My first experience with the Micro Machines series was back on the Sega Genesis. It was an innovative, fun, and quirky game, with the type of camera view that allowed for full screen two-player support. I was shocked to here that the game was coming to the N64, and that it was going to incorporate 8-player support. This alone was enough reason for me to check out the title. I decided that I would give it a rent to see what it was like (even though the reviews I had read made it sound like it was a bad game).
Aesthetics:
Well, I won’t lie to you; this isn’t one of the game’s strong points. Though the cars look pretty cool and the environments aren’t that bad (actually their pretty cool), the camera is frustrating. Often it won’t look where you want it to, causing first place players to blow up. Also it often gives extremely awkward viewing angles. This seems like it would ruin the game, but as long as you don’t take it too seriously it won’t…read on to see why.
Control:
The controls are simple, and allow you to use either the directional pad or the analog stick. They are responsive as well, but the awkward camera angles often make it harder to control your vehicles. This also becomes a little more awkward when sharing controllers in the 6 and 8 player modes. This is made possible by having two people assigned to each controller, while one uses the directional pad and the L button, and the other uses the C buttons and the R button. Still the game isn’t unplayable, not at all. In fact I was able to try out the 8-player mode on 3 separate occasions, one of which had 5 people who had played very few videogames in their life. These inexperienced players still managed to beat the experienced teams a few times, so the controls aren’t too hard to pick up on.
Sound:
The music in this game isn’t exactly memorable; it’s just some quirky retro junk. The sound effects on the other hand are hilarious. There are different horns for every car and some of them are pretty funny, also there are different sound effects for when you run into different items such as whoopee cushions! The voice samples are retarded, but humorous (even if they aren’t meant to be).
Sound:
So here we are at what I view as the most important section in a videogame. So far Micro Machines isn’t sounding like that great of a game, but that may be about to change depending on what you consider to be important in a videogame. If you consider a solid one-player game to be important then I suggest you leave now. This game is definitely not for you, but if you take this game for what it truly is (a party game) then stick around. Micro Machines 64 Turbo is an excellent choice for you N64 owners who have a lot of people to entertain at once.
There are many different modes to choose from, the most important being “Teams”, “Multiplayer”, and “Pad Share”. Every player that is involved in a race begins on-screen. From here on out it’s a battle to stay on the screen. The Camera tries it’s best to be fair, and most of the time it is. There are some frustrating times where it is obvious that someone lost that shouldn’t have, or vice versa. But hey, it’s only a game, so it isn’t ever taken too seriously.
Multiplayer:
Here’s where all of this games pieces fit together, and although pretty shabby on their own they create the perfect environment for a fun-filled trash talking party. Out of the nearly 20 people that I played this game with only 2 or 3 didn’t like it. So, some how (don’t ask me exactly why) it manages to fun. I suggest you give it a go to see for yourself what I’m talking about. The four-player is great, the 6 and 8 player games work well, and there are something like 40 or 50 levels (I believe 25 until you work your way through the horrendous one-player game (shutter).
OVERALL:
Through all of its downfalls this games still manages to be fun. I’d recommend that you check it out (if you’re a multiplayer/ party game fan), and if it suites your fancy you might want to give it a purchase. This game has a low price tag of only $29.99 and comes with a free Micro Machine vehicle packed in. Fans of the originals especially should give it a look.
The Lowdown on  Micro Machines 64 Turbo
| Aesthetics: Average |
Control: Above Average |
| Gameplay: Awesome |
Multiplayer: Very Good |
| Sound: Average |
Innovation: 6/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: /6 |
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Overall: Above Average!
"A Quality Game"
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Micro Machines 64 Turbo
