When I told my boys that I was getting a race car set to try out, they were intrigued but not as excited as I expected. By the time we'd got used to how to change the speed and braking settings for our cars we were doing it as fast as an F1 pitstop. Keep in mind, the company is no longer developing this product; the available cars may become obsolete soon.

We tested each set for how easy the track was to build, how easy the digital features and apps were to use and how fun they made the racing. It does offer unique racing modes compared to the other systems: including Battle (race until you drain opponents of all their health points), King of the Hill (take out the leader to steal the crown and score points) and One Shot (one health point, last person standing). Anki Overdrive Starter Kit is a winning concept—combining speed, racecars, “battling,” AI tech, and video game elements into one game. You'll hardly be thanked by friends who want to come round and race, only to find it'll cost them money to do so.On paper this is more restrictive than Overdrive – where you can change lanes at any time – but within these limitations the thrill of the race is made. The Carrera track fits together easily, with red clips you insert to the underside of the track to lock them in place. It’s pulse-pounding play, made possible through state-of-the-art tech and it's an experience unlike anything else.

The concept of this game—combining a real car race set with the virtual gaming world—is clever and very appealing for kids. The controls were simple, but we found being able to change lanes whenever you wanted was a little lacklustre in practice. It is also unclear, since assets being acquired by Digital Dream Labs, how supported the system and app will be in the future. My kids—I have four boys from age 14 down to 8 years old—also love cars, so when I came across the Anki Overdrive Starter Kit, I knew they would be ideal test subjects for this toy.The cars are slow to respond to the tilting phone, and powerups were hard to land on other racers, making them more frustrating than fun.