A racing game featuring only Volkswagon Beetles, you say? Released around the same time as the relaunch of the VW Beetle, you say? Glorified product placement, you say? This game looks like a classic example of a game you'd find in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart for $1.50 3 years after the end of the N64's life span. But you can't judge a book by it's cover, so let's jump into a super serious review of this game!
Beetle Adventure Racing is actually a pretty delightful racing game for the N64 that adds a really nice twist on the genre all while reminding us that in general, good games are going to be found and known. I have no idea why I had this game as a kid, but I did, and I loved it! It's not as good as Mario Kart 64, but it's different enough to warrant owning both, and enjoying both. The game has a pretty pleasing and realistic look to it (surprising for the N64), but also has an addictive arcade style of racing more akin to a game like San Francisco Rush rather than Gran Turismo. You'll be crashing through barricades to find secret passages, flying off of jumps hundreds of feet in the air, be driving through volcanoes with dinosaurs lurking outside, and traversing sandy desert dungeons in this one. This adventurous approach is what really sets this game apart from the 100 other racing games on the 64, as the tracks are long, beautiful, and filled with more secrets than you will probably be able to find without help from the internet. The game also rewards trial and error quite a bit, as most shortcuts will unlock different secrets, but will also slow you down. Finding the optimal route through the level, thus, requires a lot of replay, increasing the game's value.
The controls in the game are very good, with the vehicles responding the way that they should, and a physics engine that nicely toes the line between realism and fun, but definitely errs on the side of fun. Completing each new level of the championship mode unlocks newer, faster cars (just more Beetles with different colors and decals, but still). There's a fun battle mode that you can play with your friends that is honestly nearly as good as Mario Kart 64's but not quite. It's definitely a different approach, though, and is really very good.
The music and sounds are both really good, with rewarding sound effects upon finding secrets (getting a nitro box results in a delightful woohoo!) and a really nice soundtrack that fits the game very well.
The game could probably use a diversity of cars, although I find this to be one of its quirky charms. It also could use a more gradual difficulty curve, as the first two levels of difficulty are extremely easy, while the last two are nearly impossible without having a perfect race. I also didn't like that at the beginning of the game, very few tracks are unlocked, although they're long. Unlocking all of them will take a ton of practice, which few people are likely going to be willing to do.
All in all, Beetle Adventure Racing is a reminder to all of us that just because something sounds dumb, doesn't mean it is. The deck was completely stacked against this game from the get go, but the developers managed to produce a quality experience that you'll find yourself engaged with from start to finish. I'll give it an 8.6/10.
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