Developer: Infogrames Publisher: Infogrames Release: 2000 Genre: Racing
It is pretty surprising that during the Dreamcast’s short life it built up a respectable library of kart racers. After the insane success of Mario Kart 64 the development community were keen to capitalize on the genre it established and Sega’s little machine reaped the benefit. The most interesting of the bunch is Wacky Races, a title based on a decades old license that I am sure most have never heard of. But despite its obscurity Wacky Races makes for a good time provided you can tolerate its AI.
Although it may seem strange to pull such an obscure license it makes sense. The Wacky Races is practically a kart racer in cartoon form. In the short lived show 11 teams made motley characters compete in one giant race across America. With their various gimmicks, esoteric vehicles, and outrageous weapons I would not be surprised if it had some inspiration on the genre. The game does not follow the exact format but is close. It comes with a load of content but gets in its own way thanks to aggressive rubberbanding. If you can overlook that this is a great game.
The production values are why this game originally received attention and it delivers for the most part. The original cartoon had that distinct Hanna-Barbera look from the 60s and the developers have delivered just that. As one of the earliest cel shaded games Wacky Races eschews highly detailed textures for a simpler flat shaded look with harsh outlines. It works well to replicate the look of the cartoon and its simplicity also enables the game to hit a somewhat consistent framerate. Unfortunately there are frequent dips whenever weapons are used as most racers are always clustered together. The game becomes a framey mess at that point as it tries to navigate the chaos.
The sound design is also remarkable. There is an announcer who gives full commentary throughout the race that adds to the atmosphere. Eventually his lines do become repetitive however that is a minor complaint. Every racer has unique lines that make references to the show and while I doubt they are the original voice actors (as if I would remember) they add a nice touch. The cast is large with over twenty characters so this is no small task. Kudos to the developers for going all in for what would ordinarily be a throwaway title at most publishers.
Wacky Races makes a strong first impression. Initially there are eight competitors to choose from and they pilot a weird assortment of vehicles. They have managed to retain the personality of each vehicle to make them look and feel distinct. The Ant Hill Mob drive the Bullet Proof Bomb but it is too small for all of them with half of the crew hanging outside. Peter Perfect’s Turbo Terrific bends and contorts into each turn. The coolest is Convert-a-Car which transforms on the fly depending on the terrain. Each car is rated in three categories and has three unique weapons giving them even more character. The three bosses are unlocked after defeating them in the game’s campaign for a solid 11 member cast.
There is a wealth of content but you have to unlock most of it. The Wacky Races is similar to Diddy Kong Racing in that it uses a hub world to access its four sub-worlds. At first only track challenge is available. These are simple races that award gold stars for coming in first. Although you can enter the worlds in any order most tracks require a minimum number of stars to enter, forcing you to wander back and forth. With enough stars you will unlock further challenges, from a standard point based cup to multiplayer and time trial. I can see why it is set up this way to encourage replay value but I do feel most would prefer choosing the content they want from the start. This is especially important as the game’s difficulty is a big barrier.
How much of Wacky Races’ content you see depends on your tolerance for rubberbanding. The game’s catch up mechanics are egregiously bad. Regardless of the car the computer is always a few steps behind. If you break away from the pack know that you are one sloppy turn means ending up in last place. The AI is not smart as they all move in one group with no one taking the lead for long. They are aggressive at picking up weapon tokens leaving you worse off. Because the rubberbanding is high only the last few seconds matter and even a speed boost doesn’t guarantee victory. This one “feature” impacts the game significantly and depending on your preference ruins it or makes it more exciting. I was able to deal with it but the game would be so much better without it.
In Closing
The Wacky Races is better than I thought it would be and a good if flawed game. The fact that I was able to stomach its rubberband AI speaks volumes as I normally tune out otherwise. But the great course design, variety of characters and overall package kept me coming back. I give this one a solid recommendation.
