Mini Motor Racing X Review
Fast Facts
Mini Motor Racing X
Developer: The Binary Mill
Publisher: NextGen Reality
Website: www.thebinarymill.com/mini_motor_racing_x.php
Genre: Racing, Arcade
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: PEGI 3
Release Date: 17/09/2020
Price: £17.99
A code was provided for review purposes.
From Mobile to Switch
Mini Motor was released in 2011 on Android, and I remember it well… After purchasing a new phone I was looking for a little racer to download, and I came across Mini Motor which reminded me so much of Micro Machines. Fast forward to the present day; I noticed a few weeks ago that it had appeared on the Nintendo Switch eShop with a new name and fresh coat of paint, so I needed to check it out again!
There is quite a lot to do in Mini Motor Racing X so let’s take a brief look at what’s included.
Career Mode
The career mode sees you choosing one of 22 different vehicles from a police car to school bus, each car having its own statistics (note some cars are locked at the very beginning). Each vehicle also has its own unique paint jobs… and some look very familiar like the A-Team van and the Mystery Machine, to name a few.
Earning cash in races allows you to upgrade your chosen vehicle in one of four different categories, including handling, nitrous, acceleration and top speed. You really need to upgrade your vehicles though because as you progress the speed category will change; you’ll be left behind if you don’t regularly upgrade throughout the championships.
Apart from classic mode, there’s an all-new Type-X mode which changes things up by adding in new weapons each lap to disrupt your enemies. Throw a spanner which ricochets across the track, or activate a shield to protect yourself from incoming damage. It’s a fun little mode to play alongside the standard championship mode and can be activated in quick races.
There are also four different championships to play in Standard and Type-X, and there are a total of 52 tracks with different day or night effects and reverse tracks too. Tracks will take you from coastal towns to an old ruin at night, to a bustling airport, so there’s plenty of variety.
One of many great extras is that you can play the career mode in co-op with up to 2 players, which can be played in split-screen or like the old days in a Micro Machines style single camera view. Or for some chaotic matches with friends you can try the quick race option with up to 4 players.
Arcade Mode
Arcade mode is full of new additions that weren’t available in the mobile version when I first played years ago. It’s great to see the developers adding in additional content for the Switch version, which in my books is always appreciated. There are several modes you can play:
Time Trial
Time trial is your typical good old fashioned race around the track to get the best possible time. (Note: Online leaderboards do appear for some tracks)
Bumper Ball
Bumper Ball is a new addition which plays very similar to Rocket League where you must try and score points by hitting a massive football into the opposite goal. You can change the speed of play to low, medium, or high, and set up teams either using AI characters or by inviting friends locally or online. There’s only a single-stage to play on though which is a shame, it’s still a nice extra to have and play in multiplayer.
Micro Motor
Micro Motor is a take on Micro Machines which brings back a lot of fond memories. Here you can select a car and track, and choose either standard racing or Type-X which allows you to use weapons. Then, speed around tracks at full speed as though you were a toy car. It’s thrilling, really fast, and one of my favourite modes.
There’s also a custom mode allowing you to create your own experience with a variety of options.
Racing
The racing in Mini Motor Racing X is pretty tight, in my opinion. After starting a race, each track feels pretty distinct from each other. And your car is pretty nippy, handling pretty well. You can use nitrous by collecting canisters dotted around the track for speed bursts to get ahead of the competition.
You can also change to 7 different view-points during races. Changing how you view the track is a nice addition, especially in the first-person viewpoint. It really gives you a new perspective when driving. You can turn your vehicle with the left analogue stick, accelerate with ZR, and reverse with the ZL trigger. Racing feels great to me, as the different environments have different terrain like snow, water, ramps and mud, making each race feel different and unique.
Online Play – Friend Lobby and Single
Mini Motor Racing X also supports online play which allows you to jump into a random game quickly or open up a friend’s list allowing you to invite friends directly from your Switch’s friend list, which is really useful. The usual game modes are available here including co-op career, party mode, quick race, bumper ball and micro mode.
However, I haven’t found many races online at this time of writing, which is my only real issue with Mini Motor Racing X.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics in Mini Motor Racing X are actually really nice, and it feels like you’re racing in mini dioramas, which I really like. There are a lot of little visual details when driving around tracks which is cool. The new viewpoints are also are a fantastic addition. Overall, visually the game is pretty solid.
The music is pretty upbeat, keeping you focused on the action with a variety of different types of tracks to listen to. I especially like the menu music.
Verdict
I really liked Mini Motor Racing X on the Nintendo Switch; the newly added content adds extra value to the package and racing is fun and thrilling, with the new points of view being a favourite of mine, the mini motor mode that reminds me of Micro Machines. Co-op online play with friends is great, and I really love Bumper Ball mode when playing locally.
Online is there, but I’ve found it difficult to find matches which is my only real gripe here.
If you’re looking for a little mini racing experience, then look no further… Mini Motor Racing X is exactly what you need!
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Mini Motor Racing X for the Nintendo Switch at the following link: Nintendo eShop
