''Hugo Troll Race'' is a

free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

endless runner Endless runner or infinite runner is a subgenre of platform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player's objective is to reach a high score by surviving for as long as possible. The ...

video game in the ''

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

'' franchise, developed by Danish studio Hugo Games (since 2018 5th planet games) and published by Krea Medie in 2012. Its sequel and spin-off were released in 2015.

Gameplay

The game is a 3D

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of the 2D "handcar"

minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...

from the 1992

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game '' Hugo - På Nye Eventyr'' (released as just ''Hugo'' in an export version outside Denmark), which was itself based on the early 1990s scenarios from the TV game show ''

''. In the game, the player controls a member of Hugo's family escaping a pursuit by the evil witch Scylla and her minions. The player is driving a trolley to jump, dodge and tilt to avoid obstacles and collect gold coins. The gold can be then spent on

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chosen ...

s and trolley upgrades, and to unlock additional content, all of which can be also bought via

microtransaction Microtransactions, often abbreviated as mtx, are a business model where users can purchase virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransact ...

s. There is also a

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type minigame.

Release

''Hugo Troll Race'' was announced by Hugo Games A/S for the iPhone and iPad in early July 2012. It has been originally released as a commercial product, before switching to the

model. It was also released as ''Hugo Troll Race HD'' for the

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, and a PC version was released by Software Pyramide in Germany. An ice age theme was added in October 2012. In January 2013, a jungle theme came with an update and the game was made free to play. In the first Krea Medie ''Hugo'' merchandise, Adimex released a line of ''Hugo Troll Race'' themed bath products in 2013. In April 2013, the game was again updated to feature a "TrollCopter" and new playable characters such as Indiana Troll, Agent Hugo and Hugolina. In July 2013, the Surfer's Cove update added a sea scenario and two more new characters. Further characters, stages, and vehicles were added later.

Reception

Upon its initial release, ''Hugo Troll Race'' has been downloaded more than 1 million times in just three days, making it the most downloaded app in 25 countries and the most successful Danish game for

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

. The game received mostly positive reviews, although some were mixed. Some reviewers also pointed out to the saturation of the mobile market with similar titles such as ''

Temple Run ''Temple Run'' is a 3D endless running video game developed and published by Imangi Studios. The player controls an explorer who has obtained an ancient relic and runs from demonic monkey-like creatures chasing him. The game was initially rele ...

''.

Legacy

A spin-off skateboard-themed endless runner titled ''Ronaldo & Hugo: Superstar Skater'' (or ''Super Stars: Ronaldo & Hugo'') and starring

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...

was released in June 2015. An official sequel titled ''Hugo Troll Race 2'' was announced in December 2015, along with its teaser trailer. The game was soft-launched to test the market before its official release in Q1 2016. It introduces several new features, including

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

battles against Hugo's archenemy Scylla.

References

External links