Mini Racers

Last updated
Mini Racers
Developer(s) Looking Glass Studios
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo 64
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mini Racers is a cancelled racing video game for the Nintendo 64. The game, reminiscent of R.C. Pro-Am and Micro Machines , was in development by Looking Glass Studios between 1998 and 2000. Despite development reportedly being close to finished, its release was complicated by the closure of its developer, and Nintendo chose not to publish the game, leading to its cancellation. Despite never being commercially released, the game would unofficially leak onto the internet in subsequent years.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot from a leaked beta build. N64 Mini Racers.jpg
Gameplay screenshot from a leaked beta build.

The game involves the player driving a toy car from a top-down perspective, similar to the R.C. Pro-Am and Micro Machines series of video games. [1] [2] [3] [4] The gameplay primarily entailed driving the car around a given track in efforts to complete a set number of laps - usually 8 - faster than opponents. [5] In addition to gas and brakes, it had a "nitro boost" that allowed for greater distance in going off ramps. [5] Other modes were also present in the game, such as ones that encourage crashing into other players. [2] Multiplayer with up to four players was featured in the game. [2] In addition to being able to race pre-made races courses created by the developers, the game featured two modes for new course creation as well - one being a random course generator, and the other being one where the player could design their own course. [6]

Development and release

Mini Racers was first officially announced at E3 1999. [5] [4] Rumors about the game were reported on by publications for over a year prior to its announcement, partially due to Nintendo's securing the rights to a website of the same name. [7] [4] Its name, coupled with concurrent rumors that Rare was working on a secret unannounced title, lead to speculation that Rare was developing a follow up to the R.C. Pro-Am . [8] [7] While Rare had been working on an unannounced sequel - Pro-Am 64 - that game was a separate project eventually cancelled in favor of Diddy Kong Racing ; Mini Racers was an unrelated game in development by Looking Glass Studios. [9] [5] The development of the game progressed into the following year, with GameSpot reporting that the game was 90% complete as of April 2020, and scheduled for an October 2020 release in Japan. [6] However, its release was cast into doubt the following month, when Looking Glass Studios closed down. [10] While IGN described the game's status as "all but cancelled now", [10] weeks later they published a follow-up report that the game could still potentially see release, as Looking Glass Studios had submitted a near-finished copy of the game just prior to their closure. [11] Ultimately, the game was cancelled and never commercially release, though in 2006, an anonymous Craigslist user posted that he possessed a finished copy of the game, and was requesting help preserving the game, eventually leading to it's unofficial release on the internet. [12]

Reception

Pre-release reception for the game was generally positive, with some concerns present. IGN felt its original concept and "addictive multiplayer" lead them to be that "it's certainly got the potential to be a hit when it debuts later this year, even in the saturated genre of 'racers', and we use this term loosely here. It's because Mini Racers isn't so much a racer as it is an arcade lap-driver that it just might succeed." [5] They did mention that the gameplay speed felt a little too slow in the multiplayer modes. [5] N64 Magazine was more negative on the preview builds, citing concerns with the camera system, which they felt made it to hard to see surroundings when driving. [4] GameSpot praised its graphics, referring to them as "very impressive, with varied and interesting environments." [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>F-Zero X</i> 1998 video game

F-Zero X is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed and published by Nintendo, it was released in Japan, North America, and Europe in 1998. In 2000, the Expansion Kit was released in Japan, including a track and vehicle editor. The original game was ported in 2004 to the iQue Player in China. It had Virtual Console re-releases on the Wii in 2007 and the Wii U around nine years later. On March 11, 2022, the game was re-released on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, featuring online multiplayer.

<i>Jet Force Gemini</i> 1999 video game

Jet Force Gemini is a 1999 third-person shooter developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game follows the story of three members of a galactic law enforcement team as they try to stop a horde of drones led by an insectoid called Mizar. It features a single-player mode where the player must explore a galaxy and save Tribals, a race of survivors who have been enslaved and imprisoned by Mizar, and places strong emphasis on shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two to four players can compete in traditional deathmatch games.

