactured.
You may find them in retail stores or online through websites such as Amazon or eBay. If you do manage to find a set, it is important to note that the app has been discontinued and will no longer receive updates.
This means that any new features or modes will not be available. The app may also become buggy over time, as it is not being supported by the company anymore.
Even though Anki Overdrive is no longer manufactured, you can still have fun with the sets that are available. The sets may be difficult to find, but they are still out there. Just be aware of the app’s status and that you may not have access to new content or features.
Anki Overdrive is a great example of how playtime can be revolutionized. The line is the future of the toy car. With its high-tech cars and track, Anki Overdrive offers a unique and fun experience.
Even though the line is no longer manufactured, you can still have fun with the sets that are available. Just be aware of the app’s status and that you may not have access to new content or features.
Why Did Anki Shutdown?
Anki shut down due to the company running out of money. The company was not making enough money to sustain itself. The main reason for this was because the product was too expensive. The Anki Overdrive line is the future of the toy car.
Although with its imperfections, which are usually related to the software, the Anki Overdrive line is the perfect setting for a futuristic toy racing experience.
It still is a toy line, although all the high-tech stuff may incite people to think of other categories, one being an experiment in AI.
How Long Do Anki Overdrive Cars Last?
Typically, you can get 15-20 minutes of playtime out of a fully charged car. However, this will depend on the car you are using and how you are driving it. If you are driving recklessly and constantly hitting things, your battery will drain faster.
If you are driving more conservatively, your battery will last longer. Additionally, the game mode you are playing will also affect how long your battery lasts.
Time Trial mode is the most battery-intensive because you are constantly moving and trying to get the best time. In contrast, King of the Hill is less battery intensive because there are breaks in between when the cars are not moving.
Who Bought Anki Overdrive?
Digital Dream Labs bought and owned Anki Overdrive. Digital Dream Labs is a company that creates educational toys and games. The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Digital Dream Labs bought Anki Overdrive with the goal of continuing the production of the toy line. However, the company has not released any new products since 2017.
Final Thoughts on Anki Overdrive
If you can still find the sets, Anki Overdrive is a great toy line that offers a unique and fun experience. Just be aware of the app’s status and that you may not have access to new content or features.
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