Nintendo World Report

Impressions

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If this isn't the next DKR, then DKR DS will have to suffice.

There’s one kiosk playing Cars on the GC at E3, and the game looks pretty similar to the PS2 and Xbox versions sitting right next to it – the 360 version is typically much sharper, but we did not get to see the Wii version at all.

The modes I got to play were Road Race and Piston Cup. The former is a typical race that seems to take place out in the desert locale of the film. The controls were adequate but turning is a bit stiff. In fairness, only one character was playable in the demo. The race was fun, but even on Champion mode, (the hardest difficulty in the game, according to the developer), I was able to get second place while making several newbie mistakes. In this mode you could hit a boost with R anytime you wanted (it took one second to recharge), and L was your powerslide. I would prefer these buttons were switched, but it wasn’t awful in its current state. You have two brakes, B for regular, and X for E-Brake. The Y button flips you onto two wheels, either left or right depending on your steering. The Z button, handily, will take you back on-track if you get stuck offroad.

Piston Cup offered a decidedly different experience. The L and R buttons are disabled, and you can’t flip up onto two wheels. More akin to Nascar, you run 12 laps on a giant track with several cars around you to weave in and out. This race was a bit more fun, though it took a minute to learn exactly when to lay off the gas and avoid the walls.

From what I played, the racing mechanics are pretty simplistic, and might need an ounce more polish; the core market for the game is the six to twelve year old set, and it shows. If the adventuring in between races stands up, it could be one to watch – otherwise it’s for the kids only.