MicroQuad
by Viex Games,
Price: $14.95
Reviewed June 2004 by Paul Maddox
If, like me, all it takes to get
you excited is fond memories of MarioKart and promise of
a Palm OS clone, then prepared to be just that. MicroQuad
upholds the traditions of MarioKart with a third person
3d track racing game. Behind the handlebars of a choice
of 6 quad and driver combinations, the player will pit
their wits and skills racing around 20 tracks, or can even
play another human via Bluetooth.
In the past I have always been apprehensive
of action games on PDAs. Whether it has been due to screen
quality or processor speed, there’s just something
that’s just not seemed to be encouraging in expecting
a lot from action games. So when I got MicroQuad I was interested
on how it stood up to performing well on a PDA.
The first thing that is noticeable on
loading is the deep, smooth rendered graphics of the splash
screen, giving the user the option for Grand Prix, Quick
Race, or Multi Player playing modes. The graphics are matched
by a perky, if slightly short and repetitive, theme tune,
giving the game a certain sheen that puts the MarioKart enthusiast
at ease.
Entering Grand Prix mode, the player has
the challenge of five different cups of increasing difficulty,
each consisting of four races. Only after all the races have
been won in one cup can you move on to the next. From a variety
of surfaces from road to snow or dirt, the tracks get ever
more difficult as you progress through the cups.
Upon choosing a particular track to race
the player is given the option to choose which of 6 quad
and driver combinations to use. The 5 remaining quads will
then race against the player. With the selection of the quad,
and a surprisingly pleasing sound of a roaring quad engine,
you’re ready to race!
Entering the main game screen the first
thing as is abundantly clear is just how great the game is
rendered. The only word that adequately describes it is flawless.
The deep, rich graphics that one almost expects to see on
the splash screen have been carried through to the game itself,
which I would almost go as far as saying looks better than
a number of games handhelds. The frame rate of the game on
my TJ37 Clie made the rendering look effortless, easily reacting
to even the most manic of drivers.
The graphics are equally by the sound,
which although sounding somewhat low quality even through
headphones, adds a great deal to the game. Engine noise,
skids and special effects all help to bring the game to life,
adding a certain quality that shows a lot of development
time was spent on attention to detail.
The fundamental game controls are naturally
to steer left and right, to accelerate and decelerate and
fire your secret weapon. (What quad would be complete without
one?) I played the game both with my Sony GC10 gamepad and
the usual application keys. The first convenient feature
is that the player can map the keys however they like to
those available on their device. This is very useful in making
play as natural as possible. The second feature even more
convenient than the first is the option to have your accelerator
always pressed. The effect of this is that you do not have
to continually hold one key down, meaning you have all your
faculties free to control left and right, fire and brake.
Although not fundamental for play with a gamepad, it is very
useful when playing with the keys.
The early cups provide a good introduction
to the game, allowing you to get familiarized with the
controls and admire the graphics and sound. Difficulty,
both of track and opposition, rises gracefully through
the first few cups, although perhaps a little slowly. Completing
the first 3-4 cups comes with relative easy, although the
last 2 cups add significantly to track complexity (most
notably tracks with numerous routes), meaning for some
the game may become more frustrating than entertaining.
Overall the game offers everything you
would expect from a console game like MarioKart. Not only
do I appreciate the game for excellent graphics, gameplay
and sound, I also salute the developers for taking the time
and care to provide all of those things with such finesse.
With the quick race mode I find myself readily dipping into
the game for 5 minutes, providing lasting appeal even after
completing all of the cups. There are also enough quad and
driver combinations to allow revisiting tracks with a higher
difficulty level, for those star drivers amongst us. |
