| Introduction
We've seen Manic Racers before on the GameBoy Color
and anyone who has a home PC or Mac (and you will if
you're reading this) will have encountered many clones
on the Internet. Dirt Biking is hugely popular and has
no trouble packing arenas across the globe. Konami are
obviously aware of this fact and Manic Racers represents
their interpretation of the fun and excitement of this
extreme sport. However, I've yet to play an updated
GBC game that not only improves upon the gameplay but
also warrants the extra price hike. Let's hope Manic
Racers is the title to change all that.
GamePlay
As you'll discover with everything in this title
the gameplay has been kept to the simplest level possible
and the general idea is to win races. These are always
against four other riders who can either be computer
controlled or a link-up option with other people. Getting
from A to B involves jumping over obstacles and utilising
various speed-ups, weapons and traps and that's it.
There's nothing clever or involving about this game,
it is really just arcade biking with none of the Advance
thrills that we've come to expect from a GBA version.
The Advance Mode offers something a little more refreshing;
this option is split into three different mini games
- Bomb Tag, Zombie Attack and Hidden Lab. Bomb Tag is
a little like 'pass the parcel' with the object being
not to be the rider left with the bomb when the timer
runs out. Zombie Attack involves you running down the
undead to gain points before they get you and finally,
Hidden Lab takes place in a destroyed lab where you
must navigate conveyer belts and jump ice blocks while
collecting gold stars.
The most remarkable aspects of this title are the
save and multiplayer options. Saving is very intelligent
as everything is written to a handy battery backup thus
doing away with those irritating fourteen digit pass
codes. The real highlight though is the multiplayer
mode. This is one of the few titles that offer up to
four player action from a single cart. This probably
has a lot to do with the simplicity of the game but
it's nice to see all the same.
Controls
The control system is reasonably simple but as the
whole gaming theme is uncomplicated you expect nothing
less. Predictably the 'A' button controls the acceleration
while the 'B' looks after the nitro and the remaining
shoulder buttons deal with the various weapons on offer.
Graphics
The nature of the gameplay means that there's nothing
outstanding here and the flat 2D environments and riders
remain visually uninspiring throughout the game. There
seems little point in doing a GBA version of a game
if you're not going to improve upon the graphics in
the original, especially when the hardware is backwards
compatible. There are some nice touches such as the
player select screen, but overall this title falls embarrassingly
short of what the GBA is capable of and, what's more,
the minimum a gamer should expect.
Sound & Music
Possibly the highlight of the game is the audio and
from background music to some excellent voice samples
everything seems to be in order. The motorbike sounds
are fantastic and react almost the same as a real bike
with the revs speeding out of control as you're launched
into the air from one of the many ramps.
Final Comments
Unfortunately this title is a disappointment from
the start and it's hard to think of any redeeming features
to justify a recommendation to purchase. Even with four
players from only one copy of the game Manic Racers
just isn't that much fun and if you have session of
more than ten minutes then you're doing very well. As
far as biking goes there are far better titles on the
market, even THQ's Moto GP is much more enjoyable than
this title in almost every department. If there is anything
about this game that makes you think you want to buy
it I'd urge you to try it first. You'll thank me later.
|
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