Micromachines Screenshots The Final Say! Gameplay 8.5 Graphics 8.5 Sound 8.5 Value 8.5 Micromachines  - reviewed by Andrew B Review Date: 27th November 2002 Review Score 8.5/10 Distributed By: GameNation

"Afun filled 3D racer that pays homage to the overhead racers of the 1980's!" The late1980's and early 1990's were the years when everything had to be tiny and thegaming world was first introduced to Micromachines. The Micromachines seriesfeatured small matchbox style cars racing around familiar environments such askitchen sinks, dining room tables or gardens and helped set it apart from theplethora of racing games of that era.  Micromachinesis the latest incarnation of the series to hit the PlayStation 2 and wasdeveloped by Sheffield House under Infogrames. As the old saying goes "ifit ain't broke, don't fix it" and that's what the current incarnation ofMicromachines offers gamers. There are dozens of highly detailed playingenvironments with an awesome variety of tracks to ensure that gamers don'tbecome too bored with the title. Apart from the lavishly designed tracks,Micromachines offers gamers a variety of different gameplay modes and allowsplayers to play one of eight different characters.  The beauty ofMicromachines is that every player is unique and has their own personality.There are dozens of different vehicles in the game that all feature their ownspecial abilites such as better handling or more powerful engines. Gamers caneither play against the computer opponents or challenge four of their friendsfor some high speed racing action.  The basicpremise of Micromachines is a racing game that is set in the world of miniaturecars and the main objective of the game is to win the race by anyway you can and thatalso means to sabotage other racers. The interface of Micromachines is anoverhead view that shows the tops of the cars but unfortunately this can becomea little tricky when trying to steer on unfamiliar courses. The controls of thegame are extremely sensitive and one wrong move with the analog control stick,you may find yourself in a spin or crashed into a wall. It will take at least agood hour until you have mastered the control system because of how sensitivethe controls are.  It should benoted that Micromachines isn't your standard racing game as it involves avariety of different weapons and powerups that are littered across the racingfield. The most useful item in the game is the turbo powerup that gives yourminiature car a turbo boost that will leave your opponents eating yourdust.  Graphically,Micromachines is an extremely good looking game and the developers have done anextraordinary job on the attention to detail.

Whether, its the giant spiders orthe extreme draw distance, everything comes together perfectly. Although the cars are not too detailed, they do look like the matchbox cars they are meant to represent. There is also some great lighting effects and special effects such as dirt or smoke from your engines. 

Musically, Micromachines won't win any awards but it will help gamers get into the mood for this fun racing title. The music is considerably cute and short and is well suited for the game as are the various sound effects and voices in the game. One of my favourite sound effects in the game is the sounds the tyres make when you take a sharp corner that sound like what a real miniature car would sound like, provided it had an engine and a driver.

Micromachines cannot be compared with anything on the market at the moment and unless you have been a gamer for the last twenty years, you will be quite impressed by this fun little title. The game has various different levels that include the Barn Dance, Crime Scene and Spaceship that is sure to keep most gamers entertained. The multiplayer option for the game is a blast and would make a great party game. Hardcore gamers might not get their full value from this title but kids and part-time gamers will find this title a gem of racing game! Recommended!

- Andrew B