|
As a kid, I would always set up wildly inventive Hot Wheels tracks, made up of interconnected orange race strips, loop-de-loops, and ramps, all constructed in basements, kitchens, bedrooms, and stairways of the different houses in which I grew up. Invariably, my best-laid plans would end up with my die-cast racers flying off the chosen path – usually very early in the process – and my dreams of becoming a civil engineer lying in ruins. Such is the case with Konami's new PSP racer Pocket Racers; it has some grandiose ideas and some deliriously entertaining racetracks (although you've got to put in some time to get there), but frustrating controls and a laughably weird storyline keep it from hitting too many high notes. As it stands, it's a moderately entertaining game with some issues that you'll just have to get over in order to really reach the good stuff. Trust me, it's there, if only you've got the patience and will to see it through.
Let's get one thing out of the way first, though – the story, which is incomprehensible at best. Evidently, you're having a party with a bunch of your friends, when some hooded-sweatshirt-wearing freakazoid barges in and turns you into tiny toy cars. Then, for some reason, you're forced to race against these friends in order to prevent their souls from being taken by the mystery evildoer. The cutscenes are generic and there's no voice acting, so suffice it to say that the tale adds nothing at all to the game other than to give it some semblance of purpose. The less said about it, the better.
If you're looking for a Gran Turismo or Forza style of racing experience, that's not what you'll find here.
|
Once you're behind the wheel of your tiny racer, the action is fast, frantic, and frequently random. After all, these aren't full-blown vehicles that obey the standard laws of physics; rather, they're small toy cars that will bounce, flop, flip, and otherwise fly around the various levels that make up the circuits you'll find yourself thrown into. It takes some getting used to for sure, but after awhile you'll be able to get comfortable with the fact that winning a race is less reliant upon your sublime driving skills and rather your ability to avoid too many catastrophes at once. To help you in your quest are all sorts of power ups, such as speed boosts, ice cubes (to freeze up your opponents, rendering them unable to move for a few moments), lightning bolts (to blow up various obstacles), and so on. These can and will help more often than not, although clearly the turbo boosts and ice cube blasts are much more effective than any others.
You will wrestle with the controls and handling for awhile, simply because these vehicles have very little weight or mass, and seemingly get tossed around with the wind. This is all part of the game's dynamics, though, so if you're looking for a Gran Turismo or Forza style of racing experience, that's not what you'll find here. Keep thinking of how easily the path of your real-life Hot Wheels were altered back in the day, and you'll start to understand how these cars handle.
There are three sets of five races apiece – bronze, silver, and gold – in a total of three parts of the house. Once you finish in first place in the bronze races, silvers open up, and so on. It's not readily apparent what the differences are between the various levels, as I didn't have too much harder of a time on gold than on silver (especially since by then I had somewhat gotten the hang of controlling my mini die cast racer). Each race offers up the chance for a practice without any negative repercussions, set some records on time trials, and unlock new tracks and cars (and advance the story) with the Soul Race. These are where you're on the line to finish in first in order to prevent your friends from being taken by our evil hooded enemy (sorry for the story reference…that's the last one).
The first 15 of the 45 tracks – made up of circuits in bathrooms, kitchens, playrooms, attics, basements, and such – are the least entertaining, and may in fact turn off particularly demanding racers. However, by the time you reach the second tier, the fun factor increases significantly, as the raceways become much more layered with ramps, flips, and such. Naturally, as the tracks move from flat surfaces to spatial planes, there are a lot more opportunities for disaster. This means that you'll be hitting the “reset” button quite a bit, especially as a few last-place finishes will make your compatriots disappear into the ether and eventually force you to start back at the beginning of the game.
Its budget price, interesting later-level track design, and toy-cars-as-hot-rod gameplay elevate Pocket Racers from a wannabe to a decent competitor in a crowded PSP racer marketplace. Sure, the story is virtually incomprehensible and the graphics are mediocre – but there is something to be said for getting behind the wheel of a supercharged Hot Wheel and tearing through your house at microscopic levels. I won't kid you and say that it's the best vehicular title on the platform, but there's some decent action to be had behind the wheel of this one. Just do us all a favor and pretend that the story doesn't exist – trust me, you're better off that way.
|
