EA have done well with the MySims franchise on the Wii. The franchise is a very nice fit on the Wii, and while there have been some stumbles along the road, for the most part, the series has offered enjoyable family entertainment for the better part of the Wii’s life cycle. This time, the charming Sims-lite experience is back, and it’s taking on a very different genre: Kart-racing. So, can a group of highly customizable characters take the crown from a certain plumber and his friends? Let’s check it out.

Gameplay

The Wii and DS versions of MySims racing are very similar to each other when it comes to the basics. Let’s face it; kart-racing is a fairly limited genre when it comes down to it. The formula is very difficult to stray from. In any variation of this type of game, the essentials are always there: colourful characters, zany tracks, and of course, insane power-ups. In spite of the formula being so rigid, there are features that adds to the genre ,and helps differentiate it from the other racers out there.


The Wii version features a fairly lengthy single-player story mode. One of the town’s founders has gone missing, after being challenged to a race by the owner of an evil corporation. Since then, the town is a shell of its former self. That is, until you arrive. You’ll be playing an up and coming racer.

To do that, you first have to customize yourself, and the car you want to race. It’s here that MySims really sets itself apart from the other kart games out there. You’re given a ton of options to customize your Sim right off the bat and the options here are fairly satisfying to play around with. Hair-style, eyes, mouth, and clothes are all customizable. If you’ve played previous MySims games, you’re not likely to be surprised by this, but it’s still a very neat feature that lets you play around with your character and have some fun in creating some pretty cool looking Sims.

Once you’re done customizing your Sim, it’s on to your car. Much like your Sim, there are a fair few options to go through to make your car look just the way you want it. Instead of starting out with just one car, you actually have three cars that you can play around with. Everyone starts out with a small, medium and large sized car. Each has its own distinct advantages, and the cosmetic changes mean that you can make each one as individual as your imagination will let you. Now, as this is a game for the younger set, you can imagine the options are a little less ordinary than just spoiler options and the like. You can customize each car’s body, wheels, and add hood ornaments that range from standard looking pieces, to the fully ridiculous, but fun garden gnome. Anything that you can possibly think of that’s out of the ordinary is here to help make your car stand out from the others in town.

It doesn’t end there, however, as there is the option to unlock different parts for your car. Upgrades that make your car faster, handle better or make it heavier and able to take more abuse are unlocked as you progress through the story. These upgrades may seem a bit shallower than the likes of Need For Speed, but honestly, for a kart racer, this is a pretty deep and satisfying system. Each car can share certain upgrades, so if you’ve got a bronze engine, and the others are using a basic, you can pop the bronze engine into your other rides to upgrade the speed. Some parts will benefit certain cars better than others, so it’s up to you to find the best combination to suit each ride. Honestly, the amount of customization here is pretty surprising and adds an incredible amount of value to the game, as it’s just so much fun to make the craziest, fastest, or toughest combinations available.


After you’ve customized your ride, it’s on to the track, but of course, you’re going to have to pass some tests first. Ol’ Gabby will want to test out just how well you drive, and it’s here that you’ll get a feel for the controls. Much like Mario Kart, MySims Racing allows you to use whatever control method you feel most comfortable with. This includes the Wii Wheel method, Wii-mote and nunchuk combo, or even the Gamecube and classic controller. Using the Wii Wheel is a fun option, but it does tend to sacrifice some accuracy in certain event types. Collection missions will pose the biggest problem here as the turns required in some areas are quite tight even using the drift feature, so it may take some practice, but it should only prove a minor frustration once you master the controls. If you’re having too much trouble, it’s always nice to have the other control options available.

In story-mode, MySims Racing includes a fair number of time trials and collection missions to complete.Completing these and winning races will gain you Essence coins and blue-prints, which allow you to build new parts for your carIt also increases the amount people will like you, which if you can max out, will unlock special blue-prints that increase performance, or unlock unique upgrades that you won’t be able to get from anyone else. Overall the story-mode offers quite a bit of content, but doesn’t stray too far from the kart racing formula, at all. Essentially, it doesn’t offer much new when it comes to the core mechanics of the genre, but the customization system alone is worth checking it out, and the racing is solid, if not groundbreaking.

Graphics & Sound

Level designs throughout the game are kept fairly simple. If you’ve ever played a MySims game before you’ll know what to expect. The environments aren’t cluttered with unnecessary detail. It’s a basic, but clean look that offers a nice cartoon-ish aesthetic. The only problem with the levels themselves is that they’re just too vanilla to really compete with other kart-racing games. Admittedly, man-eating piranha plants might suit the atmosphere presented here, but a little more variety couldn’t hurt, especially in the early going. The overhead view of the map could stand to be a bit clearer, however, as the icons that represent missions can sometimes be too close together and give the map a more cluttered and disorganized feel.

Character models are consistently adorable, looking like slightly more detailed Mii’s. Vehicles look great, and with the amount of customization on offer, you can make some truly unique looking vehicles. Overall, the cars have more character than the levels themselves, which might be something to work on for the next iteration.

The audio is the one area that just doesn’t fit with the rest of the game. While everything else is quite solid, the Sim-lish speak is cute, but doesn’t offer a whole lot to comment on. Yes, the series does rely on this to make it a MySims product, but it’s still not a stellar audio feature when it comes down to it. The music is suitable, though a tad on the bland side. Overall, the music was inoffensive, but nothing remarkable to set it apart from the pack.

Value

While the story mode should keep you busy for a fair bit of time, there’s also a quick race feature, and split-screen multiplayer. Unfortunately, there is no online mode on offer here, which is a disappointing omission, considering EA has had some success with creating a solid online system for the Wii. For now, split-screen will have to do, but EA really need to step it up if they want to compete with Nintendo’s portly plumber, next time.

Conclusion

MySims Racing might not be the top kart racer on the Wii, but it’s deep customization and solid racing definitely make it worth a look. If you’ve played out Mario Kart and are looking for something that offers similar solid mechanics with a little more flair for customization, you can’t go wrong here.