page 1
Game:CarsPublisher:THQDeveloper:Rainbow StudiosGenre:Racing gameTested for:360Available for:360, GC, PS2, Wii, XboxUSK:Released in:2 / 2007
The animated film of the same name has now disappeared from cinemas and a DVD release is still pending. So what better way to pass the waiting time than with games for your home console? While only PS2, Gamecube and Xbox versions were previously available, THQ is also bringing versions for Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii onto the market in time for the Christmas season.
You slip into the role of the talkative tin box Lightning McQueen and chug through the sleepy desert town of Radiator Springs. Here you head for the starting points of races. These take you through rugged rocky landscapes, bone-dry deserts or tranquil towns. The handling of the speedster is deliberately kept simple: your car will never swerve, even on slippery surfaces. To master steeper curves, you perform slides – you rarely use the brakes. To increase speed, you fire boosts.
The mini-games are less serious: Here you search the area for lost postcards. Or you can have fun with a game of 'Annoying Tractors': As the tow truck Hook, sneak up on sleeping tractors and tip them over by honking loudly. But don't get caught by the patrolling combine harvester!
You will be rewarded with trophies for winning races or successfully completing mini-games. You need this to be able to take part in the Piston Cup: You will duel over twelve laps on an oval course with racing bully Chick Hicks and other opponents.
On Nintendo's fidget console, you hold the Wii remote control sideways and steer your car around corners with steering wheel movements. If you like it more traditional, you can also deactivate the movement query and control your racing car with the analog stick of the Nunchuk extension. When jumping, you can't avoid some physical activity: To do this, lift the remote control sharply. With both control methods, the vehicle is steered and accelerated conventionally at the push of a button. To ignite boosts or perform a wheelie, you press the control pad.
Opinion
Andrè Kazmaier maintains: Okay for young racing pilots. Thanks to the extremely simple vehicle controls, even the youngest gamers have the racing cars under control immediately. It is … with me Cars On the other hand, it's too simple: When I speed through sandy curves at 200 km/h as if on rails, it feels anything but realistic. Cars is more of a fun racer than a serious racing simulation, but a little fine-tuning wouldn't have hurt the title when it comes to the driving experience. The presentation is right: the overworld town is nicely designed and exudes a lot of charm – just like the cute cutscenes. Advantage Wii: The motion controls work well and make the game a little more challenging. The graphics on the Xbox 360 are cleaner. Pop-ups plague both versions.
Rating
+ nah am Movies
+ neat cartoon look
+ navigable overworld
– immature driving behavior
– unspectacular NASCAR races
– lousy overview map
Charming, simple race with cute protagonists, but very unspectacular races.
Single player59MultiplayerChartSound