Description:
Only on a Disney-designed racetrack would collecting Lucky Fairies and launching acorns lead players to the trophy. This whimsical, Windows-only racing game is set in Disney World, where Chip n' Dale manage to drop some of those darned acorns into the Fireworks Machine, causing it to explode and scatter bits of itself all over the park. The two decide to race around the park to find the machine parts before night falls and the fireworks show must begin. Every track represents an attraction at Disney World, and winning on each track allows players to advance and yields an all-important Fireworks Machine part for the rebuilding project.Single players or duos may play this game, choosing to race as one of 13 characters. The only recognizable ones are from Disney's B-team: Chip, Dale, and Jiminy Cricket. The rest appear to be created for this game: Tiara Damage, Moe Whiplash, and Baron Karlott are cleverly named, but we wonder why Disney decided not to put Mickey, or at least Pumbaa, in some of these vehicles. A gamepad is optional, but is a nice alternative to the keyboard operation, which requires players to use directional arrows while simultaneously pressing numbers for gas, brakes, power-ups, jumps, and slides. The 13 racetracks, which range from the Haunted Mansion to the Rock 'n Roller Coaster, are chock full of Disneyesque hazards and humor: hitchhiking ghosts, farm animals chewing explosives, roaming dinosaurs. Anyone who's been to Disney World will love revisiting the attractions in their new racetrack format: racing on this CD-ROM's Tomorrowland Speedway is an ironic joyride for anyone who putted along at 2 mph on the original, actual Tomorrowland Speedway. This good-natured racing game is gentle and entertaining enough for younger kids, and experienced speedsters will appreciate it as well, since the only way to progress is to win first place on each track. Disney's grit-and-grease-free racing style might just be a bit too tame for the true gearheads: it just doesn't feel manly to lob Teacup Mines at one's opponents. (Ages 6 and older) --Anne Erickson
| 
