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 C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 
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  Excitebots: Trick Racing
System: Nintendo Wii Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Monster Games Retail Price: $39.99 Release Date: April 20, 2009 ESRB Rating: Everyone Players: 1-2 (2-6 via WiiConnect24)
Back in 2006, one of the Wii's launch titles was "Excite Truck" - a loose reinterpretation of the NES classic "ExciteBike" (and in turn, Nintendo 64's "ExciteBike 64"). The game was fairly good, but unfortunately, seemed to have gotten lost among the excitement of heavy hitters "Wii Sports" and "The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess." I am assuming the game sold well enough to warrant this sequel, entitled "Excitebots: Trick Racing." Or maybe this sequel is an attempt as a relaunch of the franchise, since I get the feeling younger gamers are going to gravitate more toward robots-as-cars-shaped-as-animals than trucks. "Excitebots: Trick Racing" is more-or-less your typical slightly over-the-top, arcade-style racer featuring exotic terrain for courses and nothing technical when it comes to the controls. You pick your "bot" - animal-shaped cars that look like a frog, turtle, ladybug (among others) - and race against 5 other bots. But while coming in first is nice, it's not exactly the goal: the chief objective is to earn stars - mainly enough so the player can move onto the next course. You do earn bonus stars based on your placement at the end of the race, but the bulk of earning stars come from pulling off tricks: drifting, gliding, jumping and also hitting certain items. Of course, levels get more difficult and trickier as they go on - and the number of stars you need to earn grows. Monster Games is the developer behind "Excitebots," and was also the team behind "Excite Truck." Both games feel pretty similar, as the focus on performing tricks is largely the same. With that said, this sequel is largely unchanged when it comes to gameplay. Since "Excite Truck" was entertaining and playable the first time around, this is largely a good thing. But those expecting new innovations in the sequel might be a bit disappointed. But when it comes to performing tricks and earning stars, it seems that there is greater variety and even play with the animal shapes of the vehicles. Different colored bars for the bots to spin on is a way to earn stars, as is ramming rival vehicles. Bots can also balance themselves on rails, as well as hit certain boxes and triggers. Item boxes reveal weapons to help earn more stars, sports triggers reveal a sports item (bowling pins, football, soccer ball or baseball) to hit and play with and question marks change the shape of the course to give the racer a chance to pull off more standard tricks. The tricks are a lot of fun to pull off, and the variety among them is rather satisfying. It also keeps the races from being unpredictable, and definitely sets the game apart from your usual racer. Again, it's not always about getting to be first - so that means right when you start, you better start pulling off tricks and earning stars. And true to its name, the "Excite" part of the title comes from the turbo boost. It's always at hand to use, and is crucial to use in races and tricks, but use too much and you're engine will burn out. It requires some balance, and certainly adds another layer to the gameplay. Also adding is the diversity of the bot-cars. Some are faster than others, some have better use of the boost, etc. - all of which makes a difference when performing tricks. It's nice to experiment with the cars in races and see which is the best fit, as each one really does make a difference. The overall track design in the game is solid - the courses are clever and inventive when it comes to pulling off tricks, as well as the placement of triggers and bars. Naturally, the more you play through the courses the more you'll get a better of grasp of where to pull off certain tricks. The controls are a key part to "Excitebots" success, and thankfully, they're pretty wonderful and sturdy. The game is played only using the Wii remote. It's held horizontal to steer, and definitely gives you the feeling of controlling a vehicle. Tilting and "circling" with the remote to perform tricks is a natural extension, and only extends this immersive experience. Personally though, I prefer the Wii Wheel (not available when "Excite Truck" was released). In a way, it adds to the realism of the driving and feels more natural (probably because of the grip of the wheel) - and is a bit more fun if you ask me. The button-based controls, of course, are the same on each configuration: 2 is used for gas and 1 is used for brake or reverse. The B button is hit the turbo, and A is use to items you pick up. The Wii remote, like in "Excite Truck," works just fine. But if you have the Wheel, I'd recommend using it. (For an additional 10 dollars on top of the game's retail price, you can get a Wii wheel packed in.) In all, these are simple controls - the motion and button-based that really make good use of what the Wii is known for. As far as the different game modes, "Excite Race" is the main mode, where the player begins with one Cup race - consisting of four or five tracks - before moving to the next. "Poker Race" is a mode you can unlock, and presents an interesting premise where you collect cards to form poker hands while racing. The poker fad might have died awhile ago, but it's still an intriguing twist on racing. There are also 10 mini-games one or two players can play. On top of all this is the unlockables. It may not exactly rival "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", but there are new paint jobs, stickers and cars to earn and collect. Some of the extra modes from "Excite Truck" did not make it back, which is okay, as there's more than enough here for players to chew on. Thankfully the gameplay in "Excitebots" is enjoyable and has a fair amount of depth, because even though the Wii's graphical prowess can't compete with Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, the game's visuals are pretty underwhelming and far from exciting. (No pun intended, I swear.) "Excite Truck" wasn't the prettiest to look at either, but I can't help but feel that "Exciteots" is a small step up from your average Nintendo 64 game (minus the blockiness). The game's colors are bold enough, but the details on the tracks look pretty sparse and generic. Unfortunately, there's no real visual pizzaz to further enliven the fast-paced gameplay - the game seriously is reminiscent of the Midway "Rush" and "Thunder" racing series. The sound is similarly bland and inoffensive as well. The sound effects are fine if unspectacular, but the music is soft and unmemorable. The audio/visuals of the games are probably the most disappointing part of the game. If there's a third installment in this series, I hope Monster Games tries to up the ante in these departments. But kudos to Nintendo for including WiiConnect24 features with "Excitebots." Up to six people can participate in a regular race, or a Poker Race online. You can play against your friends, or race against random players - and even bet on yourself to earn unlockable items. A typical but still nice touch is exchanging replays and challenges with your friends. "Excitebots: Trick Racing" is not the most polished racer out there, and with it's arcade-style feel, will certainly not appeal to those looking for a more realistic driving simulation. And while the game largely plays the same as its predecessor, "Excite Truck," it still a very entertaining and appealing experience - now enhanced with the Wii Wheel and the ability to race online. The bonuses - such as the poker racing and unlockables - are just icing on the cake. The game's emphasis on trick performance lends it more depth and experimentation than some might realize, and also adds to its replay value as far as practicing tricks and learning the courses. For those looking for a fun and overly solid alternative racer between "Mario Kart" sessions, look no further than "Excitebots."
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