The racing genre has always had a complicated relationship with Nintendo hardware. While other platforms have enjoyed generations of realistic driving simulators and blockbuster racing franchises, Nintendo consoles have often relied on arcade racers to fill the gap. When Gear.Club Unlimited arrived on the Nintendo Switch, it offered something slightly different: a more grounded driving experience featuring licensed cars, performance upgrades, and a genuine desire to recreate the feeling of owning and improving your dream garage.
Developed by Eden Games, a studio with a long history in racing thanks to titles such as V-Rally and Test Drive Unlimited, Gear.Club Unlimited and its much larger sequel aim to bring a more traditional automotive experience to a handheld audience. Across both games, players can collect prestigious vehicles, tune their machines, compete in hundreds of events, and gradually build their way from humble beginnings to becoming a true racing champion. While the two games share a similar foundation, they each offer a different approach, with the original focusing on accessible arcade thrills and Gear.Club Unlimited 2 expanding into a much bigger racing adventure.
Neither title fully escapes the limitations of its origins, but together they form one of the more ambitious racing packages on the Nintendo Switch.
Gear.Club Unlimited: A Solid Starting Line
The first Gear.Club Unlimited introduces Eden Games’ vision for portable racing. Rather than overwhelming players with complex systems or demanding simulation mechanics, it prioritises immediate fun and easy accessibility. The result is a racer designed for quick sessions, making it a comfortable fit for handheld play.
The career progression is built around a simple yet effective idea. You begin with modest vehicles and work your way through increasingly challenging events, earning money to buy faster cars and upgrade existing machines. There is a satisfying sense of growth as your garage gradually transforms from a collection of basic vehicles into a showroom filled with impressive supercars.
The driving model sits somewhere between arcade racing and simulation. Cars have enough weight and personality to feel distinct from one another, but the game never becomes overly demanding. Steering is forgiving, mistakes can often be corrected, and the overall experience encourages players to enjoy the journey rather than worry about perfect racing lines.
This accessibility is both the game’s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. New players can jump straight in and enjoy themselves, but experienced racing fans may find the handling lacks the precision and depth they expect. Cars can sometimes feel as though they are being gently guided along the road rather than fully under the player’s control, which reduces the excitement in tighter corners and more technical sections.
Building the Perfect Garage
One of Gear.Club Unlimited’s strongest features is its garage system. Rather than simply navigating endless menus, players interact with their collection in a more personal way. Upgrading vehicles feels like working on a real machine, with different areas of the garage representing different performance upgrades.
This physical approach adds a surprising amount of charm. Installing better engines, improving tyres, and enhancing bodywork give every upgrade a sense of purpose. It creates a connection between the player and their vehicles, turning each new purchase into something that feels earned rather than simply unlocked.
The selection of licensed cars is another major highlight. Driving machines from manufacturers such as Mercedes, BMW, McLaren, Bugatti, Pagani, and Porsche offers plenty of excitement, especially for players who enjoy collecting automotive icons. The thrill of finally unlocking a dream car and taking it onto the track remains one of the series’ biggest attractions.
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 Raises the Stakes
While the original Gear.Club Unlimited feels like a compact racing experience, Gear.Club Unlimited 2 is a much more ambitious project. Eden Games clearly set out to create something closer to a full console racing adventure, expanding almost every aspect of the original formula.
The world is vast, offering thousands of miles of roads through mountains, deserts, forests, and coastal areas. The variety of environments gives the game a stronger sense of adventure, with each region offering distinct challenges and visual styles. There is a genuine sense of progression as players move through new locations and take on tougher challenges.
The career mode also adds more structure, introducing a story about rebuilding a struggling racing team. While the narrative is never going to compete with story-driven adventure games, it provides enough motivation to keep moving forward. The idea of saving a family racing business gives the player a reason to care beyond simply collecting cars.
The sequel also significantly improves vehicle customisation. The ability to create custom designs and personalise your collection adds another layer of creativity. For players who enjoy making their cars feel unique, the expanded livery options offer plenty of opportunities to experiment.
The Joy and Frustration of Racing
Despite the improvements, Gear.Club Unlimited 2 still has technical issues that prevent it from matching the genre’s best racers. The biggest problem is performance. Loading times can feel surprisingly long, interrupting the flow between events and making the experience feel less seamless than it should.
The presentation also highlights the game’s budget constraints. While the cars themselves look impressive, the surrounding environments can sometimes feel empty and lifeless. Tracks offer plenty of visual variety, but the world rarely feels as alive as in the best open-world racing games.
The sound design is another area where the experience falls slightly short. The roar of engines is satisfying, but the absence of a strong musical atmosphere during races can make events feel quieter than expected. Racing games thrive on excitement and momentum, and the occasional silence undermines that sense of speed.
However, these issues do not entirely undermine the experience. There remains a satisfying sense of relaxation in collecting cars, upgrading them, and exploring the various championships. Gear.Club Unlimited 2 recognises that racing is not always about intense competition. Sometimes it is simply about enjoying the drive.
Multiplayer and Longevity
Both games offer multiplayer options, making them more enjoyable when played with friends. Local split-screen racing is particularly welcome on the Nintendo Switch, where couch multiplayer remains one of the system’s greatest strengths. Competing against friends with a collection of impressive vehicles adds extra value beyond the single-player campaigns.
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 further expands those options with online competition and club features. Creating a racing club and competing against others adds a sense of community, although the online experience does not quite match the depth of larger racing franchises.
Still, for Nintendo Switch owners seeking a racing game with genuine progression and licensed vehicles, the package offers plenty of content. Across both titles, there are hundreds of races, a wide selection of cars, and enough upgrades to keep dedicated players busy for many hours.
Final Verdict
Gear.Club Unlimited 1 and 2 are ambitious attempts to bring a more traditional racing experience to the Nintendo Switch. While neither game reaches the heights of the biggest racing franchises, they offer something valuable: a relaxing, accessible, and surprisingly enjoyable automotive adventure.
The first game offers a simple yet charming introduction, while Gear.Club Unlimited 2 expands the formula with a larger world, deeper customisation, and a much stronger sense of progression. Technical limitations and some dated design choices hold the series back, but the joy of building a garage full of dream cars remains genuinely satisfying.
For racing fans seeking a realistic driving experience on Switch, this collection remains one of the better options. It may not be the fastest or most polished racer on the track, but it has plenty of personality under the bonnet.