<i>Diddy Kong Racing</i> 1997 video game

Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 kart racing game developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. Set on Timber's Island, it revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends' attempt to defeat the intergalactic antagonist, a wizarding pig named Wizpig, through winning a series of races. The player takes control of any of the featured characters throughout the game. Diddy Kong Racing features five worlds with four racetracks each, and the ability to drive a car, hovercraft, or pilot an aeroplane.

<i>Wave Race 64</i> 1996 video game

Wave Race 64 is a 1996 racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Gameplay involves the player racing on a personal watercraft on a variety of courses while successfully manoeuvring the vehicle around various buoys. A multiplayer mode where two players can compete against each other on a chosen course is also included. The game supports the Controller Pak, which allows players to transfer saved data from one game cartridge to another.

<i>Wipeout 64</i> 1998 video game

Wipeout 64 is a 1998 futuristic racing game developed by Psygnosis and published by Midway for the Nintendo 64. It is the third game in the Wipeout series and remains the only one published on a Nintendo console. At the time of the game's release, developer Psygnosis had been owned for five years by Sony Computer Entertainment, for whose hardware all subsequent Wipeout games have been released exclusively.

<i>R.C. Pro-Am II</i> 1992 racing video game

R.C. Pro-Am II is a racing video game developed by Rare and released by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System on December 11, 1992. The game is the sequel to the 1988 R.C. Pro-Am and features similar gameplay with a wider variety of tracks, currency-based vehicle and weapon upgrades, and bonus stages. In R.C. Pro-Am II, four players, either human or artificial intelligence, race on a series of tracks to finish first while avoiding obstacles and hazards. The winner receives race points and money. The game features a multiplayer mode in which up to four human players can compete against each other simultaneously.

<i>Star Wars Episode I: Racer</i> 1999 video game

Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a 1999 racing video game based on the podracing sequence in the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The game features all of the racers and race course on Tatooine from The Phantom Menace. It adds several new courses, on Tatooine and various planets. It has several single player modes, including a tournament mode. The format of multiplayer mode varies by platform. Jake Lloyd and Lewis MacLeod, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba in The Phantom Menace, reprise their film roles in the game.

<i>Snowboard Kids</i> 1997 video game

Snowboard Kids, is a snowboarding video game for the Nintendo 64. It was developed by Racdym and published by Atlus. Many reviewers compared its style to that of the Mario Kart series. An enhanced port, Snowboard Kids Plus, was released in Japan in January 1999 for the PlayStation.

<i>Top Gear Rally</i> 1997 video game

Top Gear Rally is a 1997 racing video game developed by Boss Game Studios and released for the Nintendo 64. A follow-up to Kemco's original Top Gear game, it features a championship mode where a single player must complete six seasons of two to four races, as well as a multiplayer mode where two players may compete against each other via a split-screen display. The game's tracks combine both road and off-road surfaces and can be played in different weather conditions, including night, fog, rain, and snow. Players may customize their car with different tire grips and adjust its suspension stiffness and steering sensitivity. An option that allows players to custom paint their cars is also included.

<i>Re-Volt</i> 1999 video game

Re-Volt is a racing video game designed by Paul Phippen and Simon Harrison. It was developed by Acclaim Studios London and published by Acclaim Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation and Dreamcast.

<i>Mickeys Racing Adventure</i> 1999 video game

Mickey's Racing Adventure is a racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color in 1999. It was followed by Mickey's Speedway USA in 2001.

<i>Mickeys Speedway USA</i> 2000 racing video game

Mickey's Speedway USA is a kart racing game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. It features characters from the Mickey Mouse universe racing across the United States. It is Rare and Nintendo's second collaboration with Disney Interactive following Mickey's Racing Adventure (1999) and Rare's second kart racing game after Diddy Kong Racing (1997).

