“The ultimate top-down racing is back!” proclaims Ultimate Racing 2D 2. Having “Ultimate” in the title might raise suspicions, but (unlike most critics) we were fans of predecessor. With even more on offer, can we say the same here?

With a busy menu screen (including menus within menus), I recommend starting with Quick Race to get a feel for things. Even then, the process is anything but. You start by choosing your vehicle category. Getting them all on screen leaves the stats hard to read, but even when limited to five at a time, you’ll see some very close in speed and weight. After that, you choose a car. Then a piece. Then game settings. Usually, I have a high regard for a multitude of choices and options. But this menu system and user interface is seriously clunky and slow. I felt exhausted before my engine even started.

Once the games finally started, I felt let down. While the scaled-down look is nostalgic, the fuzzy graphics lack personality. In addition, the sound effects are stilted and there is no music. For a game that has already made a subpar impression, the sound/audio package does nothing to improve things.

When I read our positive review of the first game, I stood by these comments. “The sheer number of options available to you inevitably means that some will be less successful than others, but that lends a certain flexibility to the game. You’ll definitely get a lot of playtime for your money just by figuring out which vehicle you like best” That’s even more true here. The options are even more numerous, but I question their success or even necessity. And while the potential playtime is plenty exploring all the vehicles, is it fun?Given my boredom, I’m forced to suggest no.

For the curious, those with more stickiness, or those who value quantity of content over quality, there’s a lot here beyond tracks and vehicles. A career mode (multiple additional modes stem from it) with achievements, league mode, multiplayer and time trials (complete with online leaderboards for Switch subscribers) await those unfamiliar with better racers.

“Ultimate” in terms of content and options but not in enjoyment, Ultimate Racing 2D 2 makes a poor first impression and fails to recover. If that sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend its predecessor at half the price. There’s more to this game, but it’s a case where less would be more. I hope the developers do an extended pitstop before the third entry.