The N64 finally gets a kick ass racing game! This game mixes the best elements of Diddy Kong Racing, San Francisco Rush and even Goldeneye to bring you one of the most enjoyable racing games available on any system. If you like fun, you'll LOVE this game!
All I can say is WOW. This game has been heaven sent from the talented folks at EA. I don't care if you prefer driving Porsche's this game is a must own. Beg your parents, cash in your next birthday present now, because you'll want this game. If you have suffered with the Cruisin' series, enjoyed Diddy Kong and loved the discovery elements of San Francisco Rush, stop reading this review right now and go buy the darn game. You can read the review later to see if I was kidding.
First off, the title is Beetle ADVENTURE Racing, and it sure lives up to it's name. You'll spend days if not weeks trying to find all the stuff hidden in this masterpiece. From Shortcuts to special other surprises, BAR doesn't disappoint for a second. Littered around the tracks (in Championship Circuit mode) are boxes. Some are bonus point boxes which you must crash into and others are Nitro boxes that will literally shoot flames from your wheels as you skyrocket past your feeble opponents. The bonus point boxes are there for a couple of reasons. If you collect 100 bonus points in a CC level, you'll unlock more arenas to play in the addicting Beetle Battle Mode. Also if you crash into enough bonus point crates, you'll earn a continue that can be used to replay a CC level if you fail to qualify.
As a one-player game BAR lets you chose between a Single Race or Championship Circuit. In the Single Race, only two tracks are open at the start of the game: Coventry Cove or Mount Mayhem. Get to know these tracks inside and out, and then use that knowledge in the Championship Circuit, because you'll need to place first in order to advance to the next level. Once you advance past the first two stages in the Championship mode, the next stage (Inferno Isle) will be available in the Single Race mode. The more you advance in the CC (you must place third or higher) , the more stages will unlock in the SR mode.
Controlling your Beetle is sweet. At the start only 3 different Beetles with varying qualities are available (based on: Speed, Acceleration and Handling) but as you progress you'll have more to choose from. Of course, each car can be colored any way you like it. I preferred my cars with good handling, but to each his/her own. The cars adhere to real world physics, unlike those San Francisco Rush vehicles, so you'll feel like the car is hugging the road well. Steering is no problem with the analog control, but you'll need to master power sliding (tapping the brake while giving it gas around tight corners) to conquer some of these environments.
Speaking of environments, you won't believe your eyes. Not only are they beautifully detailed (without needing the expansion pak) but they are absolutely huge. Throw in multiple shortcuts per level and you'll be exploring for a long time in your bug. How many racing games have you played where a gigantic T. Rex smashes through the tropical brush to attack your car? As you might guess there are literally tons of things to see and discover in this game.
The two player game is excellent as well. It's easy to keep your eyes on your part of the screen, even though you'll want to eye up your opponent when he discovers a shortcut you've never known about. Beetle Battle Mode for 2-4 players is a blast all on it's own. Each player must collect 6 ladybugs throughout a given course. The ladybugs change color so you must time your arrival well to collect 1 of the 6 colors you'll need to win the round. All around the tracks are crates that contain weapons, shields, nitros, false crates and even a mystery item. Get in each other's face and go for it. This multiplayer mode is like GoldenEye on wheels. We never got tired of it. I personally preferred two player Beetle Battle due to the size of each players individual screen, but 4 player was pretty intense. We didn't have time to unlock all of the extra multiplayer tracks, and it would have been nice to have more areas available right from the start, but that's a minor complaint.
In the complaint dept. the only thing this game could use is headlights once you went into a dark area. Some areas are just to hard to find your way around in. Trying to navigate in almost complete darkness if even for a few seconds can cost you the race (at least until you learn the track, but then it may be too late). Again it's a minor complaint and it doesn't really detract from the overall experience.
This game uses the Rumble Pak and the Controller Pak (memory pak). The game does not have a battery so you MUST have a memory pak to save your progress. Yeah, it's a pain switching betwixt the two paks but you'll live.
Jeez, can you tell that I love this game yet? Well it deserves to be loved. It's a AAA title just waiting for you to play it. How often does a title this good show up in March for gosh sakes? This game isn't even a renter. Buy it sight unseen without fear. It will be cheaper in the long run, because this game is so addicting that the late rental charges alone will run you upwards of $20 - $30 anyway. Anyway, I'm done and I'm going right back to play my new game. See ya!
Final Analysis: