GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	Monster Games
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Go fast. Win. That's racing at its most basic form. But there's nothing basic when jumping behind the wheel of Excitebots: Trick Racing. Boringautomobiles have been traded in for zany animal transformers that glidethrough the air, swing on bars and even sprint on two feet at times. Plus,finishing first is not the robots' only goal, as they will accumulate starsnot only for racing but also landing gravity-defying jumps and playingimaginative minigames on the track that range from football punting totambourine banging. Indeed, Monster Games' Excitebots is crazy racing on steroids, where reality means squat and fun trumps all.

visuals

The fun begins with the vehicles. Excitebots utilizes animals and bugs for its main characters, as frogs and spiders literally drive this game. The metallic designs gear toward a younger demographic, but everyone will appreciate minute details like reflections of passing environments. They also illustrate the fabulous sense of speed underneath the game’s hood, thanks -- in no small part -- to solid blurring effects. Zipping around corners reveals lush locales with detailed foliage and morphing terrain. Watching a mountain transform into a rock monster is common fare. Water even splatters behind the wheels of each vehicle, truly demonstrating an eye for detail on the developer's behalf.

Despite the impressive racing graphics, there are a couple of minor dents to point out. Stages feel unnervingly similar a little too often, and the menu presentation falls victim to a dull blue layout. This, however, is not enough to deter a potential player.

audio

The most devastating downfall of this racer is its soundtrack. It's earache-inducing, trash generic metal at its worst. The riffs immediately encourage users to adjust the sound, since nothing ever comes off as catchy or appealing. Even worse, there's no SD Card support to play your own music, a feature that was available in Excitebots’ spiritual predecessor, Excite Truck. This shortcoming is truly unfortunate and lazy on either Nintendo's or Monster Games’ part.

The only aural feature boosting the game relates to sound effects. The humming, almost airplane-like, that erupts from the vehicles during red-bar swings is a definite plus. Crashes also enact crippling and satisfying thuds.

gameplay

Stars are the main prize on this game's tracks. Finishing first adds a worthy amount, but gaining the rewards during the race is integral. To do so, minigames and massive jumps litter each course. Soaring through the sky may collect three stars, while spinning a 720 adds a few more. Red and yellow bars act as momentary vaulting points, twirling the vehicles around for even more stars before ejecting them into the sky. But the biggest rewards come from in-race micro tasks, such as hitting a baseball or playing the tambourine. That may sound schizophrenic for a racer, but each bit adds to the outlandish good time and the elements all come together in a solid, complete package.

Maneuvering the playground-like tracks is an enjoyable trip in itself. The game proffers two control options: remote-in-Wii Wheel or holding the Wii remote sideways, accessory-free. Either option reacts responsively, allowing for a truly gripping time. Such tilt-dependent controls may not contain the precision of an analog stick, but Monster Games designs its tracks around looser controls, resulting in a nicely thought-out experience.

Mastering the controls leads to more S rankings and stars, which also act as the game's currency. Additional animal vehicles, car colors, trophies and even dioramas can be purchased with different amounts of stars, and there’s a mother lode to score. Achieving S rankings on each track opens up a new race mode, while also offers a fair amount of challenge. Granted, the game is short, but its extras add depth and replayability.

Poker and Minigame modes also make this ride even more fully loaded. The Poker racing mode strategically complements the wild racing with playing cards that racers can pick up while shooting around the track, trying to get big star rewards via hands of flushes and straights. It’s a fun diversion, but sadly there’s not a more expanded mode. The Minigames mode forces gamers to complete one of the micro tasks, basically incorporating small challenges.

multiplayer

Even with all of the single-player features, the game feels a bit shallow, especially for veterans of Excite Truck. Luckily, that’s where the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection enabled multiplayer chimes in. (A less impressive two-player split-screen option is available, too.) Six players start their engines in Excite Races or Poker Races, but with a novel betting system layered on top. Each racer bets an amount of his stars prior to the race, with a higher finishing position yielding greater multipliers on the rewarded stars. This smartly benefits the single-player game, as large winnings transfer back to the game’s unlockables.

Racing online works just as smoothly, as there was never a problem joining a game. Everything was seamless, without even one dropped connection or frame rate dip. Yet these successes make it all the more depressing that WiiSpeak fails to be included in this superb multiplayer mayhem. Once again, Nintendo has missed another opportunity to incorporate what should be a staple to every online game from here out.

overall

Excitebots has a few dinks and scratches on its surface, especially in the sound department, which is screaming for SD Card soundtrack support. But none of this outer wear-and-tear messes with the overall ride. The title still unabashedly breaks the norms of the racing genre with android creatures, bar whirling, bowling, fishing and even baseball. But more than that, it makes for a head-spinning and gravity-defying time that demands the attention of anyone who picks up a controller.

8.1/10