Blasting
past the 10-foot-tall claws of a scorpion, the driver – enjoying life in his
futuristic, off-market sports car – fires a turbo boost just before
approaching a ramp. For two very quick seconds, he soars through the air as if
his vehicle were meant to take flight. Landing safely, though not without a
resounding thud too strong for his shock absorber to handle, the driver whips
into three winding corners, hugging the street like a kid hanging onto a teddy
bear. He comes out of the corners, fires another turbo and blows away all
spectators as his vehicle defies gravity and speeds through a 360-degree loop.
This is what
life was like at breakfast. At lunch he battled fiery hoops, crushing
boulders, and a large vehicle-flattening machine that could strike fear in any
car guy. (Jay Leno better keep his classics far away from this competition.)
At dinner he
slammed through a multi-tiered sea world – a place where you don’t have to
double cross the mob to swim with the fishies. Drive above and below H2O in a
pressurized tank that keeps water from filtering in. It was an intensely fast
experience, but that was only the beginning.
At midnight
he was pulling slow-motion moves to more thoroughly steer his vehicle while
flying through the air. By 6 a.m. his joy ride nearly came to a screeching
halt when, after being faced with one too many ramps, a bad fall almost cost
him the race. He was devastated and relieved at the same time – thrilled that
he had won, but furious at himself for not preventing the fall.
You could
grab a Woody doll, put on your best Toy Story impersonation and scream, “You
are a toy!” But this driver wouldn’t care. He likes his world, and once you
enter, it won’t be hard to figure out why.
Extreme,
Geez!
Gamers who
are old enough to remember Extreme-G, the ill-fated Acclaim franchise, may
think they’re too old to bother playing a new Hot Wheels game. Though some
have been pretty good, I can’t entirely disagree with that assumption,
especially after playing the latest game for PSP – Hot Wheels: Ultimate
Racing. This racer, with its Extreme-G-style thrills and F-Zero GX-crushing
gameplay is everything a player – young or old – looks for in a racing
game. It makes all previous Hot Wheels titles appear to be nothing more than a
child’s plaything.
Two
occurrences will strike the player while racing the first two courses: the
controls are great and the speed is super-intense. Aside from Wipeout and
Burnout, which produce different effects for exhilaration, the PSP doesn’t
usually get the mind-blowing, jaw-on-the-floor gameplay brought to PlayStation
2. That’s precisely why you’ll be stunned by every twist and turn the game
throws at you. It’s not that it hasn’t been done elsewhere – it has. But it is
almost never done on a handheld platform, and it is only rarely executed with
this much polish and efficiency.
The PSP’s
pseudo-thumbstick is not as approachable as the Dual-Shock 2’s analog sticks.
But after about 30 minutes of gripping corners (or running into them) and
flying across ramps, the game becomes very easy to control. Steering is
extremely tight, allowing for some of the most ridiculous – and most
satisfying – last-second maneuvers. The physics are solid but without
destruction. Vehicles come with a good amount of realism, pushing each other
into walls and other hazards.
However,
like the toy cars the game is based on, they do not show signs of damage,
either physically or aesthetically. They get right back on the track and may
continue the race. And though we love to see explosions and body damage, it’s
doubtful that any amount of destruction would have made this game better.
Chances are it would have taken away from the overall speed of the game, which
is generally a non-stop experience.
This is a
PSP Game!?
Most game
reviews have a brief section that talks about a gameplay issue that relates to
the visuals, such as clipping or frame-rate problems. If you try really hard
you might just spot a bit of clipping in Hot Wheels: Ultimate Racing. But you
won’t see the frame rate suffer. Not when the game is filled with
flames, oversized insects, or screen-filling objects that serve no purpose
other than to prevent your vehicle from successfully jumping between two
platforms. Gamers should be able to expect this from every title, but that’s
not usually the case. What’s more amazing is that, as courses are unlocked, as
upgrades are awarded, and as your speed increases, the frame rate and
exhilarating sensations only get better.
One thing
that surprised me in a less positive light, especially when considering the
rest of the game’s content, is how dark some of the courses are. The game is
big on lava worlds, which are – according to the action/adventure genre –
supposed to be filled with dark hues of red and orange. Since the PSP has
limited picture-tweaking features, you can’t lighten the screen to entirely
eliminate the darkness. The opposite wouldn’t have been better – make the game
too bright and you’ll drive us crazy. But while this was something I could
tolerate, I’m not sure an impatient eight-year-old will feel the same way
Other than
that, the only thing to consider before speeding down to the nearest retailer
is that the game is a little short. The replayability compensates for the lack
of courses. Note that I did not say course variety. Ultimate Racing’s courses
are vastly different from each other. But there are only six “Ultimate
Challenge” competitions, with only 2-4 races per competition. Tracks are
repeated in almost every tier, so you won’t end up with a unique batch every
time.
However,
going back to the replay value, this is where the game excels. You won’t dread
a second or third race with the same course – you’ll look forward to it.
|
|
Gameplay: 8.0
Intensely fast,
jaw-dropping gameplay in the palm of your hand. Hot Wheels: Ultimate Racing is
the ultimate Hot Wheels title.
Graphics:
8.4
Unbelievable. Hot
Wheels: Ultimate Racing is a stunning game with tons of thrills that’ll blow
your mind. (The dark picture might not, but that’s a whole other story…)
Sound: 6.9
Not spectacularly
good or bad, Ultimate Racing’s techno soundtrack is one you might feel like
you’ve heard before – and not care either way.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Most players
aren’t likely to lose a race until they’ve reached the fourth or fifth
challenge.
Concept: 7.9
Hot Wheels
license meets Extreme-G gameplay. It’s not an original idea by any means, but
I love it.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Ad-hoc play for
up to four Hot Wheels enthusiasts.
Overall: 8.0
Hot Wheels:
Ultimate Racing belongs in any gamer’s library that already houses Wipeout and
Burnout. Both of those games are the best in their leagues, and Hot Wheels is
the best in its area of the genre. Even with a short challenge mode, Ultimate
Racing is a great buy.
