Cars

"I'm faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning. I am speed."

Cars hasn't been in theaters for much more than a week and already the story is being continued. Though a movie sequel may never be made, the Cars video game (developed by Rainbow Studios) picks up where the flick left off. Minor spoilers follow, as virtually every mission is a result of the events that took place in the film.

Set in the massive world of Radiator Springs, Cars has numerous circuit races that take place right there in the middle of town. Once those (and several other missions) have been completed, you'll get the chance to enter NASCAR-style races like the one that launched McQueen's story.

 
Showing 'em how it's done.

The "other" missions are based on driving game mechanics, but were inspired by the events of the film. For example, Mater will get the chance to visit a farm and ... I can't give this one away – it's not a spoiler for the game, but it's better left a surprise for those who haven't seen the movie.

I can tell you about the mechanics, which involve Mater sneaking around to complete the mission. The controls feel like a retro top-down racer -- Mater moves with the direction of the analog stick. This is appropriate and effective for these mission(s). Most are fun and fairly challenging, but suffer from an unstable camera.

The other events control like a standard racing game with an action/adventure feel. Rainbow Studios looked at the movie, analyzed its content, and utilized it in a way that makes the game more fun than it would have been as a generic racer. With an amusing story that makes a ton of references to the film, the license actually has relevance. Jumping becomes a more significant part of the game after you cross the half-way point, with obstacles and important items hidden atop areas that cannot be easily reached. Driving and racing mechanics are good throughout the experience (yes, the two mechanics are notably different), and the course and pace of the game is above any other title in its class.

Circuit races are short and sweet. Opponents are unexpectedly resilient and will not give up the first place slot without a fight. Though I was excited to play the game, I honestly didn't expect it to be more than a cakewalk. These races are nowhere near the challenge of EA's NASCAR series, but they'll definitely keep you on your toes.

One new addition that briefly made it into the film but not under McQueen's hood is nitrous oxide, the delirious speed-boosting concoction that made The Fast and the Furious a success. McQueen finally gets acquainted with the booster, giving him an extra blast when he needs it most. The boost refills on its own – drain it completely and it'll take a bit longer to refill itself than if you only use a portion of what's available. This goes back to the game's strategic elements.

 
She's got gas. Literally.

Pushing strategy even harder are numerous shortcuts (official and unofficial) that can turn the tide in a matter of seconds. Notice that I didn't say the tide would be turned in your favor. If you don't take advantage of the best shortcut available, chances are someone else will. Chick Hicks is back and he's up to his old tricks, wise-guy comments, and plenty of reasons to make you wonder why he hasn't been disqualified.

There are also times when you'll race Sally, the twins, the hilarious hippie (Fillmore), Doc Hudson, and virtually every other key character from the film.

Among the greatness of Cars is one severely damaging problem: its camera. On one hand I love it. Cars is a rarity in that you can spin the camera around any way you want, just like an adventure game.

The hand that doesn't love it is the one that has to control the right analog stick. At the start of any race, the game may – for unknown reasons – flip the camera in a ridiculous position. It's somewhat disorienting, and depending on just how bad the angle is, can be very frustrating. Example: one race began with my camera swung around to the front of my car. As cool as the angle was to look at (the car facial expressions are nearly on par with the movie), there's no way I'm going to win a race – or even place in the top three – with my camera facing backwards. Don't confuse this with Mater's backward driving techniques, where the car is reversed but the camera stays in position.

There's a camera pre-set button that changes to one of three views (two behind-the-car views and one first-person angle). Curiously, there is not a camera reset button. I can switch the pre-set view all day, but it's not guaranteed to realign the camera with the center of your vehicle. Lining the camera up manually isn't too much of a hassle when you're parked at Flo's, but it's a pain in the bumper when you're starting a race.

 
Take a car wash, hippie!

Almost every event – from mini-games to full-fledge races – include a camera flaw or two. It's something you'll have to get used to if you want to experience the good that this game has to offer. If it were any less compelling, if the races weren't exciting, if the jumping mechanic wasn't great, and if the story didn't make me smile then I'd probably tell you to leave this one on the shelf. But I can't do that. Cars is one of those rare games that, despite having a massive problem, is still worth playing from start to finish.

Gameplay: 7.8
Cars is not your everyday racing game, your everyday mini-game compilation, or your run-of-the-mill movie licensed property. It defies logic and forecasted gaming trends by being an adventurous racer. McQueen is the main character, but he's not the only one you'll control. He can jump, ride on two wheels, and perform that nifty backwards driving technique Mater demonstrated on the big screen. The game even goes as far as to make a mission out it, giving players a taste of how it's done.

Graphics: 7.9
Great car models, stellar facial expressions, eventful environments – it all looks very good, minus the glitches and bland patches here and there.

Sound: 7.9
Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and the other stars of Cars are credited as being in the game. Yet there are times when I’d swear it wasn’t them speaking. Video games tend to have lower-quality voice-overs than movies, even when both mediums feature the same actors. But if they are the same (during all sequences), why wasn’t this fact clearly promoted? More importantly, why do I have to question it at all?

Whoever’s behind the mic did a pretty good job, and the new dialogue is very amusing. The references to the film are great.

Musically Cars has a different soundtrack, with songs like “Night Drive” from the All-American Rejects. There are some country tracks included as well, but strangely, no Kenny G… (If you don’t know why that’s strange, see the movie. His music has never been more perfectly, or more hilariously, used in a scene.)

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 8.5
A grand-scale, clever expansion of the movie’s concepts, characters, and storyline. Features gameplay that has relevance to the film’s events, and an environment that mirrors the one designed by Pixar.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Not as deep as the single-player mode, Cars lets two players battle via split-screen. Fun for a while, but not forever lasting.

Overall: 7.8
Almost a must-buy for fans of the film. Cars is a top-notch adventure/racing game with an unwieldy camera. It’s challenging, but the challenges won’t be enough to keep gamers – young or old – from beating it quickly. At the same time the game is clever, inventive, engrossing, and is never a bore. Renting it will surely result in the satisfaction of anyone who does so, but the game’s likeability and replay value are worth much more than seven days.