Reviewed: March 1, 2007
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
THQ

Developer
Rainbow Studios

Released: November 19, 2006
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2
ESRB: Everyone

7
7
7
7
7.0

Supported Features:

Cars is one such game, and it probably doesn’t hurt that it’s based on what, in my opinion, is one of the best animated tales of all time. And much like the movie, this is one game that will appeal to gamers of all ages. My younger niece and nephew had a great time playing it and so did their 42-year old uncle.

Cars has all the classic ingredients; charming characters, professional voice acting, stunning graphics right from Pixar, and some truly inspired gameplay that blends puzzles, adventure, action, and pure racing. Players can even pick from the Full Story or a Compact mode targeted toward the younger drivers out there.

You’ll play as Lightning McQueen, starting off in Radiator Springs where you get to explore the town and surrounding areas as well as engage in all sorts of challenge races and even hunt down some missing postcards. Once you hook up with Mator you’ll get to go tractor-tipping, which is probably the most fun I’ve had in a stealth mission since Splinter Cell.

You’re guided through the multi-chapter story through a series of goals and race events you can do in any order you choose. Once complete, new chapters and new areas become available. It’s a pretty clever system that keeps you in certain sections of a very large map through natural obstacles or manmade ones like a road that is under construction preventing you from going into the desert.

There are lighting bolt pick-ups scattered about the levels as well as dozens of missing postcards you must located to complete one of the larger missions that spreads across the entire game. These postcards represent the hardest challenge in the entire game since they are hidden under bridges, in caves, and on the highest mushroom mesa. Getting these requires some very tricky jumping puzzles.

You’ll acquire numerous trophy points that track your progress through the story. These lead to major racing events on actual tracks and it all leads up to the Piston Cup. The big race events are usually not that difficult to win, but they do offer a really fun and interactive pit crew mini-game where you have to match button-presses to changes tires, clean the window, etc.

There are 30 mini-games that offer some of the more memorable moments in the game. You’ll get to chase down speeders as the Sheriff, or compete in a military obstacle course, race Mator backwards, or try some dirt racing with crazy jumps and even crazier powerslides. As you complete these games within the story they are unlocked for future replays in the other game modes.

The big hook for the Wii is the motion control and the designers have managed to work in some competent vehicle controls that allow you to steer by tilting the Wii-mote and jump by lifting it up. It's pretty natural and actually quite fun. Gas and brake controls are amiss with the gas being on 2 and the brakes assigned to A while boost is activated with the 1 button. Since drifting requires the use of the D-pad and your finger is already being used to brake (A) it makes things awkward and even worse, you cannot reassign any of the controls.

If you aren't comfortable with the motion control steering you can hook-up the nunchuk and use the analog stick to steer and flick the Wii-mote to jump. There are also some clever motion control elements worked into the various mini-games, especially the pit stops during the big races.

The map is huge, even when you are initially restricted to certain zones, but when the game is over and you can go back and just free drive, it can take you a good 15-20 minutes of real time to go from one end of the map to the other, and the scenery is breathtaking. Remember that movie moment where Lightning comes out of the tunnel and sees the giant waterfall and the pine trees? The game captures that moment with perfect clarity. The overall draw distance isn't as long as the 360 but it's comparable to every other system Cars has appeared on.

The HUD and map screen is fun and friendly with a nice overview map that lets you change chapters and access events. The entire presentation of the game has a Cars flavor from entering your name on a license plate to selecting your events from road signs. There are some excellent cutscenes and movies that take the visuals to near film-like quality and seamlessly transition with the game graphics.

Sound effects are excellent with all sorts of engine sounds and environmental noises. There is a fantastic 3D mix that really envelops you as you drive through the desert and scream down Route 66 at 200mph.

The soundtrack is short but oh so sweet, even if it is aimed at gamers my age rather than the kids who are likely to be playing the game. With groups like Los Lobos, Stray Cats, and The Edgar Winter Group, there are 9 licensed tracks that will keep your toes tapping while you race around Radiator Springs and explore the desert.

The multiplayer is great fun, at least for the younger racing audience, offering split-screen racing action for any of the tracks and courses using any of the cars already unlocked during the story mode. Sure, there are better racing games out there with a lot more substance, but they don’t have the charm of Cars.

The motion control is a whole new way to experience this game, but if you already own a previous version it would be hard to recommend a repeat purchase just for this one element. Rent it if you are curious.

Despite these minor glitches, Cars is just plain fun to play, with races, exploration, and even some tactical stealth puzzles, making this truly a game for all ages. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, Cars is a fun diversion for Wii gamers and a hint of things to come for the racing genre.