 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Racing Developer: Rainbow Studios Publisher: THQ |
It should be no surprise that games that are considered to be family friendly don’t get the attention that they deserve. Though video
games started off as something for children, the video game world has become a world for adults, so when a good children’s game
comes out, it is often looked down upon because it doesn’t meet the expectations of the gaming majority. These types of games are
often ignored, which is a problem because great titles like “Cars Mater-National” don’t get the attention that they deserve.
Based on the hit Disney-Pixar film Cars, the game goes beyond the story that is told in the film and follows Lightning McQueen as he
returns to Radiator Springs after the Piston Cup for the Mater-National, an international race that is to be hosted in the small town on
Route 66. As the name os the competition suggested, the race is founded and hosted by the rust tow truck Mater. Players will play
through most of the game as Lightning McQueen, but like everyone else in the game, players need to qualify for the Mater-National. The
qualifying system works in a three tiered system based on collected flags. Players earn flags by participating in races and mini-
games. When enough flags are collected, players will be able to move onto regional races, then onto more locations and the Mater-
National. It is a very tight system and involves some depth.
Each stage players unlock brings new challenges, mini-games, characters and experiences for the players, so they will never know
what they will find around the next corner on the quest to becoming the Mater-National champion. The game uses an open world
system and players find different races and events to participate in, each being unique to the stage that players are in. Each event gets
players closer to the Mater-National, but just because players have unlocked all the locations and won the coveted Mater-National, there
is much more to complete. For players that look toward truly beating the game, there are a total of 350 flags to be collected in races and
mini-games.
The game itself isn’t very difficult and players could beat the game in roughly six hours of playing. However, that isn’t the point of the
game. The game is a lot of fun, especially for kids who enjoyed the film and would like to fully immerse themselves in the world of Cars
is a way different than that of the film. Also, for those who want to break into the racing genre of games slowly, this is a good start.
Another strength of the game is on the sheer amount of ways that players can race within the game. There are relay races, rag races
and even a fuel efficiency race. With so many options in race types, this game is sure to please anyone looking for a fun and child
friendly race game.
Along with the Story Mode that many players will focus on, there is also an Arcade Mode that allows players to pick their favorite Cars
characters and race against either the CPU of their friends. This mode is also very simple and allows anyone in the family to pick up a
controller and start to play instantly. This is also the only opportunity players will have to play the game as any character other than
Lightning McQueen of Mater. Some of the playable characters available in the game are favorites like Doc, Flo, Ramone and more.
Each character features a specific number characteristics and paint jobs to customize the character they choose.
The sound in the game is really good, comparable to that of the first Cars game. The coiceovers are very high quality and feature
celebrity voice over work from Larry the Cable Guy as Mater and Masi Oka, star of the hit television show Heroes, as one of the
Japanese cars in the game. The main problem with the sound in the game comes into play with the music. Although the music by the
Rascal Flatts was great for the movie, it gets pretty annoying after hearing it thousands of times during the game play. There are other
songs that show up occasionally in the play list, but players will only be able to listen to “Life is a Highway” so many times before they
will want to shut off the game because of the music, not the game play.
The controls of the game are the most basic racing game controls. Players use the A button to accelerate, the B button to brake and go
in reverse and the right trigger button for a turbo boost. The good thing is that these controls are the basis for more other racing games,
making this an easy game to pick up and play for anyone. It also works well as a stepping stone to more involved titles. The game
relies on these few basic controls, but players will be happy that it is all they need to learn and memorize.
Although it is obvious from the cover of the game that this is a children’s game, it is a lot of fun for players of all ages. It offers up a
basic racing experience with basic controls, allowing anyone to play. Although no one should expect this to be as high of caliber game
as “Grand Turismo,” it still offers a variety of racing events allowing children and adults to play together without getting too bored. The
open world tournament experience, along with great graphics, sound and controls make this a must have game for any young gamer
who wants to work their way into the racing genre of gaming.
games started off as something for children, the video game world has become a world for adults, so when a good children’s game
comes out, it is often looked down upon because it doesn’t meet the expectations of the gaming majority. These types of games are
often ignored, which is a problem because great titles like “Cars Mater-National” don’t get the attention that they deserve.
Based on the hit Disney-Pixar film Cars, the game goes beyond the story that is told in the film and follows Lightning McQueen as he
returns to Radiator Springs after the Piston Cup for the Mater-National, an international race that is to be hosted in the small town on
Route 66. As the name os the competition suggested, the race is founded and hosted by the rust tow truck Mater. Players will play
through most of the game as Lightning McQueen, but like everyone else in the game, players need to qualify for the Mater-National. The
qualifying system works in a three tiered system based on collected flags. Players earn flags by participating in races and mini-
games. When enough flags are collected, players will be able to move onto regional races, then onto more locations and the Mater-
National. It is a very tight system and involves some depth.
Each stage players unlock brings new challenges, mini-games, characters and experiences for the players, so they will never know
what they will find around the next corner on the quest to becoming the Mater-National champion. The game uses an open world
system and players find different races and events to participate in, each being unique to the stage that players are in. Each event gets
players closer to the Mater-National, but just because players have unlocked all the locations and won the coveted Mater-National, there
is much more to complete. For players that look toward truly beating the game, there are a total of 350 flags to be collected in races and
mini-games.
The game itself isn’t very difficult and players could beat the game in roughly six hours of playing. However, that isn’t the point of the
game. The game is a lot of fun, especially for kids who enjoyed the film and would like to fully immerse themselves in the world of Cars
is a way different than that of the film. Also, for those who want to break into the racing genre of games slowly, this is a good start.
Another strength of the game is on the sheer amount of ways that players can race within the game. There are relay races, rag races
and even a fuel efficiency race. With so many options in race types, this game is sure to please anyone looking for a fun and child
friendly race game.
Along with the Story Mode that many players will focus on, there is also an Arcade Mode that allows players to pick their favorite Cars
characters and race against either the CPU of their friends. This mode is also very simple and allows anyone in the family to pick up a
controller and start to play instantly. This is also the only opportunity players will have to play the game as any character other than
Lightning McQueen of Mater. Some of the playable characters available in the game are favorites like Doc, Flo, Ramone and more.
Each character features a specific number characteristics and paint jobs to customize the character they choose.
The sound in the game is really good, comparable to that of the first Cars game. The coiceovers are very high quality and feature
celebrity voice over work from Larry the Cable Guy as Mater and Masi Oka, star of the hit television show Heroes, as one of the
Japanese cars in the game. The main problem with the sound in the game comes into play with the music. Although the music by the
Rascal Flatts was great for the movie, it gets pretty annoying after hearing it thousands of times during the game play. There are other
songs that show up occasionally in the play list, but players will only be able to listen to “Life is a Highway” so many times before they
will want to shut off the game because of the music, not the game play.
The controls of the game are the most basic racing game controls. Players use the A button to accelerate, the B button to brake and go
in reverse and the right trigger button for a turbo boost. The good thing is that these controls are the basis for more other racing games,
making this an easy game to pick up and play for anyone. It also works well as a stepping stone to more involved titles. The game
relies on these few basic controls, but players will be happy that it is all they need to learn and memorize.
Although it is obvious from the cover of the game that this is a children’s game, it is a lot of fun for players of all ages. It offers up a
basic racing experience with basic controls, allowing anyone to play. Although no one should expect this to be as high of caliber game
as “Grand Turismo,” it still offers a variety of racing events allowing children and adults to play together without getting too bored. The
open world tournament experience, along with great graphics, sound and controls make this a must have game for any young gamer
who wants to work their way into the racing genre of gaming.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
