In 1991,
Codemasters thought that it would be great idea to publish a game based on
those cute little cars from the Micro Machines toys franchise. And they hit the
spot right in the middle!
After the
huge success on the NES, Sega Megadrive and Amiga, the DOS version was
inevitable. It came three years later, in 1994, and was only available in
Europe featuring improved graphics and some awesome groovy music and sound
effects. This particular version was developed by Big Red Software, the same
guys that, two years later, made the crazy DOS exclusive title Big Red Racing
that I’ve already reviewed. If you missed it, just click on the rectangle shown
on your screen.
From the
kitchen table to the children’s playground, from the pool table to the
bathroom, etc, etc, Micro Machines will have you discover many different
tracks, each one more difficult than the other, that you’ll eventually master
using normal or even peculiar tiny vehicles to do so. There’s race cars,
helicopters, tanks, dune buggies and even boats to use, each one in their
special strange and, at the same time, familiar environment, in which you must navigate
your way around obstacles such as sandcastles, coffee mugs and pot plants
whilst navigating jumps set up using books and the like whilst sticking to a
makeshift track painted onto the floor in chalk.
If, in your
childhood, you used to play with toy cars around the house, you’ll be awfully
attracted to this game! Even today, it happens to me!
Different
options are available. If you play against the computer you’ll have to choose
three opponents that are very different from each other, with their personal
strengths and weaknesses. Nice touch! You can also play against a friend on the
same computer. You and your buddy have 4 lives each and you will try to go as
fast as you can so that your mate will be behind you and, consequently, ends up
crossing the boundaries of the screen losing, for that matter, one of his
precious 4 lives. This makes the game more tense and exciting!
Bear in
mind: to win a race you need to know the course. There’s no room for wimps in
this game, as you attempt to barge your opponents into track-side obstacles or
off the track altogether and several of the courses were designed with this in
mind.
Controlling
the different types of vehicle is extremely fun. Its handling is responsive and
varies from one vehicle to the next, adding yet further longevity.
It is also
possible to play Micro Machines hooking up two computers using a modem through
a telephone connection or even using a null modem cable.
The in game
atmosphere is also extremely enjoyable with nice music and a ton of sound effects
on jumps, crossing the finish line, skidding, crashing, you name it!
This game
only needs 1 megabyte of hard disk space. If you don’t have that 1 megabyte
available, just play it directly from a 3.5 inch floppy disk by clicking on the
executable file. It may be a small game in size, but huge on quality of
gameplay and production.
Micro
Machines is an addictive top-down racing game that captivates your attention
for hours. So be prepared! It is a wonderfully simple game with a brilliant
concept that can, even today, be enjoyed by all age groups.
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