Wacky Race (1991)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Wacky Races (1991) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 No, this is not a racing game but a good platformer.
| ||||||||||||
|
Wacky Races (チキチキマシン猛レース, Chiki Chiki Machine Mou Race) is a platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, developed and published by Atlus. The game is based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races and features Muttley and Dick Dastardly as the main characters.
Why It Rocks
- The concept of doing a platformer out of a racing game is an unique idea and here it is well executed, to the point of being one of the best licensed game on NES.
- Tight and responsive controls, Muttley will never feel unresponsive and will also always respond to your commands, not to mention that the controls as a whole aren't clunky, so they are perfect for a 2D platformer.
- The show here is well represented despite not being a racing game, this is because of the cutscenes that had similar situation from the cartoon and also, the characters are faithful to their cartoon counterpart.
- The gameplay is really fun and is surprisingly great for a platformer based on a racing franchise, as here there is enough variaty so that you aren't bored when playing, and also, when you get all the upgrades, the game will become even more fun than it already is.
- There is an upgrade system, which is a cool thing for a 2D platformer, and this include:
- First off, there is the bomb, which is way better than your regular attack, and it also do a lot of damages, the hit-detection of it is also great.
- There is also the flying that can be added, and when you get it, the game become a breeze to complete and to play, and the game is even easier with it.
- There is also a health bar upgrade, which also greatly help even when you gotten all the healths bar upgrade, as when you choose it when you had the fully upgraded bar, when you had not many energy left, when you choose the upgrade, it fully charge your health bar so combine this with the other upgrade and you will make the game even easier.
- Decent soundtrack that consist of many catchy songs to listen, and the title screen theme is even a rendition of the theme song from the Japanese dub of the show, which sound great.
- Great graphics that are really colorful and faithful to the style of the show, the sprites also look great, even for a 1992 NES game, in fact the graphics are on par with games like Super Mario Bros. 3.
- The bosses are decent and challenging, especially compared to most of the game that is quite easy, the bosses mostly consist of remember their paths and when you do it, they are easy to beat, but still fun.
- The ending is pretty funny.
- The level design is really good, with the levels being well designed and also are designed to be balanced with the difficulty, in which it is mostly the reason of why the game is so easy for the most parts, but howewer (See BQ1).
- Great hit-detection, with the exception of your regular attack.
Bad Qualities
- The game can be way too easy for the most parts, since when you are upgraded, almost no ones can stop you, and with the collectibles that make you having upgrades being almost everywhere, the game will never really be hard, except for the bosses.
- The game is a bit too short, lasting only 35 minutes.
- Some of the bosses are quite annoying to deal with, mostly due to their annoying paths to memorise, but they aren't impossible at least.
- Misleading title: The game isn't a racing game but a platformer instead, which might make you being confused at first when you ask yourself if it's a racing game or a platformer, this might be the cause of why the game is so obscure.
- The regular attack is really terrible, since it had horrible hit-detection and isn't really easy to use, as well as being underpowered, making it nearly useless.
Reception
The game received positive reviews by critics and gamers, and is considered to be one of the best licensed game on NES and one of the best Hanna-Barbera games.
Videos
Comments
Loading comments...