Developer: Electronic Arts Publisher: EA/Paradigm Release: 03/24/99 Genre: Racing
This one has been a long time coming. I remember Beetle Adventure Racing receiving glowing reviews in the games press at the time. But I only played it once and said I would get back to it one day. Of course I did not think one day would be twenty-five years later but such is life. Now that I have played the game extensively I can see why there was so much hype. This is a fantastic game, one that was surprising me at every turn and the very definition of a hidden gem. I know the Nintendo 64 has a glut of racing games but trust me you will want to make time for this one.
Beetle Adventure Racing was initially a Nintendo 64 version of Need for Speed. The series was undergoing a bit of a renaissance after the release of the excellent Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit and High Stakes. But the timely signing of a deal to create a game around the Volkswagen New Beetle led to a change in plan. While it is an odd choice to base a game around a singular vehicle it makes the game distinct. The goofy cars give the game personality. It also helps that the game itself is fantastic. They made the right choice.
As the title suggests the Volkswagen Beetle is the only car you will drive in the game. There are multiple different models created exclusively for this game for a bit of variety thankfully although they naturally look a bit similar. All cars have ratings in speed, handling and acceleration and the differences are tangible. Regardless of which car you choose the controls and physics are fantastic. This is an arcade racer through and through meaning it is simple to power slide around corners thanks to the physics model employed. This is where the game shows its Need for Speed roots the most although it is faster than those titles. The learning curve with the controls is low allowing novices to navigate the courses like a pro in little time.
The structure of the single player campaign is similar to other racing games. In Championship you compete against seven other drivers, earning points for placement to win each individual cup. As you progress through the three cups (novice, advanced, professional) you unlock extra cars and tracks. Due to the length of the tracks each cup is mercifully only four races long. Although it sounds short it is a godsend in practice. The difficulty is near perfect; rubber banding is low and due to the duration of each race you can easily recover from critical mistakes. You will still have to work for it, especially on the professional circuit but it is worth it and an enjoyable process the entire time.
Beyond its choice of vehicles the track design is the star of Beetle Adventure Racing. Each course is absolutely massive with laps taking close to five minutes to complete. There are dozens of shortcuts and alternate paths in each course. Some you stumble upon by accident. Most are obvious and only require a detour to reach. But there are many that force you to be adventurous and take risks. Many of these are so cleverly hidden it is astounding. You will often come out of a turn and see a route that was not obvious previously and ponder how to reach it. The way the various routes connect is nothing short of brilliant. I have played each track multiple times and am still astounded to find secrets that I was not aware of before. Because of this there are only six campaign tracks but considering their density I cannot complain.
The maps are not large for the sake of it. The reason for the numerous paths is the mountain of boxes littering the tracks. Bonus boxes grant points, with fifty granting a continue. If you can somehow find all the boxes for 100 points you unlock a new multiplayer beetle arena. But there is more. Flower boxes are the most difficult to find. These are so rare you would never know they exist if I did not tell you. There are three in each level and these unlock cheats. The game has a laundry list of cheats to play with from a sound test to extra options for multiplayer. One cool feature is using the time trial as practice to locate these extras then unlock them in championship. The cheats and such add longevity to the game but there is also an extensive multiplayer mode too.
Beetle Battle Mode basically turns the game in to Mario Kart. In this capture the flag battle for four players the objective is to find ladybugs scattered around the arena before your opponents and reach the exit. Unlike the championship there are many weapons such as mines and rockets to bludgeon your friends for supremacy. There are nine exclusive arenas and most of the unlockable cheats pertain to this mode. The single player campaign by itself provides hours of entertainment. Battle Mode puts the game over the top and makes this a complete package.
In Closing
I cannot say enough good things about this game. Beetle Adventure Racing is one of the N64’s best racing games and an essential purchase in my opinion. On a system drowning in racing games it rises to the top with great track design, good production values, and enough features and modes to give it longevity. The only bad thing I can say is that it will probably never be re-released which is a bummer. Do not let that stop you from seeking out this awesome game however.
