Violet Vortex

Violet Vortex is a racing video game developed by Kuboian game development studio Digital Jumble. It first appeared in European arcades in the spring of 2002 before being ported to the GameCube and PlayStation 2 on 13th September, 2002. The arcade version was published by Ranking Interactive Media, with the home console version being published by Cradle Network. The Japanese version, however, was published by Konami.

Gameplay
Unlike other racing games, Violet Vortex has the players racing on foot. The aim is to clear a certain number of laps around a set course before the other opponents. The player runs forward automatically, but is also able to move left or right and can do a jump and a roll on the ground. A total of six players can appear in each race.

In each race, pink-coloured orbs known as Violet Orbs are scattered around the track. Collecting them slightly increases the player's speed, though they cannot collect more than ten. If the player gets hit by an obstacle or item, they will lose three Violet Orbs.

The European version has colour commentary provided by an unseen robot character called Botzie, who is voiced by Clara Watson. In the North American version, Botzie is replaced with commentary from Londell Hicks, who also provides commentary in some of the video games in the Dance Dance Revolution video games.

Arcade version
In the arcade version, the game is €1 per player per game.
 * Arcade Mode (1 player) - The player continues playing on different race tracks and challenges until they lose once.
 * Single Race (1 player) - The player picks a single track and races five different opponents. If the player places first, they can do an Encore Race, which is the same race with the same characters, but it is playable for free.
 * Time Attack (1 player) - The player races alone and tries to aim for the fastest time on a track.
 * Versus Mode (2-4 players) - The players all choose a track (which is chosen randomly out of ones players voted for) and race on it. Computer players can appear as long as every human player chooses to turn them on. An Encore Race can occur if a human player wins the race, and if one of the players pays another €1.

GameCube/PS2 version

 * Arcade Mode (1 player) - The player is put into random races and challenges. The player must win each or loses a heart. If the player loses all three hearts, the game is over. A new heart is earned after every ten races/challenges, but the player cannot have more than three. The player can also save their progress in Arcade Mode and continue where they left off at a later date.
 * Party Mode (2-4 players) - Up to four players can take part in a series of races. Players score more points depending on how well they perform in each race.
 * Free Play Mode (1 player) - The player races alone without having to worry about the time or obstacles. They can also set new race records and compete in challenges they have beaten in the Arcade Mode.

Characters
All of the playable characters in the game function exactly the same gameplay-wise, though each one has their own personal colour which they are represented with in-game. Out of the nine playable characters, five; Areiou, Petunia, Koral, Melody and Sky, are human (all are female except Sky). Robo and Cola are robots, with Robo being more humanoid and Cola being a round, spherical creature with feet. Goga is an humanoid ogre creature whilst Lunar is said to be a "mysterious figure".
 * Koral (Red)
 * Areiou (Orange)
 * Cola (Yellow)
 * Melody (Green)
 * Sky (Blue)
 * Petunia (Pink)
 * Lunar (Purple)
 * Goga (Brown)
 * Robo (Grey)

Development
Violet Vortex was produced by Digital Jumble. The arcade version first appeared in Kuboian arcades in either March or April 2002 and began to appear in other arcades across Europe and Japan later that year. In order to widen the game's potential audience, a home console version for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 was published by Cradle Network in September that year. A Dreamcast version was planned, but cancelled as the console stopped receiving games in Europe earlier that year.

Reception
Violet Vortex received mostly positive reviews from critics. A review from British magazine Nintendo Official Magazine noted that the game had a step learning curve but praised its fast-paced, addictive game. A mixed review from IGN awarded the game a 6.5/10, praising the gameplay and replay value of Arcade Mode, but criticising the "repetitive and annoying" catchphrases and tedious nature of some of the challenges.

A few critics pointed out that Cola has an unfair advantage, as it is much smaller than the other characters and as such can avoid obstacles and items easier and also see ahead of itself better. Notably, a few competitive tournaments that took place in the mid-2000s banned the character due to it being considered overpowered.

Legacy
Due to the game's success, it was able to spawn several sequels, including Violet Vortex Adventure for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, as well as Violet Vortex Party for the Wii and Xbox 360. Another entry in the series is due to be released in 2022 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

An animated pilot based on the game was produced in 2004, but it was ultimately never picked up for a full series. The eleven-minute pilot was leaked online in 2006.

Violet Vortex Deluxe
An enhanced port of the game for the PlayStation Portable, Violet Vortex Deluxe, was released on 22nd September, 2006. It removes the Arcade Mode and replaces it with a new mode, Story Mode, where the playable characters have to win races and complete challenges on order to save the Violet Realm from being destroyed by a new villain, The Black Hole. In addition, the port also allows up to six players to connect to each other and race in multiplayer.