Excitebots: Trick Racing Review (Nintendo Wii)

When a game uses words like “Excite” and “Super” in the actual game title, you may begin to suspect that the publisher is covering up a lack of just that with boisterous lingo. ExciteBots: Trick Racing makes no such false claim. The moment you enter your first race, you will be filled with exactly what the cover proclaims. Excitement. And, surprisingly, no matter how wacky this game may appear, that feeling of excitement will never fade.

First off, if you’re in the market for a realistic racing game and will have nothing to do with anything else, then this review is not for you. ExciteBots uses outlandish vehicles represented by animals like frogs, bats, grasshoppers and even the praying mantis. Each Animal Bot has its own set of plusses and minuses based off the animal. You’ll get a an even-keeled average character in the Grasshopper Bot, then have a fast-paced out-of-control drifter with the Bat Bot. It’s all absurd fun, that will have you glued to your Wii-mote. Gameplay involves high-flying jumps, outrageous mini-games with evil clowns and even transformations that would make the Optimus Prime and the Autobots jealous.

ExciteBots is an extremely fast past paced racing game, that is only more fun with use of the Wii Wheel. If you played Excite Truck before, you’ll immediately find the controls in this title more responsive - kicking up your enjoyment level several notches. Unlike most racing games, where the main goal of the game is to finish in first place, ExciteBots incorporates a star system to make every “trick” you perform in the race weight just as heavily as crossing the finish line. Performing amazing aerial stunts and drifts will earn you stars. The better the stunt, the more stars you get. There is one stunt, however, that you will either love or hate. Once per lap, a horizontal-glowing-red bar will appear in mid-air, and your Bot will sprout an arm to grab hold of it. Once it does, you have to move the Wii-mote in a circular motion towards you (not left and right like steering). You need to make sure your motion is in tune with your Bot, or you’ll end up losing all the speed you gained. Perform the rotation correctly and you’ll be rewarded with several stars and an added aerial-speed boost. At the end of the race, the racer with the most stars wins.

Stars count for more than just winning the race. As you earn more stars, you’ll be able to spend those stars to buy new vehicles, add new colors to your existing vehicles, or dress your Grasshopper Bot up like a cow. It’s really that zany. Several of the unlockables require what may feel like an infinite amount of stars, but the game has no shortage on fun, so you’ll just keep plugging through it. More stars can be earned through online racing via the Wii Network. You can either challenge friends, by grabbing their console ID or engage in a six-vehicle race with other gamers on the network. This is the best way to rack up the stars, as you wager stars based on how well you think you will perform. If you wager 1,000 stars and win, you will find yourself with an additional 1,000 stars. However, if you lose, those stars are history.

Since we’re on the subject of the online gaming, it’s only fair to say that there is absolutely no lag in gameplay when racing online. I was pleasantly surprised and stunned by this. The development of ExciteBots is just that rock solid. With such fast paced gameplay, you’d expect to find some measure of flicker and frame rate problem. Try as you might, you won’t find any frame flaw in this well-polished Wii release. The only thing that ExciteBots online could have benefited from is the use of Wii-speak. With a game like this you will be compelled to trash talk. Unfortunately, without Wii-speak, your rants will fall on deaf ears.

ExciteBots: Trick Racing is filled with several mini-games that are worth mentioning. During each race, you’ll run across question mark boxes, like Mario Kart. Each question mark starts up one of the several mini-games on each board. In one instance you may receive a dart, then have to press the A-button to launch it at the BullsEye. While, on another occasion you will get a pie and need to throw it at an evil clown. There is also a soccer ball, and bowling pins to bolster the fun. Just make sure you don’t focus your attention on the mini-game and crash mid-race. If you do, you will need to shake your Wii-mote to get back on track. There is also a wrench item that you can pick up to transform your four-wheeler into a biped. You tilt the Wii-Mote left and right for each footstep, as you become an invincible two-legged Bot. Yes. You’ll become invincible, like Mario touching a star, while stomping over trees and other cars on your way to victory.

Standard races are in the Excite Race circuit. But, you will also be able to play in the Poker Race circuit. The gameplay here is very basic, but still overwhelmingly fun. Instead of getting your typical wacky mini-game during the race, you will be dealt a poker hand. During each leg of the race you can swap out cards in your hand with cards that appear on the racetrack. Then you press the A-button to get points in exchange for the cards in your hand. One pair will earn you a few stars, while flushes and straights can earn you thirty-one stars. This added variety is an instant pleasure to gamers who have hopped on Poker Tournament craze.

One major drawback, and it’s sad to see it, in ExciteBots is that local multiplayer only goes up to two players split screen. I’m not sure why any multiplayer like this would opt out of having a 4-way split screen, but I’m guessing they had their reasons.

You’ve got several different maps available, from the desert to snow-capped mountains for variety. But, nothing in the landscapes are truly memorable to separate one from another. Also, the music and sound effects feel like a refugees from 16-bit gaming. Even though I was so caught up in the game that I didn’t notice sound, I think a more intense score would have easily boosted the value of this title. But trust me, this game will give you and your friends so much enjoyment that you’ll forgive Nintendo for overlooking the sound on this one.

ExciteBots: Trick Racing is the premiere racing title for 2009. Your adrenaline levels won’t go down for an instant as you drive, fly and stomp your way to victory in this awesomely wacky game. You may spend months trying to unlock new items. But, who cares? ExciteBots is one game that defines the good value genre and belongs on any gamers shelf.