Micro Machines

Micro Machines has charmed gamers in Europe, and now it's racing to America. The concept is simple: You race tiny vehicles on oversized tracks taken from daily life (a breakfast table, a cluttered desk, a sudsy bathtub). The execution is also simple - there are no driver profiles, no statistics, and no car-customizing options. Young gamers will eat up this sugary game, though veterans may get a toothache from all the sweetness.

Drive My Car

Who couldn't smile at racetracks called Breakfast Bends and Desktop Drop-Off? That smile is at the core of Micro Machines' considerable appeal. You race eight kinds of vehicles, from Power Boats to Formula One cars, on 27 different tracks. The vehicles are small, the tracks are big, and the obstacles look like props from one of those Incredible Shrinking Man movies. When you race across the desk, for instance, you'll zoom past huge slide rules and notebooks; go over the edge, and you'll plummet to the tiled floor below.

It's a good thing there's charm to spare, because the races aren't that involving. You always start back in the pack against three other racers. The races do get harder as you progress, but most gamers will probably win the early races with ease. The vehicles aren't that different-you don't shoot with the Tanks or bounce around with the Four By Fours. What's more, to keep the races lightweight, there's no clock to inspire you to improve your time. Nor are there on-screen maps or meters.

Micro Graphics

The colorful, pleasing graphics have sharp details. The vehicles themselves are color-coded, but it's still hard to tell who's who at a glance. Disappointingly, there are no clever depictions of the inevitable wrecks.

The sounds don t add much. Peppy music propels the action, with the whine of engines, a tinny screech of sliding tires, and the soft BAM! of collisions adding some detail. Overall, the sounds are about standard for the Game Gear.

The Racer's Edge

One intriguing aspect is the ability for two players to share a single Game Gear for simultaneous racing. It's clumsy, though, and you're better off with two systems, two games, and the Gear-to-Gear cable. Still, the two-player concept shows how hard this game tries to please, and it does. For the right racer, Micro Machines is Macro Fun.

Put the pedal to the metal with Camerica's Micro Machines, an exciting new two-player racing game that really turns on the heat! Micro Machines drops you down into a miniature world of motor racing.

Honey, I Shrunk the Car

What makes Micro Machines original is the variety of miniature racing scenarios and vehicles based on the popular toy line by Galoob Toys. You drive via a bird's eye view, overhead perspective through 32 fast-paced levels featuring nine imaginatively drawn tracks, and race against 11 Micro Kids, each with different skill levels and personalities. Wheel your micro motorboat through the bathtub, but don't get sucked down the drain! Take your jeep for a spin on the breakfast table, but mind the spilled syrup! There are tank races in your bedroom, a chopper race through the garden,and a truck load of others!

Learning the controls for each Micro Machine takes time, but once you get them down they're razor sharp. Each mini-vehicle has its own feel. For example, the Formula One racers stick to sharp comers like magnets, whereas the tanks are slow and clumsy.

Not A Small-time Racing Game

Micro Machines is a no frills, straightforward racing game. You don't waste time choosing from a zillion different types of engines or tires. Instead, you get down to earth racing fun! Tune up those micro motor skills with Micro Machines!

Codemasters are making their video game debut with Micro Machines for the Genesis. Micro has sports cars, Formula One, power boats, combat tanks, helicopters, and dune buggies racing on mini-courses...like a bedroom floor! There are 27 courses ranging from a breakfast table to a bathtub. Watch out for traps like the whirlpool plug hole and a puddle of syrup! Small circuits, huge excitement!

This unique racing game was a hit in England. Instead of racing standard cars on the usual courses, gamers maneuver tiny vehicles on 27 tracks, such as breakfast tables, pool tables, and bathroom floors. Among the vehicles are miniature Tanks, Power Boats, and Helicopters. The overhead view provides a good look at the brightly colored, obstacle-ridden tracks. A special mode enables two players to compete against each other with just one Game Gear.

For some of the best racing action on your Game Gear, there's Micro Machines. This fast-paced racer is ripping down the road to a store near you. Done by Codemasters (the same people who brought out the terrific Genesis version), this game has very little lost in the translation.

Unlike most portable racers, the control is really top-notch, and there's a number of vehicles and tracks to race on. You can go off-road or zip around in a sports car. There are even tanks for those military players! Micro Machines is a good racing game if you're into this type of cart.

This game does not look very good at first glance. But once you play it, you'll be hooked. It is intense! The levels are great and the constant changing of cars adds to the increased difficulty. There are about 10 cars to choose from, including a monster truck which you get to drive on the Bonus Levels. The look and feel of each car is quite unique. The sports car is quick, but it is difficult to handle tight corners. The 4x4 is slow, but allows for much more control. The Two-Player Option is great when your buddy is around. You can also choose from 11 different characters. Rev it up!

Totally Tiny!

Jump in you car and wait for the green flag. But this isn't just any old race. This is a real down to earth' type sprint. Like tiny - in a micro machine! Being so small, the courses are weird - a kitchen table, over school desks, or in your bath tub! The obstacles are strange too. Dodge cheerios, loop around pool balls and cue sticks, and drive a boat in your bathtub around bars of soap. You can get different cars every time you qualify for a race, and these little cars will run at high speeds so be careful. Play head to head with a friend or take on the computer. Either way this is a race you won't soon forget!

The popular line of race cars is soon to be released on the NES format! The unique trait of this exciting title is that you'll need to race your cars in the strangest of places, like sand boxes, breakfast tables, desktops, and pool tables. Race against the other children to build up your collection of cars. You can have boats, dragsters, dune buggies, and many more in this enjoyable and innovative cart!

If games were sugar, Micro Machines would put cavities in every tooth in your head. This game is lightweight fun for young racers, but it's too insubstantial for veteran drivers.

Just Win, Baby

A hit several years ago in Europe, Micro Machines finally brings its charming concept to the SNES. You race nine mini- vehicles on oversized tracks taken from daily life (a pool table, a cluttered desk, a sudsy bathtub, and so on). The fun is in identifying the big obstacles in your path and navigating your helicopter, speedboat, or Formula One car around them.

Simple controls keep the action basic. There are no driver profiles or car-customizing options, and differences between the vehicles are few. Only the tank fires weapons, and you can sometimes win races without even braking.

Shrinking Cars

Cartoony graphics and backgrounds as bright and colorful as anything on Saturday-morning TV give the game youth appeal. The Micro in the title is accurate: The vehicles are indeed small. The lack of an onscreen map, gauges, and wreck animations will frustrate sophisticated gamers.

The cheerful sounds aren't very advanced for racing games. Bouncy music is matched with typical tire screeches and whining engines.

If you have a sweet tooth for adorable but insubstantial games, this box of goodies will hook you, and the four-player simultaneous racing and increasingly difficult tracks add replay value. For the novice racer, Micro Machines is Macro Fun.