SCORE International Baja 1000 Review for Nintendo Wii

System: X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Left Field	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Activision	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Oct. 28, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

However, this is where this game’s good points take a turn for the worse. It may sound superficial, but the look of this game is probably its worst facet. Since it is a Wii game, of course, you don’t expect PS3-grade graphics, but the visuals in this game are truly like none you’ve ever seen in the past ten years. Cars are horribly pixelated, and tracks are painfully nondescript. Even the track onlookers look bad; they are just faceless 2-D shapes. The look of this game is probably on par with most PSOne and N64 titles, and it’s just not enjoyable to look at.

SCORE International Baja 1000 screenshot

Although the sound in this title isn’t as bad as the graphics, there still is a lot to be desired here. The music is generic and features some rock tunes from bands you’ve probably never heard of. Despite the passable music, the sound effects in this game are of very poor quality. Many of the game’s 90 different vehicles sound exactly the same; the motor effects do not sound realistic at all.

The control in this game is hit or miss, and there are two different control schemes you can use. The most intuitive is the Wii-mote on its side, which you can tilt either way to steer. This option works well on early courses, but the handling is too imprecise on harder, more winding tracks. Luckily, there is a second control scheme that allows you to use the Wii-mote and Nunchuk combo and steer with the thumbstick. However, this still feels a little imprecise and doesn’t give you any substantial cornering ability.

Its no secret that the Wii has not exactly been the most conducive platform for racing games. With the obvious exception of Mario Kart, the console has barely any titles that would satisfy even the most casual of automotive fans. Unfortunately, SCORE International Baja 1000 does not do the automotive genre any justice on the console, and is actually one of the worst racing games I have ever played on the system. This is definitely one race to avoid at all costs.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

1.5

Graphics
Graphics are borderline N64 quality. Almost everything is grainy and pixelated, and background elements are completely 2D.

2.7

Control
Wii-mote motion controls work sometimes, but on difficult, looping tracks they are not precise enough. The alternate controls are slightly better.

2.1

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music has a couple of nice yet generic-sounding rock tunes from artists you never heard of, but the automotive sounds are flat, boring, and unforgivably simplistic.

2.1

Play Value
There are plenty of tracks and vehicles to unlock, but the multiplayer modes are bare-bones, and the single-player mode should only take you a few hours to run through.

2.4

Overall Rating - Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Wheel-to-Wheel Circuit Racing: Each race is a stage allowing the player to progress further down the Baja peninsula.

Damage & Wear: All vehicles are susceptible to wear and will lose parts and get dirty, scratched, etc.

Physics-Infused Surfaces: Race across dirt, sand, mud, asphalt, etc. All of which react realistically to tires and affect handling.