Play Road Trip : Shifting Gears Online

Road Trip: Shifting Gears is one of those GBA racers that starts simple—just you, a junky car, and some basic tracks—but before long, you’re obsessing over tire compounds for sand versus snow. The first few races feel manageable, but then rain hits and suddenly you’re sliding everywhere like you’re on buttered pavement. That’s when you realize upgrades aren’t optional.

What’s cool is how many ways there are to race. One minute you’re doing a standard circuit, the next you’re trying to land jumps on bullseyes or skid-stop perfectly in a tiny zone. The 150 challenges keep mixing things up, and placing top three unlocks more tracks and cash for parts. Win first place, though, and you’ll snag free upgrades—which helps, because some of the later parts are stupid expensive.

Multiplayer’s a blast if you’ve got friends with GBAs (or a GameCube for the Arcade version), but even solo, there’s something satisfying about tweaking your ride until it finally handles those icy corners without spinning out. Just don’t expect to finish this one in a weekend—there’s a lot of grinding for cash if you want the best gear.