Nintendo Mickeys Speedway USA Nintendo 64 Racing Review

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $30.00 from Blockbuster

Summary:
The first time I saw this game, I thought it was going to be one of those kiddy games that involved little skill...boy was I wrong. After playing Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing, this game is TOUGH. Try the last course and you will see what I mean. This is actually an excellent game and involves some sort of a plot to go along with the racing. The courses are sweet and the characters are hilarious. Basically, it is an awesome game and unless you really mind the fact that it was made by Disney (person who wrote the long review about getting aroused), you should definitely get this game.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Price Paid:  $366.00 from The gamesman

Summary:
Ok, well. First off the game was acctuly about $150.00 here in NZ. So, its one of the pricer games.
Now, about the game. Its a great game, filled with lots of challenges and fun things to do. One of the best things is that you never know whats going to happen, each time its different unlike Diddy Kong racing where the same characters win after win after win. Its also a very amusing game, and a very good feature is where they tell you who's coming where once you past the line, so that you know who's behind you. Its also good because, unlike most it rewards you often for good racing. Like, instead of just droping an oil spill (or paint,) instead of it being green once you open it up, you can change it to rainbow oil spills.
Overall, a very amusing, fun game for all ages.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Summary:
Diddy Kong Racing was a fun and challenging racer that gave me renewed hope after the let down of a sequel to Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64. For Diddy Kong Racing was the true heir to the Super Mario Kart throne, and no one can convince me otherwise. Then I heard that Rare, the same company who created Diddy Kong Racing, was to release a sequel entitled Mickey's Speedway USA. I looked past the Disney character name. I knew that I loved Diddy Kong Racing and that it's sequel (although not by name) would shine despite the Disney license which is more or less a curse (have you ever played a good video game that involved Disney characters?). However, Diddy Kong still eats bananas upon his throne, throwing the scraps at his pathetic servant Mickey.

The story is utterly pointless. It's your typical Nintendo/Disney plot, with bad versus good being as involved as it gets. Three evil weasels kidnap Pluto, Mickey's dog, and the only way you can get him back is by racing in tracks across the country. Worst of all, these sick demented weasels send you photographs of your dog all tied up in bondage. This wouldn't be so bad, if it wasn't a dog. Yes, that's right Disney. I really like to see a dog tied up and gagged. I'm aroused just thinking about it.

Your racers are just the normal Disney characters you would expect; Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and friends. Their cars have different attributes, but unlike in Diddy Kong Racing, it doesn't really matter much. Also, they only have one vehicle, a car. No more insanely fun and challenging plane and hovercraft races like in Diddy Kong Racing. Apparently the Disney characters were afraid to get high. They said it would be bad for their image or something.

There are different race tracks that you can race on, always a plus I suppose. Races take place in sites across the country in cities like Philadelphia and Las Vegas. However, while it seems realistic at first glance, there's no one in Philadelphia to throw snow balls at you and boo you off the field (or race track) like they did to Santa Claus, and there's no one at the Vegas race track offering lap dances or dressed like Mr. T. So the tracks really aren't that realistic aside from backgrounds.

There's different circumstances to race under, all of which have the same feel. You can participate in time trials or multi player races with friends, and there's even a battle mode. Too bad the battle mode is a complete rip off of Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64, balloons and all. Originality is good. I guess that's why this isn't.

There's also your main circuit mode, like in most racing games, and there are three circuits to choose from. In this you compete against six other drivers over four tracks to try and accumulate the most points. You get points by placing high in races. Sound familiar? Also a rip-off of the Mario Kart franchise. What's worse is that there is no challenge at all, no matter what difficulty you play under. Professional, intermediate, and amateur should have just been called easy, super easy, and drive with your eyes closed and win. I don't care if it is Disney, I wanted a challenge, especially after the difficult Diddy Kong Racing. Instead I got these moronic simpletons named Goofey and Daisy. Much better.

All the weapons in the game are just Mario Kart rip offs with different names. The "baseball chucker," and object which bounces off of walls and never stops, is a cheap rip-off of the green shell. There's others too, like something that looks like an oil spill that makes people spin out, much the way the banana peel did in both Mario Kart. Except it's more fun because you're spilling something that helps hurt the environment, unlike the decomposable banana peel. Fun for you and the earth! Yeah!

The graphics are good though. The colors are bright and the tracks all look pretty good and are designed well, aside from a few where I don't know what they were thinking when they put a turn in some places, like it's supposed to be a maze rather than a race. The action moves fast without slow down, and the drivers resemble their movie counterparts. It's a bright spot in this piece of excrement.

Every racer has their own voice, and they use it often. In fact too often, so that the sound is just a jumbled mess. You can never drive a race and not be annoyed my the endless slew of pointless comments that these Neanderthals babble out. The comments even overlap each other, and that's even more annoying since they're both talking but you have no clue what either is saying. Add in the fact that they are the voices of actual Disney characters which you can barely understand in the first place, and you get a horrid mess of mindless babble reminiscent of a family reunion, except less fun. And that is bad. Sound effects and music are okay at best, if you're ever lucky enough to hear them.

It was supposed to be a great sequel, but it was given the cursed Disney name and license. It's nothing like Diddy Kong Racing, more like an infinitely wretched Mario Kart 64. Mickey's Speedway USA is a horrible excuse for a kart racer. I thought Rare had the formula down after Diddy Kong Racing, but obviously some numbskull spilt his mocha latte on it. The only good part of this game is the graphics. And of course the animal bondage. Yow!

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Price Paid:  $40.00 from Electronic Boutique

Summary:
One of the best kart based racing games around. Beating Diddy Kong and Mariokart (in my opinion) hands down. Excellent challenge, cool sounds and all your favourite Disney characters Mickeys Speedway USA is a must buy!

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Price Paid:  $55.00 from Shopko

Summary:
This game is by far the best kart game for 64 that I've played. I can't believe anyone could say that Mickey's Speedway doesn't meet up to Diddy Kong Racing. This game is awesome. It starts out with 3 sets of tracks that you must master until you earn the 3rd and 4th set of tracks and then you can earn the privlage to race, using Duey and Luey. The tracks are full of exciting places and fun obsticals.