Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7145 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Codemasters
• Released on: 2006-12-01
• Rating: Universal, particularly children
• Platform: Nintendo DS

Manufacturer's Description:
Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing, Micro Machines V4 is packed with knockabout, breakneck racing in the fastest scale miniatures, complete with explosive weapon power-ups. Letting you loose with hundreds of vehicles, each with distinctive performance abilities, you’ll be racing your inch-long miniature motors on the wildest tracks where everyday household objects appear immense in size and can become lethal hazards.

Fans of classic Micro Machines games will rejoice in the return of some of the series’ most popular racing arenas. Spin out around the breakfast table littered with cereal spills, tear through the kitchen, turbo boost around the pool table (while avoiding the treacherous pockets), or hit the gas as you drive around the rim of the bath, carefully negotiating the ferocious waters pouring over the edge of the bath.

As well as the familiar feel-good environments, Micro Machines V4 sees your racing world expand further than any previous Micro Machines game. Go beyond the house and garden tracks and discover what it’s like to race across house roofs, in the sewers, through supermarkets, museums and even down to the farm, with its danger-packed chicken coop.

Then there’s an arsenal of power-ups and weapons to collect and use on your opponents while you’re racing; Micro Machines V4 brings all the favourites back, including –the car-mounted giant hammer.

Customer Reviews

Loved this on the Gameboy, still as good
I like this game, if you liked this on other consoles, then you will not be disappointed.

Micro Fun to be had
It's hard not to love the concept of Micro Machines: racing tiny inch-long vehicles through real-world locations. Gardens, garages, pool tables, even bathtubs and school desks become massive tracks when you're micro-sized. The Nintendo DS version is actually a conversion of the PlayStation 2 and PSP games that hit the scene earlier this year. It's not a secret that the Nintendo DS is also the weakest of the three systems in terms of technical capabilities, so to expect the same level of visual and audio presentation would be a little unfair.

The original intention was to have the games hit simultaneously but somehow along the way the Nintendo DS version strayed longer in development than the other two versions. The extra time didn't seem to work to the advantage of this dual-screen rendition as the DS version of Micro Machines V4, while playable and challenging, is the weakest of the trio.

This portable version lacks the intensity and tightness of the Micro Machines series mainly because the graphic engine just can't keep up with the product. The framerate is a chunky mess half the time which muddies up any sense of speed the game can offer. The designers have definitely brought down the level of detail from the PS2 and PSP game to try to keep things smooth, and in some cases the hacked up visuals are laughable -- vehicles aren't much more than angular, generic cardboard boxes.

Chuggy framerates & mushy controls don't help either, though ultimately much of the gameplay remains intact even if the presentation ends up being a little scattered. There are multiple cups of increasing difficulty that require different tasks in order to unlock the different modes. The "race" is you against three others in a three lap race. "Battle" is the old-school multiplayer design from the NES days where split-screen wasn't an option; the idea is to force the other racers off-camera for points. Of course, if you want to race against other opponents there's a multiplayer mode as well that uses the Nintendo DS networking option, but it requires multiple carts. And while it would have been cool to head online to race other players, this is strictly a local wireless affair.

You could do worse with silly, weapons based driving action, but it does not warrant purchase if Mario Kart DS already has a place in your collection.