Wacky Races - Game Boy Color

Your first job is to choose your wheels: Try Penelope Pitstop's "Compact Pussycat" if you want stylish, mannerly driving or for rough-and-tumble endurance, the Slag Brothers' "Boulder-Mobile" is a better choice. The "Bullet-Proof Bomb", that belongs to the Ant Hill Mob, is the perfect choice for a would-be gangster, while the "Buzz Wagon", transporting Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth, will be rebuilt in double-quick time after wreckages and is a good one for novices.

Once you're strapped in, you can choose from a variety of games. The "Arcade" mode is all about speed: race as fast as you can in the Fun Cup (Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi tracks) and the Super Cup (Nevada, Alaska and New York). The aim is to be placed in the first three at the end of the race, then you will move on to the next race. Otherwise, you have to go back and try again. Survive the three races of the Fun Cup and enter the Super Cup. Win the three races of both the Super Cup and the Fun Cup, and you will unlock the hidden Crazy Cup, the wackiest race of all that takes place along the back roads of Oregon, Michigan and tropical Hawaii. Win the Crazy Cup, and not only will you be undisputed Wackiest Racer of all time, you'll also unlock more vehicles, to take your challenges on to a level where the run-of-the-mill racer dare not go.

Once you've taken the Crazy Cup, you could try the Time Trial, where the aim is to finish one of the nine tracks in the fastest time possible. This level is a great training ground for the Championship Mode, where you race each of the nine tracks in succession against all the other Wacky Races. Earn points according to what position you finish in and you will be placed in the final league table.

What makes all racers truly wacky is the endurance mode: keep cool and keep in the race, for whoever is last at the end of each race is eliminated. It's survival of the fittest and only the fastest can win!

With superb graphics that echo the cartoon series the game is based upon and fun tunes to keep you focused, the scenery will change and unfold as you progress around the track. Beware of obstacles, obvious and hidden, and pick up as many bonuses along the way as you can: they may give you a much-needed boost later! A full display shows your speed, position, a lap-advance meter, time to the next checkpoint (you must reach these in allotted times to avoid disqualification) and the driver's face, which changes with his or her fate. This fun, third-person perspective makes the whole drive hilarious and, with so many things to keep an eye on, challenging.

Fans of racing games will love Wacky Races, whether they're eight or 80, though the older or more experienced may find they complete many of the challenges without too much difficulty. Youngsters from the age of about five could use the game to improve concentration and problem-solving skills, as well as manual dexterity and hand-to-eye coordination. But even better than this game's educational possibilities is the endless fun involved--guaranteed to keep restless passengers entertained on long journeys! --Lucie Naylor