Reviewed by Tiffany Craig
If possible, children and small animals would scream about the perils of household objects. A stray Monopoly board, rolling pin or rock could mean the difference between a merry skip or a sudden tumble. But since they have no voice in which to describe the world of being small, it’s up to adults to create the picture for the remaining and uncomprehending big. Enter the surreal itty-bitty universe of the Micro Machines top down racing franchise and its latest instalment. But is it a lethargic lope on a pane of safety plastic, or a raucous romp through road works?
Micro Machines V4 is nothing but simple. From the well practised X for accelerate, the R1 for fire and the basic game interface, it’s as easy to manoeuvre as a pool cue is to shoot. The complications originate from the actual tracks and the Power Ups, both of which veer drastically from the delightfully imaginative to the slightly less exciting fillers. Each track comes with its own special blend of creative obstructions and dastardly twists that can make or break each separate challenge’s success.
There are three main types of races to keep you occupied if you’re flying solo. The first is battle mode, where your opponent (or opponents) must be left in off screen dust for you to take first place. The second is race mode, where the best of three takes the accolade. The third is the checkpoint challenge, where you must get to various points in the track under a certain allotted time.
Each separate challenge unlocks a portion of up to 760 vehicles and 76 tracks. Vehicles include the street racing fabulous Bling and the poor in all counts Milk Float. But with all box sets you have the opportunity to get cars that will potentially perform better on certain tracks and give you better options for continuing. When you win, or if you get bored of racing on the various cups, there are other equally good options available. You can create your own clashes from the track editor including your preferences in Power Ups and start points. Or you can race to your heart’s content in frenetic multiplayer and unlock the same tracks as you would in single. I just wouldn’t recommend the controller sharing option unless you happen to be particularly close.
Vexingly, in the player versus computer modes, there is no gradual ascent in your opponent’s racing style or skill. In some, they’re inexplicably poor, whilst in others it appears they’ve been shot from a cannon. It will become readily apparent within the first segment which race is which for skill levels, and not always from the difficulty that you’ve chosen. Beyond the AI’s variations in ability, your most important challenge is mastering the tracks and all the objects that go from minor annoyances in everyday life to severe monoliths in game play. Discerning bends and obstructions the first few times you race on a track can be nigh impossible when using the default camera, especially in battle mode. It will continue panning until one particular car has become the winner and can obfuscate obstacles like they’re chameleons in the tropics. Once these impediments are overcome and you’ve reached near perfection with your race game, then you’ll float to the front but prepare to spend a lot of time in 4th place in the mean time.
Graphics are primary and as basic as the game controls; stylistically, they don’t seem to have changed much from previous versions. The tracks themselves are broadly detailed and often richly realized. Bright orange comical crabs with deadly pinchers appear around the corner, and the drill from the construction worker’s brown boots can vibrate you right off the edge of the road. The cars, however, suffer from a lack of polish and a certain primitive blockiness that date them way, way back.
Music is constricted to a synthesizer-tastic backing track entertaining you through the menus and the running out of time warnings. Sound effects, however, are tactile and thoroughly enjoyable. Nothing quite says gameplay like the high-pitched screeching of a well-formed plasma gun shot to the rear end of an irritating opponent. Minimalist they may be, but all substantial elements fit in well with the chiefly arcade style.
The legacy of such an entertaining franchise focusing on the diminutive is bound to lead to disappointment later on. It’s not as finely honed or as modern as it could be, but this latest incarnation is a bastion of microscopic fun and is redeemed by the sheer delight invested in the majority of the tracks’ arduous barriers.
From hair curlers, to welding equipment, to road works, to eggs, to pigeons, the inventiveness of many scenarios is to be admired and provides hours of entertainment. Add on to the environment the wide range of vehicle types and the niceties of their handling and you definitely have a winner. Micro Machines V4 is a lively and charming addition to the franchise that’s well worth investing a significant amount of time playing.
Special thanks to Sam Cordier and Codemasters for providing a copy of this title.