Beetle Adventure Racing: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: March 24, 1999
Genre: Racing
Style: Miscellaneous Racing
Similar Games: San Francisco Rush Extreme Racing (Nintendo 64), Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA (Nintendo 64)

Game Description

Known for its fine German engineering, the popular Volkswagen Beetle drives its way onto the Nintendo 64 in this exclusive release from Electronic Arts. Beetle Adventure Racing consists solely of 1999-model Beetles, so don't expect to drive any expensive sports cars during play. As the title suggests, the game is a mixture of racing and adventure, where players can see how well they perform on the tracks or venture out to discover the many shortcuts and secrets found off the beaten path.

The adventure element has you searching for three different crates, each offering the following point values: brown crates are worth two points apiece; gray crates are worth five points; and the rare yellow crates are worth ten points apiece. If a player manages to earn a hundred points on a course, a new arena will be unlocked in the multiplayer Beetle Battle mode. If fifty points are earned, players receive an extra continue, meaning they won't start from scratch if they fail to qualify. Also found on the courses are Nitro crates, which provide a temporary boost of speed whenever your car runs over them.

Beetle Adventure Racing offers three modes of play: One Player, consisting of a Single Race, Championship Circuit, and Time Attack; Two Player, a head-to-head race against a friend; and Beetle Battle, where up to four players attempt to find six ladybug icons in one of nine arenas (more can be unlocked during the Championship Circuit). The first player to grab six ladybugs (all must be different colors) and reach the exit wins the game. Yet there are more than just ladybugs inside the arenas!

Players will also find the following power-ups: Mystery (fogs or flips your split-screen view); Health (restores damage); Rockets; Poison (drains health); Mines; Stealers (one ladybug is taken away from an opponent); and Invincibility. Six different courses have you racing along the countryside in Coventry Cove, up and down icy slopes on Mount Mayhem, past dense forests on Inferno Isle, through Egyptian pyramids on Sunset Sands, on urban streets in Metro Madness, and even through spooky caves in the Wicked Woods.

The Championship Circuit has you choosing one of three cars, each rated in top speed, acceleration, and handling. To unlock eight more vehicles, you'll have to win each circuit (Novice, Advanced, Professional, and Bonus), which involves earning more points than the seven drivers forming your competition. In order to save course records and completed circuits, players must have a Controller Pak with four pages free. The game also offers vibration feedback while driving with the Rumble Pak accessory.

~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Before I finally picked up the game, I was expecting Beetle Adventure Racing to be a San Francisco Rush knockoff, only featuring the new Volkswagen Beetle. Boy, was I way off! On the surface it is like San Francisco Rush: You race around tracks looking for shortcuts and bonus items that are not only beneficial, but a lot of fun to discover. The San Francisco Rush series is great fun and thanks to its advancements, this game is able to take the genre to a whole new level.

Firstly, there are shortcuts imbedded into nearly every part of the track. This is what we fans have been asking for--so many shortcuts that you can take only a few during each lap or you'll miss seeing the rest! These aren't pointless shortcuts either; they all have a reason for being there and allow you to stray way off the main course, giving the game a great sense of freedom. They're all exciting too, incorporating perilous drops, blind jumps, and a ton of surprises! While I could ramble on for days about the shortcuts, I don't want to ruin it for anyone, since discovering them is half the game's charm.

The number of shortcuts isn't the only superb feature of the game's courses. There are crates scattered about that offer specific point values, and these points are needed to unlock the game's many secrets. Also impressive is the sheer length of these babies. One of the final tracks, Metro Madness, requires nearly ten minutes of driving to complete all three laps--regardless of how many shortcuts you take.

And with three tournaments (the final one being extremely challenging), single races and time trials all on offer for the solo player, there's plenty to see and do for days on end. Then there are the multiplayer modes, allowing two-player races and up to four-player "Beetle Battles." While the racing is self-explanatory, the Beetle Battle is definitely worth mentioning. Imagine four Beetles dashing around small to large arenas, trying to grab six multicolored icons while beating each other senseless with various weapon crates. Many weeks of rivalry between you and your friends await!

Visually, the game is exceptional with tons of personality in the car models, tracks, and overall presentation. Everything has a polished look and is totally unique: from various snow-covered roads and rolling sand dunes to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and traditional asphalt. Soaking in all the graphic detail is something your eyes will thank you for--a breathtaking look at the Nintendo 64's true power! On a side note, the replays, shown during the records screen, look every bit as good as those found in Gran Turismo on the PlayStation.

There's just so much to cover in this game that it's hard to condense it to even a lengthy review without leaving so much out! I can't recommend this game enough to Nintendo 64 owners who enjoy the San Francisco Rush series or who have been looking for a fun and challenging racing game that never takes itself too seriously. There's a ton of fun to be had in Beetle Adventure Racing--alone, but especially with a gang of friends!