Hotshot Tales, Part 6: Last Man Standing

 Hotshot Tales, Part 6: Last Man Standing

In Hotshot Racing, outside of Arcade Mode, in which the only way a (human) player can be eliminated is via running out of time, you can be eliminated (or "reborn" as a Cop) if your car is destroyed. In fact, in Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, it's entirely possible for every player to be eliminated before any of them has completed the full race distance (especially if the race is over the maximum possible distance of 7 laps). This brings us nicely to the point of this post: if there is only one player left in the race, should that player be automatically awarded a victory if every other player has been eliminated? It's a tempting idea, so let's look into it and find out why there should (or shouldn't) be such a rule.

Above and below: An example of a Last Man Standing situation, in a Drive or Explode race at Ocean World - the player's car is the last one on the track just before starting the sixth lap (of seven), with all seven opponents having been previously eliminated, although he/she will only be credited with a win if all laps have been completed.

The pros of granting an automatic victory for the last player standing are obvious: if every opponent ends up being eliminated, there is no longer any incentive to race against them. Ending the race as soon as one player becomes the last remaining one would therefore make it unnecessary to survive over the course of a full-length race. The amount of winnings that can be earned from this kind of victory will remain unchanged, however. Thus, implementing this rule would make it easier to win a long Drive or Explode or Barrel Barrage race (especially one lasting for five laps or more), where the risk of elimination is much greater than it would be in a shorter race.

Above and below: Another Last Man Standing situation, this time in a Barrel Barrage race at Frozen Freeway. All opponents have been eliminated, leaving the player as the sole survivor (and the winner by default), although as with Drive or Explode, they must still complete every lap to finish the race.

The cons of implementing this rule, however, should not be ignored. In addition to removing any incentive for the last remaining player to complete the full race distance, it would also allow players to change their strategies accordingly, by simply managing either their speed (in Drive or Explode) or time (in Barrel Barrage) if they are in the lead while there are only a few opponents left (usually one or two), since their elimination would result in an instant win. This would make a race in either of these modes too easy to complete, and as such could unnecessarily water down the challenge that these modes provide.

Overall, it's actually for the best that Hotshot Racing lacks a Last Man Standing rule. It's meant to be challenging, and getting to the finish line on the last lap if everyone else has fallen by the wayside is part of the fun. For the same reason, a Last Man Standing mode (in which the last car to complete a lap is eliminated) wouldn't make much sense, especially since it would just be a variant of Arcade Mode where you have to avoid finishing a lap in last place just to keep racing. Besides, in the past, other racing games have done it before. 

In any case, you will still technically win a race in Drive or Explode or Barrel Barrage if you are the last player standing, although if that occurs, you must complete every lap to actually finish as the winner, as per the rules. So next time you start a long race under either the Drive or Explode or Barrel Barrage game modes, be sure to stay safe - and survive.