“Entertainment, style and, oh yeah, first place!”

For Lightning McQueen, there is no place like first place. And that goes whether he is racing competition from around the world or taking on his friends in Radiator Springs.

Cars Mater-National is a sequel to the popular console title and delivered on the PS2 from Rainbow Studios and THQ. The game centers on Radiator Springs, where Lightning has returned to establish his racing headquarters. And because he is a famous racer, it only seems natural that he also has some races and a stadium built.

Mater, the lovable tow truck, can’t seem to remember that it is an “international” racing event and it comes out as “Mater-National” – hence the name of this game.

Do not expect a great deal of depth in this title. The tracks can become redundant and the mini-games, while mildly entertaining for the younger set, are not particularly innovative. However, where the younger set is concerned, Mater-National is a simple racing vehicle that has an entertainment value in the cut scenes that feature the stars of the Pixar movie.

There are several ways to play the game – story mode, arcade (more racing, but these are comprised of road races, stadium races, Rustbucket races, monster truck races, relay races or the mini-games unlocked in story mode) and versus (which is what passes for the multiplayer and is head-to-head competition). Story mode is a series of loosely related events that include races and the ability to roam about the town and launch mini-games when you wish.

The characters, as always, are well rendered and have a charming quality, which is highlighted by the voice actors from the movie (yep, Owen Wilson is back doing the voice of Lightning and Larry the Cable Guy does Mater). There are nice little quips, and the three-dimensional world of Radiator Springs looks appealing enough.

However, the race courses do not have an abundance of variety and some of the turns are not that clearly marked. Moving off the circuit race and progressing into Fillmore’s Nature Preserver increased the challenge with tighter turns and chasm jumps, but even after circling this several times, it becomes old hat.

The mini-games borrow heavily from tried-and-true scenarios such as hitting the right button when a musical note reaches it, or racing the circuit and hitting gas cans to keep the tank full (this mini-game actually challenges you to lap the circuit as many times as possible before running out of fuel).

The control scheme is simple to use, so even young players will be able to jump in and have some success. You have the gas button (X), brake (square), a limited power booster (R2) and the ability to lean (L1 with the left analog stick). With four difficulty settings, there should be some challenge here for players of varying abilities. Unfortunately, regardless of the car you drive (whether as Lightning or the Hudson Hornet), they all handle the same, so there is no challenge in learning to handle different vehicles.

Mater-National is a simple game, targeted for a younger set, but it has visual appeal and some challenge. Don’t expect much depth here; the emphasis is on the characters with a very forgiving racing model.

Gameplay: 7.0
Not a lot of variety here, but the controls are simple to learn and use, and that should be ideal for younger gamers

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics look culled from the movie and suited to the PS2 console. This is a decent-looking title on this platform. The physics are handled well.

Sound: 8.0
A country music score runs under the game and the voice acting is nicely handled as well.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 6.8
There could have been much more here. The mini-games are not innovative and follow familiar themes.

Multiplayer: 6.8
Versus mode, in races you can play in the single-player game, is about as good as this aspect gets.  

Overall: 7.0
The score here is marginal. Given the depth of play it could have been less, but the graphics and sound help pull it up. This game should appeal to younger fans of the Pixar film, but more veteran players will want to pass on it.