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Lego Racers - In the Spotlight
(by Gaming Entertainment Monthly - 09/12/99)

There are some childhood's toys that bring back fond memories when just their names are mentioned. Anybody in the past has probably played with Lincoln Logs or maybe Legos as a child. Now the companies that created these toys have realized that you can make money if they port these toys to the computer. When Lego Creator came out a while back, it was in the top ten PC list for almost a whole year. Lego Media saw a gold mine and are now are bringing several different Lego games this year this fall. Lego Media brings us another Lego title, but this time around it is being created for the PC and the Console (PSX, N64). This Lego game is a go-kart racing game, but this is more than just the routine kart racing game that have come out lately that just are apparent clones. Lego Racers attempts to create a racing game that everyone young and old will enjoy and brings some magic to a field that is getting overcrowded.

Lego Racers is created as a 3D only game and will require that you have a 3D Acceleration card in order to play the game. This will take advantage of either Direct3D or 3DFX, so as long as you have any 3D card, you'll be fine. The game doesn't grant you the ability in the game to change the resolution on the fly. Lego Racers automatically checks to see what 3D Acceleration you have on the computer as long as you have the latest version of Direct X and video drivers as the game will run smoothly on just about any computer. If you've purchased a computer in the last two years, you'll easily pass the requirements to play Lego Racers on your computer.

While GEM did get a hands-on test of the PC version of Lego Racers, it should be noted that Lego Racer plays like a console-based racing game. There is nothing incongruous with playing a console game on the PC as long as the company who develops the game gets it right. High Voltage Software are the developers behind Lego Racer who manage to get the mix just right and not putting in any annoying console problems while playing
the PC version.

Lego Racers was meant to entertain children who always liked shiny objects. The colors and graphics in Lego Racers are bright and colorful that will show the sparkle and glitter in the creation of the game. While at times the colors will be blaring, you need to remember this is a kid's game. The design of the tracks are simplistic but as you put time into the game you do notice that the developer's wanted to create magic around each corner. There are active waterfalls during some tracks and some active scenery in the background like a pirate ship that shoots cannonballs onto the track during the pirate track and UFO's that will fly around the track while racing in outer space.

The premise behind Lego Racers is that you create your own Lego Car then drive it on different tracks against other racers. Once you start, you can choice immediately to race or you can start to create your own Lego racer and car. When you decide to build your racer, you start by choosing the head/hair, the type of face, the body and the torso/legs for own Lego character. If you want, you can choice different pre-built characters by clicking on "mix". Once created, you get to name your racer with it's own personal license and can change the snapshot photo expression of the racer.

Once you've created the character, it's now time to go to the garage. You are given a plain vanilla car and you can build to what ever your imagination desires. When you first start, you can create your car using three different Lego themes as each Lego theme has about thirty different pieces. You can interchange pieces between themes and can unlock expand the amount of themes sets once you begin racing on the circuits. Your car you've begun creating on couldn't be easier. You just go to the theme you want then select the piece you want to place on the car. You can rotate the Lego piece and if the piece will fit or can be placed there, you will see the piece going in a downward motion. You can rotate the car to any angle you desire to try to get the most desired camera angle when creating your car. You use your mouse or your keypad to move and rotate the Lego piece into place on the Lego car. Once you've decided where you want to place the Lego piece, you just simply drop it by pressing on the icon to snap the Lego into place. If you rather just race than use the creative side of your brain, you can just click on "quick build" and can choice between two pre-built cars for each of the themes.

Once you've created your car you can take the car for a test drive around two tracks that are interconnected. You can journey around in an oval with small ramps in the middle of the track. You can go to another track by passing through a hallway and drive in a rigged oval track with jagged corners. This will give you chance to test out you car. Unlike some of the hardcore racing games, however, your design of your car won't help or hurt you severally while racing on the track. You can overload the car with decals and blocks or you can make it a lightweight car. What matters when you take your car out on to the track is learning how to maneuver it.

