Micro Machines

Micro Machines

Fun factor: 9, Difficulty: 6, Sound: 2*, Graphics: 3, Gameplay: 8, Overall: 8

*(This is more because there is very little sound than because the sound is very bad)

The story: There isn't one, really. There are a bunch of kids who race Micro Machines. You choose to be one of the kids and then proceed to kick the butts of all the others in a series of races using different cars on different tracks.

The style: Because you're racing little toy cars, you actually race in and around the house. For example, sports cars on the bedroom desk, formula one cars on the pool tables, boats in the bath. Each type of car has a different track and there are three of each track type to beat to win the game. These are interspersed randomly (eg you have a race on the kitchen table, then a race in the garage, then a race in the sandpit, then a more difficult race on the kitchen table - that sort of thing).

You have three competitors (which you choose - they vary in difficulty, but you have to face them all eventually) and if you don't come first or second, you lose a life and have to do the race again. Otherwise, you can proceed to the next level. There are also bonus levels if you come first three times in a row. The graphics are not particularly good, but then, it's an old game, and simplicity is not a bad thing in a game of this style. You can see what you need to and there are cute touches, like the rubber duckie in the bathtub, the open notebook with "HOMEWORK SUCKS!!" written on it on the desk, the open box of cereal with bits strewn all over the table... sound effects and music are very minimal. But good sound does not a good game make, and this game is fun enough without worrying about that

The cars have different features. For example, sports cars and formula one cars go very fast. The cars in the garage have little spikes on them so you can have fun ramming people and blowing both of you up. The tanks on the bedroom floor come with guns that you can shoot people with, but they move so slowly and with such bad control that it can be hard to get out of someone's way... it's all very fun, trying not to fly off edges, trying to catch up with people, trying to win.

There's another mode which is kind of lame, where you race one-on-one with the computer or with a human opponent, and whenever someone gets a full screen ahead of the other, they win a point.

The verdict: The graphics aren't great, the sound isn't great, there's almost no music, there aren't many options or a great variety of modes to play - but this game is very playable and enjoyable. Although it's simple, it's somehow addictive. Definitely worth a play.


Micro Machines 2

Fun factor: 9, Difficulty: 8, Sound: 4, Graphics: 7, Gameplay: 9, Overall: 9

The story: There isn't one. You race micro machines against opponents and try to win.

Screenshots from MMII

The style: It's similar to the original. Go read the above review. Okay, it's similar to that only there are a) more characters to choose from, b) many more cars and tracks, c) better graphics, d) more modes. You can also play with more than two players - up to sixteen, in fact. I can't imagine having 15 Sega-liking friends in my room, but whatever.

Different modes? Yes, now you can do time trial mode (race around a chosen track and try to beat your best time). There's a mode where you try to claw your way up through four divisions. And there are the original two modes (the head-to-head and tournament modes).

The one main disadvantage of this game over the original is that it's harder. The original was reasonably challenging but I actually managed to finish it. But this one is unreasonable. The thing is, you're about the only character who can make a mistake. If you fly off more than one or two edges (highly likely), you're unlikely to be able to make your way to the end, because nobody else flies off edges and they don't slow down much, they go almost as fast as it's possible to go. In the original, if you're having a lot of trouble and falling off lots of edges, the players ahead of you will all kind of slow down a bit, or fall off themselves, so you have the chance to redeem yourself. Not so in this one; sometimes, a single fall can ruin your chances, and it's ridiculous. I remember a motorbike race where I made just one mistake in three laps, and the rest of the time took the corners as well as possible - but still came second. You really have to be perfect.

(Another mini-rant... In the four-division mode, it's also stupid that they have the TOILET level in the FOURTH division! I mean, that's probably the hardest level in the game (you have to go in a tight circle around a toilet rim - it's so small, you can't help falling off about eight times) so they shouldn't put it in the first round. It only lasts for about twenty seconds and of course, none of your opponents fall off at all. I'm reduced to just lying in wait for the person in the lead to knock them off the edge so the others can win - then, if I come first in the other three races, I can make it to the third division, which is MUCH easier than fourth on account of no toilet. ^_^.)

The verdict: This game gets a higher mark than the original because it is a lot bigger, there is a lot more variety and so it holds your interest for considerably longer. There are a couple of things I like more about the original though, such as the ability to choose from opponents of varying skill, and the way it wasn't so darn hard to catch up after mistakes! This game almost seems a little too big (too many cars and tracks to keep up with), a little gaudy, a little harder to control. Apart from this personal preference of mine, this is a genuinely good game and I highly recommend it for a fun play, even if, like me, you're not really into racing games.


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