|
Back when I was a young lad, Micro Machines hit the market and was received luke-warmly by children and collectors everywhere. The appeal was the fact you could get up to four cars in one package of Micro Machines, which led to kids having several hundred cars to play with. The novelty did wear off once people realized that A) They weren't as detailed or cool as Hot Wheels, and B) Penny Racers came out a few years earlier and Micro Machines didn't have the cool penny gimmick. What you were left with were hundreds of mediocre toys with a fad that faded almost as quickly as Punky Brewster... ...Or so we thought, as it's 2006 and game companies still want to live in the 80's by producing more games on the forgotten car franchise. Unfortunately, the results are very similar to the toy genre. The game is a fun little racer, but even with the hundreds of cars to unlock and race, the game is just a niche title that will be enjoyed by few, and wind up being as mediocre as the toy line. Seriously, if you want to play a game with hundreds of cars, why not play Gran Turismo? If you want an arcade racer for the PS2, why not play Burnout instead. If you want a game that supports power ups and weapons, how about Twisted Metal or Crash Team Racing? Lastly, if it is a game you want that is based on cutesy cars, why not play Choro Q…at least you have the ability to customize your vehicle. Not to say that Micro Machines is a bad game per say, it just does not offer the general public anything new and exciting to merit anything but a rental.
For anyone still interested at this point, here is what Micro Machines DOES offer. You have game play reminiscent of the old RC Pro Am series, which should appeal enough to nostalgia buffs. Visually the game does a fair job bringing you to the miniature-sized world of Micro Machines. There is plenty to do with over 50 tracks, 750 cars, 25 weapons and power ups, and even a track editor in which you may challenge your friends. The lack of online play on the PS2 hurts as at least you would have been able to trade tracks and cars online with the couple dozen of other fans who play this title. In the end, you have a game that can be somewhat fun in multiplayer, boring in single player, and for the money, you can buy numerous superior titles that will keep your attention far longer than this game will. Much like the Hasbro line of toys, this is for a very limited crowd. Though, in this time of gaming, that is not enough to sell the proportionate amount of games to make a profit.  | Plenty of cars, tracks, and options | | Great for fans of the toy line and classic top down/3 quarter view racing fans! |  | Not great for everyone else |  | Why will this game sell again? |
|
