MySims Racing

What’s the Story?

The latest entry in Electronic Arts' MySims franchise -- a series of games with features vaguely resembling those of the Sims games (including avatar customization and freedom of exploration) but geared for children -- MYSIMS RACING is a fairly standard kart racing game. Players strap on the goggles of a rookie race car driver who just arrived in Speedville, a town once renowned for its beautiful race tracks but which has fallen into disrepair since the disappearance of its benefactor ten years ago. Your goal is to keep the town from being turned into a landfill by helping its citizens with a variety of tasks that take the form of races, including time trials, item collection challenges, and even full-fledged championship competitions.

Is It Any Good?

MySims Racing may not have tracks or vehicles that are as pretty or imaginative as those found in Nintendo's lauded Mario Kart games. And its motion-sensitive controls, which are cumbersome at first but become more manageable as your cars are upgraded, could frustrate impatient players. But, MySims Racing is still one of the better kiddy racers to come along in some time.

A wealth of customization options earned by winning races will keep players tinkering with their rides for hours. Plus, there are plenty of fun and clever little power-ups never before seen in a kart racer, such as a twister that can spin the screen upside down and throw players for a loop, and an acorn players can toss into the road that will sprout into a giant tree directly in the path of other racers. It's definitely worth a look for boys and girls who get a kick out of kart racing.