Wacky Races

Long gone are the days when a cartoon character had more than lines to deliver. Stunt filled, Acme-brand trap action and frying pan injuries no longer rule the airwaves. Looking back, any retro cartoon fan is sure to mention Wacky Races - the Hanna-Barbera series that inspired many a 7-year-old to roll his go-kart whilst pretending to be Dick Dastardly or Penelope Pitstop! Now you can relive those nasty grazes painlessly. Wacky Races has made a comeback on the Dreamcast and is full of the original cast and carts!

Basically a racing bash-em'up, don't let this put you off if you're not a fan - it actually has a lot to offer, visually and physically. It's a challenging game in its own right with a retro look at the cartoon's characters and style as a bonus. The idea is to win a series of races to unlock other courses, characters and goodies. Collect power-ups to stock your special weapons and knock your opponents off the course - simple!

Choose from any of the characters in the original cartoon, including Penelope Pitstop, the Slag Brothers, the Ant Hill Mob and the Gruesome Twosome. Dastardly and Muttley are also included but you're going to have to unlock them before you check out what they can do. There are plenty of characters for you to be getting on with; each vehicle handles differently and has its own range of special weapons and characteristics. For example, Penelope Pitstop has a hairdryer boost facility, a kiss that knocks the socks off the other racers and a parasol that protects her from more than the sun!

The game has 15 tracks and 3 battle arenas. Races take place over different challenges: Wacky Cups, Straight Race Time Trial and vs. mode. On Wacky Cups, the main element to the game, you have to collect stars by winning races to unlock different levels. On your travels you will have to collect other objects to upgrade your vehicle, but nothing is hidden. There are power-ups and other goodies a-plenty! Look out for short cuts and ways to block your opponents - this is Wacky Races and the way to win the race is to use cunning, heavy weaponry and cheat!

The game is set out over one main area that has pathways and roads leading off to the actual racetracks. Although the idea is great - i.e. that from the minute you pick your car of choice you are in the game - It doesn't really pull it off and the way you have to scroll through options is an annoyance when all you really want to do is race. To begin, the options are quite limited, but after you've won a few races and picked up a few stars you are soon on your way! The game is not easy and will challenge even the hardiest of driving experts. The range of weapons your opponents have means that there is always someone ready to blow you off the track. The courses themselves are tough to get around. Look for hidden shortcuts and other open spaces to nip across because if you don't you're not going to win!

Unlike some of the other race-em'up titles, Wacky Races is a game that offers the player something to get their teeth into. The courses are varied and challenging to beat, the vehicles are notably different in their handling and different weapons for each character means that the action is varied. The animation in the game is fantastic - you do feel that you are actually racing through a cartoon and the way that the characters are introduced at the beginning of the game is actually how it looked in the good old days. Movement can sometimes be annoying, as when other vehicles obstruct your view - this obviously happens at crucial moments!

Wacky Races is a fantastic game for the Dreamcast with great characters and a solid game to go with it - so if you've just played South Park Racer - be prepared to be converted!