Cars: Mater-National (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Given that PIXAR comes under the Disney umbrella it may seem odd that THQ have always published their games, but that's the way it's always been and Disney's entry into the publishing arena has been quite recent. Another unique part of the deal is the option to also produce a game as a 'sequel' to the original movie tie-in (Ratatouille will see a 'Food Frenzy' sequel next year), which brings us neatly to Mater-Nation, the sequel to Cars. Some gamers were disappointed with Cars as it had little in the way of actual racing, instead Hexile gave us a selection of well produced mini-games. It wasn't not exactly what gamers wanted. So, have the developers got it right this time?

Gameplay

In essence Mater-Nation is your run-of-the-mill racer with some 17 races spread over 14 locations. While some of these appear to be simple races, others challenge you to locate the Golden Wheel. These unlock extra cars and paint jobs and are generally discovered beyond secret paths off the main track. Once there you'll have to complete a series of jumps and avoidance techniques in order to win your prize. Other than the races there are also a handful of Challenges and using the same tracks you may have to Hunt for Trophies or Beat the Clock. There's even Elimination but given that this is what you are doing in the main races it does seem a little pointless. Elsewhere there's the incredible multiplayer, which allows four players to compete with a single copy of the game. Better still you can select any car or track so long as it has been unlocked first. I'm sure no-one requires convincing just how generous this is, it's just a shame more developers don't include this feature.

Controls

Simple arcade style controls with the usual gas, brake, left and right. A little more challenging to use is the Nitro which is only availably if you full up the gauge by drifting around corners. This isn't always easy and you'll occasionally find that even though you are attempting to drift your car will stick to the road like glue.

Graphics

Tantalus have always been good with visuals and here they've done a wonderful job of capturing the look and feel of the original movie. There's also some nice design work with the tracks expertly laid out to avoid any nasty pop-ups. Elsewhere there are a whole host of cut screens that push the 'story' along nicely as well as a spattering of FMV introducing the whole story.

Sound

While the music is probably best described as generic soft rock there are some nice sound effects and a generous amount of voice over work by the original actors. This adds tremendously to the overall atmosphere of the game and I'm sure I don't need to convince anyone that more movie tie-in games should have this.

Dual screen

Other than allowing you to zoom in and out of your map, there's not an awful lot happening here.

Final comments

While Mater-Nation is considerably better than the original collection of mini-games it still misses the mark because of its simplicity. That's not to say that it hasn't been expertly programmed but the fact that you can win each race and uncover all the extras on the first attempt does shorten the game's lifespan. A difficulty setting would have gone some way to rectify this but there are still enough tracks, challenges and the Multi-player to keep you occupied for some considerable time. This game is more aimed towards the younger gamer and anyone wanting a more challenging racer should probably look to Juiced 2 or the latest Need for Speed.

Pro: Great Visuals, Single Cart Multiplayer.
Con: Much Too Easy, Little Touch Screen Use.
Final score: 7.2

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