Gaming Target - Xbox: Mad Dash Racing

Written by Andrew Smith on February 14, 2002

First Impressions: Certainly an original racing concept, but it seems as if the fun was forgotten.

Mad Dash Racing was one of the many unique titles that were available at the launch of the Xbox in November. Although it took a backseat to more high profile racing games like Project Gotham and Nascar Thunder, it must be know that it is a much different game than the other racers out there. In Mad Dash you are set in a cartoonish environment where you compete in races against other odd creatures.

There are three different character classes to choose from in the game: dashers, gliders, and bashers. Each class has a special ability that pertains to their names, dashers run faster, gliders can УglideФ through the air, and bashers can УbashФ their opponents into the ground. So choosing your character for each race can be vital to its outcome. Sometimes combat will hold a bigger role in the race and a basher would work more to your advantage. However, on more open tracks you'll want a dasher to take advantage of your slower opponents.

By winning races you will unlock more characters, each with their own distinct appearance and personality. While they look much different, characters within each character class play very much the same way. During the races you have the ability to use speed bursts, jumps, and grinds on various rails to gain ground. While this might sound like an enjoyable experience, the game turns out to be just the opposite. For some reason the racing gets stale and old after about the first four races. Although, the great course designs do save the game from complete dreadfulness and pull it up from the bowels of mediocrity.

The developers really put great importance into the audio aspects of the game. The cover art is plastered with names of the bands featured in the game's soundtrack, which includes such notables as Moby and Fat Boy Slim. Soundtrack-wise, this is definitely one of the best out there. Sound effects aren't as impressive, and border on adequate just like the bulk of the gameplay.

As you'd expect, the graphics in the game look very good. All of the courses are wonderfully detailed and you will even catch yourself stopping to gawk at the landscapes. The character models and animations are equally as good, though the game does slow down on occasion when there is lots of action on the screen. You will not find the slowdown to be hindering for the most part, and it is normally so little that it could go unnoticeable. Overall, the cartoon-like graphics are one of the highest points in the game.

When it comes to replay, this is a game you will enjoy playing on multiplayer more than not. In the single player mode, the game becomes quite lackluster after the first couple hours of play. If you consistently have friends over to play games, this might be worth a buy to you. But for lonely gamers like myself, it's not a game you will be keeping the dust off for very long.