<i>Extreme-G</i> 1997 video game

Extreme-G is a futuristic racing video game developed by Probe Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment, featuring an original trance soundtrack. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, and was released in Japan on May 29, 1998. Despite the crowded field of Nintendo 64 racing games, Extreme-G was met with moderately positive reviews and was a commercial success. A sequel, Extreme-G 2, was released in 1998, followed by two additional games: Extreme-G 3 (2001) and XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association (2003). In 2024, the game was re-released through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack through Throwback Entertainment, who purchased the rights to the game in 2006.

<i>Lego Racers</i> (video game) 1999 racing video game

Lego Racers is a Lego-themed racing video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by Lego Media in 1999.

<i>South Park</i> (video game) 1998 video game

South Park is a first-person shooter video game based on the American animated sitcom of the same name. The game was developed by Iguana Entertainment, using a modified version of the engine used in the Acclaim Entertainment-published Turok 2: Seeds of Evil; both games shared the same publisher and were released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 in North America, and for Microsoft Windows in 1999. South Park was released in Europe and ported to the PlayStation in the latter year to coincide with the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

<i>AeroGauge</i> 1997 video game

AeroGauge is a hovercraft racing game designed for the Nintendo 64 game console and released in 1998. The game was developed by Locomotive and published by ASCII it is conceptually similar to Psygnosis' Wipeout or Acclaim's Extreme G. The main difference is that the vehicles in the game fly instead of hovering. AeroGauge garnered mediocre reviews, with criticism directed at its routine concept, excessive pop up, lack of weapons and power-ups, and overly high difficulty.

<i>Destruction Derby 64</i> 1999 video game

Destruction Derby 64 is a vehicular combat racing video game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by THQ, under license from Psygnosis. It is the third installment in the Destruction Derby series, released on 30 September 1999 in North America and 12 October 1999 in Europe for the Nintendo 64.

<i>Roadsters</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Roadsters is a racing game released by Titus Software for Nintendo 64 in 1999, and for PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color in 2000. It is a car racing game that features both licensed cars from manufacturers and unlicensed cars from imaginary manufacturers that are based on and bear great resemblance to their equivalent, real car models. The game also includes a multi-player mode supports up to 2 human players that can compete in any of the available circuits with 4 more CPU controlled racers. A PlayStation 2 version was originally planned to release on April 11, 2001.

<i>San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing</i> 1996 video game

San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is a video game developed and published by Atari Games. This game was first released in arcades in 1996 and was ported to Nintendo 64 in 1997 and the PlayStation in 1998. San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is the first game in the Rush series.

<i>Banjo-Pilot</i> 2005 kart racing video game for the Game Boy Advance

Banjo-Pilot is a 2005 kart racing video game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) and the fourth instalment in Rare's Banjo-Kazooie series. It plays similarly to the Mario Kart series by Nintendo: the player races one of nine playable characters around tracks, attacking other racers with bullets and collecting power-ups. The game features a number of single-player and multiplayer modes, such as time attack and item hunts. Unlike other kart racing games, characters control airplanes instead of go-karts.

References

  1. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, August 1999, page 96
  2. 1 2 3 Electronic Gaming Monthly, November 1999, page 123
  3. ↑ N64 Gamer Issue 17, 1999, page 54
  4. 1 2 3 4 [https://archive.org/details/n64magazineukcollection/N64%20Magazine%2030%20-%20July%201999%20%28UK%29%20%28preliminary%20version%29/page/n22/mode/1up N64 Gamer, July 1999, page 23
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/03/mini-racers
  6. 1 2 3 https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-puts-mini-racers-on-track/1100-2460828/
  7. 1 2 https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/19/more-on-mini-racers
  8. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/12/nintendos-secret-game
  9. ↑ https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-diddy-kong-racing-the-game-that-overtook-mario-kart
  10. 1 2 https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/26/racing-on-broken-glass
  11. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/01/mini-racing-for-a-release
  12. ↑ Ransom-Wiley, James (August 31, 2006). "Craigslist poster has unreleased Mini Racers, offering free N64 rom for services". Joystiq . Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.