Micro Machines - Xbox

When we heard that Micro Machines was going to make an appearance on the Xbox, we must confess that we didn't get too excited about the prospect. However, when we finally got our grubby mitts on a copy, we almost ended up fighting over possession of the controllers. Everything that you formerly knew and loved about the various Micro Machines titles on last-gen platforms is here in abundance, and then some. The miniscule racers have found in the Xbox a console that really suits them. Handsome is the word that springs to mind regarding the visuals, and the gameplay is as good as ever.

Training will teach you all you need to know on how to master your machine and navigate the myriad worlds of Micro Machines. With the basics under your belt, you should have what it takes to race with grace under pressure. You can quit training mode at any time, and you don't have to train to be able to play any of the modes. However, we recommend that you learn what you can while you can. The machines may be micro but the challenge is huge.

Single player mode, and Single Race, is a good place to start, whether you've been training or not. The idea is simple: race against up to three competitors on a track of your choice and cross the finish line before them. Time Trial is also a good place to get some serious practice in, as you try to get the fastest time possible on a given course. There's a Championship option in single player mode too. Race against three computer-controlled players over four stages. After each race is completed, your points score is determined by your position, and after all four races have been run, the winner is the one with the most Championship points. That's not all, though, because there are four championship cups up for grabs. Lots to do in solo mode, then.

However, it's in the Micro Machines one-to-four player mode where the game really revs up. Multi-players can take part in a single race (no explanation needed there) or a Tournament, where the first player to score six points wins. Again there are four cups available to the best drivers over four races in each stage, that's 16 races in total. Another mode for up to four players to enjoy is Bomb Tag, played in split-screen. We've seen it before in many other titles, but it's still a staple of multi-player games and we never tire of it. One of the players begins this mode with the bomb in their possession and has to transfer it to another player before it explodes.

Up to two players can take part in the Micro GP mode. There are checkpoints scattered around the circuits that you have to reach within the time limit to be able to carry on racing and hope to be the first to the finishing line. Throughout the Micro GP, you will have to change vehicles during the race, depending on the changing environments. To do this, head for the morphing gates that appear just before the terrain changes, and pop out the other side in control of a more suitable machine. more