Have you ever wanted to go racing without brakes? I mean, why would we need brakes? Brakes are for Losers! Well, that’s exactly what the game BAFL – Brakes are for Losers thinks, and the end result is really fun but also incredibly challenging.
BAFL brings back the classic top-down approach from old school racing games like Super Off Road, but adds its own flair by taking away the brakes and adding in damage. In fact, if you run into the wall, other cars, or get hit with items too many times, you’ll need to hit the pit stop for a tune-up or risk breaking down on the track for a few seconds as your car gets repaired. You can then compete against computer AI players, yourself, or up to seven of your friends in unique tracks inspired by 1980s and 90s pop culture. In fact, I was surprised on how many track variations there were.
While the look and feel of BAFL totally fits the classic arcade style with great chiptune music, it really shines in gameplay. Yes, avoiding the walls is difficult sometimes. Yes, the nitro boosts will sometimes hurt you more than help you. And yes, there will be many times when you want to throw your Joy-Con, but it’s rarely because of bad controls. Instead, it’s because the game is so quick, and every little wrong movement might cost you in the end.
As mentioned earlier, BAFL is playable on your own or with local friends. If you prefer single-player options, you can compete in championships or just race against the computer AI in one race after another. You can also take on Time Attack modes to beat your own fastest times or take on Perfect Race mode to see how far you can make it around the track without hitting anything (as you can probably assume, this mode is ridiculously difficult). As you progress, you can earn upgrades for your cars for better performance.
If multiplayer is more your thing, BAFL allows for up to eight players on one Nintendo Switch. This can make for a ton of chaos, laughs, and more! Honestly, if you have several friends over for a game night, this will give you several hours of pure fun.
When it comes to negatives, there are only a few, and they all boil down to the items you can pick up along the track. Some of them are just downright punishing. In fact, if you get hit frozen or hit with a breakdown item more than once, you can probably kiss your chances for first place goodbye.
These games are certainly not for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for a challenging top-down racer for yourself or your friends, you may want to check out this one. While it could really benefit from some online components like leaderboards and multiplayer, I can’t fault it much for what it does deliver. Whether you are perfecting your precision in Perfect Race or challenging friends in multiplayer, BAFL is certainly worth your time, especially at the low price of $4.99.
GAME: BAFL – Brakes are for Losers
MSRP: $4.99 US
RATING: E for Everyone
OBTAINED: Code from developers/publishers for press purposes
GAMEPLAY TRAILER:
LIVESTREAM ARCHIVE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwS9TfZv7_o
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.