Cars
The characters are appealing, the voice talent is great, but this is not the movie.
This is basically a racing game.
You don't sit back in a darkened theater watching the action -- here you have to earn your racing credits.
You can toodle around the town and its outskirts if you wish to explore dunes and gullies and do some off-road racing.
The town looks like a dusty desert town that has run out of people. It took me a while to realize that the cars are the people.
The hero, Lightning McQueen, surprised me by being a -- at least at the beginning -- a cute small red car.
It brought back the images of -- was it the Chevron ad -- those talking cars that at first were amusing but soon became annoying?
I don't think that this will be the reaction of the kids who saw the movie and the game really panders to them.
On the PS2 there is a short/simpler version for kids, and they make wining at the beginning easy, to keep the frustration down.
Races take place in the town of Radiator Springs and eventually at the pro racetrack in a bid for the Piston Cup.
If you liked the movie story, then you probably want to get one of the console versions, PS2 or Xbox.
The PSP and other handhelds get right down to racing.
The mini-games are easy and fun and it is a good way to get to interact with the town's characters.
The characters are right out of the movie; the old tow truck Mater with his homilies, Sally, the 2002 Porsche
who is sweet on Lightning, and Doc Hudson -- a 1957 Hudson Hornet are the particular charmers.
While it is very likely that those who purchase this game will have probably seen the movie,
for those who haven't, a little back story would have been appreciated.
The game continues the story after the movie and a little orientation and setting would have enriched the game.
Reviewed by: Editor - 07/06
Finally – Lightning McQueen is at it again – this time on the Xbox 360 -- now
you can have all the fun we've been having plus go on to Xbox Live and race the world – and just in time for Thanksgiving.
Reviewed by: Editor - 11/06
Ages: Everyone