But I remember penny racers being fun to play with...
It's time again to take a trip down memory lane. The year: circa 1984. The place: 4th grade homeroom. Matchbox cars were the big thing then, and my friends and I were quite the collectors. I believe it was about this time that we were introduced to the new concept of penny racers. These new cars were super deformed models of original cars, and they would take off on their own if you pulled back and let go. The concept that put them over the top though was the idea of placing a penny in a slot on the back bumper of the car. The weight of the penny caused these little plastic cars to burn wheelies while they ran. How cool!
These cars have actually been stars of their own video game series for years now in Japan under the label Choro Q. The first Choro Q game to grace the PS2 (Choro Q HG) was quickly translated and released here in the US by the name of Gadget Racers. I'm a rookie to the series and therefore have no basis for comparison between this game and any others from the past, but from what I've seen, I don't understand how there could be demand for any more. I guess what Takara was shooting for was a super deformed GT3, but what they got was just deformed.
The squashed up cars are easily recognizable, and I really enjoyed going through the different car bodies when I first booted up the game. It wears thin quick. The graphics are shoddy. It's another case of a PSX game in PS2 clothes. The cars have just enough detail to be distinguishable, but lack any real effort to look great. The tracks are numerous, but what you gain in number, you lose in quality. I don't understand why these cars weren't placed in Micro Machine-like environments. They're small toy cars and they're racing in real world circuits like through a desert or a city. It just doesn't mesh well. There really isn't much in the way of effects used to bring more life to the world either. It's these lack of graphical qualities that makes me wonder why the game stutters so bad when most of the field's cars are on the screen at once. The frame rate doesn't really dip outside of those circumstances.
Ok, I know these are supposed to be cute little cars, and they are probably supposed to sound cute too. Well, the engine sounds aren't cute. They're real bad, like fingernails on a chalkboard board bad. I don't even know what the sound is supposed to resemble. A car? A chainsaw? Or maybe a two year old cranking away on high C on your piano? There aren't any decent music tracks to cover it up either. Bah, use and quality of sound is so underrated in a video game.
At least this game has a lot to do. That will always bring a final grade up a half or whole point. Like I said, I think they were attempting a toy based GT3, and the mixture stinks. There is a basic arcade mode and an additional Gran Prix mode. The Gran Prix is where you'll find all the depth. First up are the license tests, which seem to be obligatory in racers nowadays. Why are there license tests in this game? I'm driving a super deformed car based on a once popular toy in what appears to be a cart-like arcade racer. There are no physics that warrant a license test. You don't even have to be good to achieve them.
Sure, there is a wide array of feeling between the numerous cars. Some feel heavier and some turn sharper and some slide easier, but it sure doesn't take much in the way of execution to get these cars around the track. This is the major downfall of this game. The actual racing just isn't any fun. Racing is really just a means to build up your car.
This leads me to my next question of astonishment. Why am I changing the engine, gears, and brakes on my toy car? These upgrades are so numerous and mean so little. I also want to make a note on what I said earlier about the difference between the cars. Let me clarify. There are no different cars. You have "a" car. It can be fitted with different bodies and parts and therefore becomes different cars. So essentially, you can make your car light, fast, with lots of grip or slow and durable, but there are no different cars. The only parts that are of any interest in the shops are the toy-like add-ons. You can buy propellers, wings, steel bumpers, rear wings, and pontoons. Just about anything you can think of to put on the front, back, sides, and top of your car.
There are some races that require such add-ons, and there are some races where you gain an advantage by having them as an option. For instance, some courses have underwater sections. If you have a propeller, you can speed through the underwater by not having to rely on your wheels, or if you have pontoons, then you can cruise right over the top of the water. I really enjoyed putting crazy paraphernalia on my ride much more than I did out in the races trying to collect money for it.
Maybe this should have been called Gadget Builders instead of Gadget Racers as it might have appealed to a whole different audience. As it stands, the racing is boring, and the game really tries too hard to be something it's not. It's fun for a little while working towards that Lancia Stratos body you've had your eye on, but chances are you'll quit before you realize your prize.
