06-11-2020, 01:55 AM
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing (Electronic Arts/Stormfront, 1999, N64)
Let me just preface this by saying I tend to suck at racing games in general.
It's actually easier to handle than your average racing game, with responsive controls, except when trying to turn around, and even that is more on level design. What makes this game challenging is the level design, which I'll talk about later. You don't have to use your brakes all that often. But you also have a nitro function, which you will use A LOT. Some other reviewers complained about the colours of the cars and tracks being too bright, but let me ask you this - did those reviewers ever play with Hot Wheels toys when they were kids? Did they not see how bright those cars often were? If so, they need to SIDDOWN and SHADDAP!
The graphics haven't aged well, and even for N64 they weren't that great, looking like something that came from 1997. Now the music and sound are fantastic, especially the music, which includes tracks from luminaries such as Mix Master Mike (who has, among other things, collaborated with the Beastie Boys), Primus, and Reverend Horton Heat. Too bad there's only six tracks. Maybe it's my ears, but the complaints by some reviewers about the sound being muffled is lost on me.
Level design is where things get a little sketchy. Sometimes the tracks become so narrow that it's impossible to turn around if you spin out. Maybe that's keeping with the faithfulness to the toys. But balance of challenge is adjustable. I didn't find that out until after I had already won a race on normal mode. It tweaks how strong the AI is, and is defaulted to the dead-centre. The immersion, other than the track colours and the number of loops and jumps, is really nothing special.
In terms of fun factor, though, there are race, multiplayer, trick-based, and season modes available. You actually earn nitros for your nitro function by doing tricks, and there are a lot of tricks you can do! So that adds to the fun.
Not the greatest of racing games, but a nice little time-waster.
Play control: 17/20
Graphics: 10/15
Music: 12/15
Sound effects: 7/10
Level design: 3/10
Balance of challenge: 7/10
Immersion: 7/10
Fun factor: 7/10
Final score: 70/100 B-
Let me just preface this by saying I tend to suck at racing games in general.
It's actually easier to handle than your average racing game, with responsive controls, except when trying to turn around, and even that is more on level design. What makes this game challenging is the level design, which I'll talk about later. You don't have to use your brakes all that often. But you also have a nitro function, which you will use A LOT. Some other reviewers complained about the colours of the cars and tracks being too bright, but let me ask you this - did those reviewers ever play with Hot Wheels toys when they were kids? Did they not see how bright those cars often were? If so, they need to SIDDOWN and SHADDAP!
The graphics haven't aged well, and even for N64 they weren't that great, looking like something that came from 1997. Now the music and sound are fantastic, especially the music, which includes tracks from luminaries such as Mix Master Mike (who has, among other things, collaborated with the Beastie Boys), Primus, and Reverend Horton Heat. Too bad there's only six tracks. Maybe it's my ears, but the complaints by some reviewers about the sound being muffled is lost on me.
Level design is where things get a little sketchy. Sometimes the tracks become so narrow that it's impossible to turn around if you spin out. Maybe that's keeping with the faithfulness to the toys. But balance of challenge is adjustable. I didn't find that out until after I had already won a race on normal mode. It tweaks how strong the AI is, and is defaulted to the dead-centre. The immersion, other than the track colours and the number of loops and jumps, is really nothing special.
In terms of fun factor, though, there are race, multiplayer, trick-based, and season modes available. You actually earn nitros for your nitro function by doing tricks, and there are a lot of tricks you can do! So that adds to the fun.
Not the greatest of racing games, but a nice little time-waster.
Play control: 17/20
Graphics: 10/15
Music: 12/15
Sound effects: 7/10
Level design: 3/10
Balance of challenge: 7/10
Immersion: 7/10
Fun factor: 7/10
Final score: 70/100 B-
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(06-11-2022, 10:13 PM)Kyng Wrote: I love how [Abacab] has a track with a section named "Lurker", when the album title itself looks like Lurker's attempt to spell "Abacus" or something .
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