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SLO_HotShoe’s “R&R Sandbox” isn’t an original creation; it’s a modified version of his smash hit, “The Sandbox”. I realize the words “smash hit” are normally associated with songs, but I’ve been dying to use that little catch phrase somewhere, so today was the day lol. Trust me, you won’t find “The Sandbox” on any cd…and Shoe’s a terrible singer, so I guess that pretty much settles that!
This track’s reputation as “top notch” has already been established 3-times over, which is certainly no surprise to me. When I did the review for it back in January of this year, I was very impressed by Shoe’s originality and creativity, and was happy to see track making taking hold again. He was one of a handful of guys making excellent tracks back when there seemed to be a drought. In retrospect, maybe, just maybe he, like Malibu350, SLO_Preacher, SLO_Fila, SLO_Gutterboy, Davidg10, and a few others are indirectly responsible for this explosion in the track-making field today. Some of you may have heard the cliché “less is more”, but not when it comes to making great tracks. I have a hard time keeping up on the reviews nowadays…but I much prefer this as opposed to alternative.
As for “RnR Sandbox”, basically Shoe took his one-of-a-kind, original, masterstroke concept of a track, removed a sizeable portion of the road that led to a drop-off, took out someone’s front porch and a wooden plank, closed it off, leveled the road, and presto - RnR track! I won’t go into lots of detail about this one since I’ve already reviewed it as a traditional racetrack. I’ll simply generalize for the most part, highlighting only those qualities that pertain to the style of play this track was modified for.
Probably the thing that stands out most is Shoe’s ability to visualize things creatively, see possibilities where others may see obstacles. With a few minor adjustments he took a great racing track and made it so that it’s extremely conducive for race-rumbles. It’s extremely balanced, with ample space for racers and blockers alike, so no one really has a clear advantage. I will say it’s a blast to block on this track because there are so many options afforded to you with respect to where you can go in order to ambush an unsuspecting racer. Also, most of the models were changed to no-collide so getting around is hassle-free. As for the racers, the texture is such that you can slide easily, thus controlled changes of direction are a snap in order to slide out of the path of an oncoming truck basher. Of course, you have to know how to drive to pull it off!
If you love RnRs, this one’s for you. It works so well for this style of play one would think it was Shoe’s original intent for this track. Personally, I think the guy got dang lucky, but knowing Shoe he’d never admit it (cocky lol). Regardless, this one tipped the “Copey Rating” scale at a stout <u>10</u> out of 10 possible points! Shoe, I’d say this is the easiest “10” you’ll ever get from me, pal, lol. Nicely done, bud...very nicely done!
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