There is no question about the appeal of racing games on the Nintendo Wii. After the massive success of Mario Kart Wii last year, it has honestly been very difficult to see that if Nintendo can actually top itself again. Well, Nintendo has shown that eagerness again. When the Wii got launched in 2006, one of the introduction titles was Excite Truck. the game did a good job at showing the need for speed onto the Wii. But the game was sadly overlooked in place of other titles like Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and the dynamic Wii Sports, which of course came with the system. Well, Nintendo is going to try the racing series yet again, and this time it is a bit stranger than before.

Excitebots: Trick Racing for the Nintendo Wii, brings in the wild, and honestly a bit weird into the gaming, as you race not cars or trucks, but robotic animals. Yes, robotic animals like Bats, Grasshoppers and Beatles. It might seem akward, but it does bring in a new twist in racing. The gameplay does work as it did before with Excite Truck, the way to score and unlock new races, is to perform outrageous stunts like Ring Jumps, perform tricks, and smash your opponents. The graphics look good, but the gameplay is also interesting. You can control the game like you did before with Excite Truck, by steering the controler like it is a wheel, or you can also use the Wii Wheel, which comes with this package, or if you’ve bought Mario Kart Wii.

There are a few new things here that make the game a bit strange. One of the things includes the extra bonuses you get during the race, are from racing stunts like throwing and scoring in darts, from trying to score a bowling strike, to tossing a pie in the clowns’ face. You can also score stars by performing twirls on hanging bars. This requires a lot of control and especially tight timing. The other new feature is the use to play against other racers online through the Wi-Fi. It makes the games a bit interesting, as you score your way first to the finish line, as you and as many as 5 other racers make your way through tracks around the world from Asia, Africa, and Europe.

While there are a lot of new things here, there sadly is a few faults with the game. The first big disadvantage is the control. It can be very tricky at first, but it takes awhile to get used to. Also, unlike Mario Kart Wii, you cannot use the Gamecube or Wii Classic Controllers either. The game mainly uses the Wii-mote. The second disadvantage is the online gaming. While you can race against other Excitebots online, they could’ve allowed it to allow more than just 6 racers for a match.

You can buy Excitebots: Trick Racing with, or without the Wii Wheel definitely. But, if you haven’t bought Mario Kart Wii, you might want to get the expanded version with the Wii Wheel, for a bit more extreme gameplay. Nevertheless, despite a few faults, Excitebots: Trick Racing definitely brings in a bit of weirdness into gameplay that is sure to knock you off your rockers. If you haven’t yet played Excite Truck, than you’ll definitely want a new spin on what makes the Wii extreme with Excitebots: Trick Racing.

Graphics: B

Sound: B

Control: B 1/2-

Fun & Enjoyment: B- for solo; B 1/2- for multiplayer

Overall: B-

My 6 year old son and I can’t stop playing this game. Lots of FUN, it’s not your typical racing game, there is so much to do it keeps you on your toes. We can’t recommend this game enough.

P.S. The Bat is our favorite ExciteBot to use