The New Beetle Makes an Impression on the Nintendo 64

Some people wonder what the best racing game is for Nintendo 64. Some say it is Rush 2049. Others say it is Cruisin' Exotica or Cruisin' the world. I believe the best car racing game for Nintendo 64 is none other that Beetle Adventure Racing. Beetle Adventure Racing in my opinion is the most under rated game out of all the racing games there are in Nintendo 64. Although this game has only six races, each one of them is a world in its own. The gameplay of this game is pretty good too. You can maneuver your selected beetle easily through the first few levels of the game and then it gets challenging. While looking out for raging dinosaurs and giant boulders you also have to worry about beating all of your opponents. This game has it all.

My favorite part about the game Beetle Adventure Racing is the excellent races. The races give away so much detail and are so long. Each race has amazing shortcuts and secrets that are hidden everywhere. When I first started playing this game I thought the races where easy and boring. That was before a realized that you can go anywhere you want in the whole level. For example on the first level, Coventry Cove, you can go off of a jump and land inside a big castle to explore. The six exciting free for all levels starts out with Coventry Cove. Coventry Cove is a nice country level with a barn you can smash the doors off of, a train track you can ride on top of and a big castle to explore. If you can successfully complete the level Coventry Cove, you will be awarded a new level called Mount Mayhem. Mount Mayhem is one of my favorite levels in the game. It is a snow level where you can go off a ski jump, wreck some snowmen and crash through a frozen waterfall. After you slide through the finish on Mount Mayhem you will be awarded the level Inferno Isle. Inferno Isle is the most detailed races in the game. There is a fire breathing volcano with a temper and a secret jump that can lead all the way up to the top of the volcano. The next level that you will be awarded is Sunset Sands. Sunset Sands is an Egyptian looking level with giant temples and sand dunes to drive across. The next two levels I want you be surprised about when you get there the levels are Metro Madness and Wicked Woods. Metro Madness is a city level with a gigantic ramp. Wicked Woods is forestry halloween-ish races with tons of spooky surprises. As you can see there is a lot to say about the levels in Beetle Adventure Racing.

The gameplay in this game is great. I haven't seen a single glitch yet and the controls are great. To steer in this game you undoubtedly use the control stick. To use the gas or speed up is the A button. The B button is the brake. R is shift up on manual transmission. To shift down on manual transmission you use Z. To reverse you press A and Z at the same time. The horn is C right. To use the hand break is C down. Looking back is left C and to change the camera angle is up C. One unique thing about this Beetle Adventure Racing is an ability called the power slide. You do this on a turn by tapping the breaks while accelerating on a turn. If it works correctly you will only have two wheels on the ground and you will make a pretty good turn. One of the down falls in this game is without doing the power break you can't turn very well at all.

When you first enter the game you get to the main menu. On the top of the main menu is the 1 player mode. This is where you compete against a bunch of computer cars and try to earn new races and secrets. Next is the two player mode where you engage in a head to head two player game with a friend. Then under that is the Beetle Battle which is 4 player frenzy with great weapons and cool power ups. The goal of the battle is to be the first to collect six different colored bugs. You can also destroy your opponents causing them to loose a bug. The items that you use in Beetle Battle are bombs, mystery boxes, rockets, stealing missiles, health boxes, and invincibility. When you use bombs you can drop one on the ground and when a player runs into one they blow up. Mystery boxes make strange stuff happen to each player’s screens. They may become foggy or upside down. Rockets can be shot at opponents and they will blow-up after a few shots. Stealing missiles take any item your opponent has and gives it to you once they are hit. Health boxes give you health and invincibility makes you invincible.

Overall I believe this is a great game for Nintendo 64. It has everything that I want and need in a racing game. This game is great for everyone!!!