Maximum Fun, Minimum Hype
Pros:
Maximum replay value, great multi-player
Cons:
Sound, occasional framerate slowdown, some one player levels cannot be played in the multi-player mode (unlike the PSX version)
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
This game is a must buy for any fan of the multi-player marathon session a la Goldeneye and Mario Kart. I find that a lot of the games, both one player and multi-player, on N64 lack challenge and subsequently lack any amount of serious replay value. This game bucks that trend in a big way.
It's All About the Multi-player
Forget about the one player mode. If the one player mode equals X, then the multi-player mode equals X to the 10th power. If you don't have any friends to play this game with I recommend that you to steer clear of this title; but if you have 4 buddies who appreciate a good multi-player game and have a lot of time on their hands, I recommend you rush out and buy this game immediately.
The sound and graphics aren't exactly cutting edge, but they prove to be satisfactory considering the quick pace and overall nature of the game. In the multi-player mode each player steers control of a "micro" car through the many "micro" courses. Competition takes the form of every person for themselves, 2 vs. 2 team play, or party play. The "every man for himself" multi-player can be experienced with 2, 3, or 4 players, but the true beauty of the game clearly shines through only in the 4-player mode. Note that one is able to play up to 8 players, but to do so individuals are required to share controllers. 8 players simultaneously on the screen can cause some major chaos and detracts from the overall game experience.
The courses are split up into 7 different venues: the breakfast table, pool table, backyard, beach, dinner table, lab table, and my personal favorite the elementary school desktop. Within each venue there are 4 to 8 different courses to choose from. Cars are chosen for the player but differ from course to course. Each car has its own unique look and feel that usually coincides with the terrain of the course.
A simple but effective scoring system awards blocks to higher places and detracts blocks from lower places. You earn blocks by being the last car on the screen. If you fall back, the back of the screen will eat you up. You then must wait until all the players except one gets knocked off. This usually happens 5-50 times per course before one person wins. Whoever fills up all their blocks wins that particular course and earns points in the overall multi-player competition.
