by Pete Degrazio
July 10th, 2007 -
With Load Inc.’s Mad Tracks becoming a huge success since its release last year on PC, it was only natural for the mini arcade style racer to find another home with the Xbox Live Arcade. Fully loaded with a hearty 15 challenges (6 races & 9 mini-games) great visuals, and a broad multi-player platform, this download is a commendable purchase with those ever-so-precious Microsoft Points.
Mad Tracks is an entertaining XBLA addition from the start to finish line. In Single Player action, the Arcade arena is a great place to get a feel for the game and its controls, which are pretty standard for racing games (triggers for speed/reverse). It also helps players to learn the power-ups/weapons and their unique functions. Just think Super Mario Kart and you’ll get the idea of what Load was aiming for. Although Arcade mode does give you access to each single event, you must unlock these in the Adventure campaign to access.
The Single Player ‘Adventure’ mode starts you off with two challenges available, each on its own separate road to the final event. Placing 3rd or higher in preceding events will unlock additional challenges and power-ups for use throughout the game. Mini games such as, ‘Foosball’, ‘Par 5’ and ‘8 Ball’, (an event in which you battle head to head with another racer to a game of pool) really do a great job of keeping the game fresh. This is where Mad Tracks starts to tickle your fancy. The racing events themselves are very challenging and the interactive environments, ranging from a kitchen, to a living room, to a bedroom, look superb.
The Multi-player gridiron adds up to four players trading paint on both Xbox Live (with choice of ranked or standard matches), and via local split-screen action. Fans of the online multiplayer craze will applaud the ability to create and host your own races, which include every challenge available in the Single Player game.
This download is an impressive Xbox Live Arcade addition for having a nice array of challenges, especially when you take into consideration that it’s only 45 MB. It’s quite the bargain costing only 800 Microsoft Points. Load also promises Bravo and Encore ‘expansion packs’ coming soon that will include 15 new challenges each, costing gamers roughly half of what they paid for the full game.
Mad Tracks is one mini-racer game that surely packs a big punch. Whether you want to take on one of the many exciting challenges on your own, or duel with friends in the Xbox Live community, this game delivers. Delightfully reminiscent of classics such as RC Pro-Am and Super Mario Kart, one can only hope this robust addition to the XBLA family will set precedent for what future downloads have to offer.
Game Features:
- 15 distinct challenges (6 races & 9 mini-games) provide a
full-fledged racing game experience
- 12 ‘stackable’ power-ups (rockets, freezer, oil drop, EMP and
more!)
- 4 player multiplayer over Xbox LIVE and 4 player local
Multi-player via split screen mode
- Adventure mode & Arcade mode
- 2 free gamer pictures
- Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points