 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Excitebots: Trick Racing
- Nintendo Wii
- Price: $39.99
- Genre: Racing
Common Sense Media says
High-octane racing game leaves you charmed and breathless.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while there is a bit of fantasy violence, it's only of a cartoon nature. Players will whack others to make them crash so that they can get ahead. This game can be played online, a feature that Common Sense Media does not recommend for anyone under the age of 12 unless supervised.
What's it about?
Nintendo got it right again: EXCITEBOTS: TRICK RACING is indeed exciting, teeth clenchingly, eye-poppingly fun. This new racing game fof the Nintendo Wii takes you through about 50 races from locales around the world as you climb up the ranks from the B-grade bush leagues to a coveted Platinum Cup. The twist? You are controlling zany robotic vehicles that look like animals and far-out insects.
You use the Wiimote or the Wii Wheel to steer through mountains, lakes, and ponds against five other bots. You have turbo boosts and can even do tricks while in the air. If you hook onto a bar and move the Wiimote in a circular motion 10 times to spin your bot like a gymnast on the parallel bars, you can then push it forward to fly through the air like Superman. Sometimes you'll even be able to amble with alacrity on two feet like a human. You'll earn star points as you play, (50 if you come in first) to spend on making your bot cooler looking and more powerful.
Is it any good?
If you liked Mario Kart Wii, you'll enjoy this trick-filled, kooky racing that lets you speed like Sonic through beautifully rendered locales like Kilamanjaro, Egypt, Mexico and more. Each two- or three-minute race (which also can be taken online) affords you thrills galore and the occasional secret route to explore. If you want to be mischievous, you can press the 'A' button to stun your opponents with various items like a hammer, chomping teeth, or a firecracker. Oddly, there's sandwich-making and card-playing as you race, too.
It's not the most innovative game in the world as it's a lot like Mario Kart Wii. And you'll wish steering would be a lot more accurate. You'll also wish the full track would appear on your radar on the left side of the screen instead of only a small portion of it. And you'll wish there was more story for these cute Disney-esque characters to indulge in. Yet with its online capabilities, its booster rocket speed, and the circus-like stunts, there's a lot of replayability in the generally magical Excitebots: Trick Racing.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what kind of Excitebot racer you are most like in real life. Are you more like a speedy, hopping frog or a zippy lady bug? Is there any kind of animal/bot that you'd like to be that isn't in the game? What is it?
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Kid, 10 years old
April 26, 2009
AGE
u should have a user but its hard for everyone to loggin that way..............................................................................................................................................................................................
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Parent of 3 and 6 year old
October 16, 2009
AGE
Take a chance. I think your little ones will like it.
My 3 year old can play it with no problem. He got the hang of it quickly. One minor warning, and it has nothing to do with this game in particular but with all games that focus on "winning", you have to watch to see how losing a race begins to affect your child. My 3 year old went through a short phase where he got very mad or pouted after not winning. He's a very very competitive child. So I don't know if that was just him or what. Anyway, after some time away from the game, and we taught him simply to say, "Oh man." when he lost, that seemed to do the trick and he just loves playing it. The good thing is that you collect stars throughout the game and you get them whether you win or not. The stars allow you to buy different cars and colors. My boys both love that feature.
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Parent of 7 year old
September 11, 2009
AGE
I have a question about this game
I would really like to know why this game is rated 9. I have a 7 year old, and I would like to know if that is OK.
For example, why is Lego Batman and Lego Starwars rated: ON for 8+, but this one is ON 9+)
If the reason is no, I shouldn't buy this for my 7 year old, I would really appreciate a very detailed and logical answer. If anyone would be so kind as to answer my doubt, I would really appreciate it.
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Parent of 7 year old
April 26, 2009
AGE
I laughed
I like too play games with my friends
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Parent of 8 and 10 year old
October 16, 2010
AGE
It you like Excite Truck you will like Excitebots.
A lot like Excite Truck but with crazy bug themed vehicles and new course obstacles. Online play is fun especially if you have a friend that also has the game.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Racing |
| Developer: | Nintendo |
| Release date: | April 20, 2009 |
| Price: | $39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Mild Fantasy Violence (Nintendo Wii) |
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