When you're done with building your car, Lego Racers auto-saves your creation. When you start to race you can choice between single racing, circuit racing, time racing or head-to-head mode. When you first start, you can only select four out of the twelve possible tracks. Lego Racers does give you the ability to race on twelve different tracks and all of the tracks are based on real life Lego sets including Space, Pirates, Adventures and Castle play themes. You must finish third or higher overall in a circuit in order to unlock other circuits.

Circuit racing has one goal, which is to unlock all six circuits and attempt to take on Rocker Racer, the meanest toughest Lego racer on the block. A certain pre-built Lego character created from Lego themes that has some unique attribute hosts each one of the circuits. Each of the circuits consists of four of the twelve possible tracks in the entire game. As you move on, some of the tracks will be mirrored. Everyone one of the tracks have a secret pathway that you can use to take a detour in the race. The secret pathway is usually obvious, and at other times you will need to destroy a barrier to open up the secret passage. If you complete first place on a circuit overall you win the Lego theme set of that circuit.

In the head-to-head mode you play in a split mode type. Lego Media has said that there will not be an Internet/Modem/LAN multiplayer version in this game. While it might disappoint a few people, this game isn't really meant to be played over the 'net. The split mode allows one to use a gamepad (Microsoft Sidewinder works perfectly in this game) and another to use a keyboard. The single race mode allows you test and practice tracks or you can race for the best time and brag about the best time in the time mode.

The controls of Lego Racers are simplistic to use for anybody to get into once you begin racing. You do have the capability to configure your controller and can map out the keys or buttons. It is preferred you use a gamepad for this game with at least seven buttons on the pad. While it has the obvious forward and acceleration, the other buttons are used to help in doing tight turns and look behind your back. The handling of the karts in Lego Racer plays almost exactly like the karts in Mario Kart 64 and most other console kart games. You can turn, skid and maneuver easily but it does take a couple races to understand how to fully control your kart. Once you start understanding the in and outs of Lego Racers, you'll never look back. It should be mentioned that you do have four different cameras that you can change on the fly while racing: first person, behind the back, overhead and eagle-eye.

When you do get onto the track, the most important thing is going after the power-up blocks. There are numerous blocks on the track. The blocks are color coded as red, blue, yellow & green. The red block is meant for offensive, the blue is for defensive, the yellow is for creating distractions, and the green is to give you a turbo boost. There are also multi-color blocks all throughout the track that upgrades your power-up abilities and you can pick up to three multi-color blocks. Once you've picked up three blocks, your power-up block will be the most effective. The power-up blocks are all over the track, usually in a row of two to four in a vertical line. Once you pick up a block, another auto-generates in its place with a couple seconds.

Lego Racers AI is a serious challenge for many people, even for a game marketed for kids. As you move on to tougher circuits the host of the circuit become almost impossible to catch up. This is where the replay value of the game shows up in the game. It's the common replay value of practice, practice, and practice. In the current version we got to test out, you don't have the capability in the options to adjust the skill level to make it easier for the younger audience. You can change the amount of laps and racers in the game, but this is only in single race mode. Experienced racers will enjoy the challenge, but this it might bum the youngin' after a while.

If Mario Kart 64 ever came to the PC, this game would be it. I have played a lot go-kart games and a lot of them usually have a large gapping design flaw, being track design or graphics that made the game monotonous within a couple hours. While playing Lego Racers for a couple hours, I just couldn't put the controller down. I got hit with the "just one more game" syndrome which indicates that this game is just a blast to play.

Lego Media is bringing to the market a magnificent go-kart game that will be a hit with the families who have children. While the media have been honing on violent games, this is a refreshing change for all people who want a game that will be non-violent and will definitely keep the kids tied up for hours. While the box says it's for anyone ages 6 and up, I would say anyone between ages 4-14 would treasure this game. This fall, if your kids are bugging for Mario Kart 64 or Diddy Kart 64, or just want an alternative racing game, or if you kids love Legos. Heck, just go purchase this game if you have kids. The kids will cheer in delight while they're glued to the screen and you can read the latest New-York Best Seller novel while they are distracted. Who knows the possibility, you might even get sucked into the game yourself.

by Gaming Entertainment Monthly

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