Cars

Game review by Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media
Cars Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Kids will love racing with their favorite cars.

Xbox 360, PSP, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance 2006
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 5+

Based on 15 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that there is little to worry about with this racing game. The story mode has two difficulty levels: a shorter game for younger kids, and a more-challenging game for older kids. The movie's youngest fans will have trouble operating the controls; the game is really only operable for players 7 and up. The PC version is available only at Target.

Community Reviews

jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
June 3, 2022
age 7+

Will be enjoyed by people of all ages!

I’m an adult and I still play this game to this day! It is one of the greatest video games I have ever encountered! I recommend it to kids, teens, and even adults, but the main adults who would like this game are ones like me who grew up playing it. The only concern I have for kids is one race called “Delinquent Road Hazards”, which is where Lightning is bullied by four punk neon cars, and those same cars come later after that and steal Lightning’s gear from Mack’s trailer, but Lightning gets his gear back and they are ultimately brought to justice. Also, Chick Hicks is another bully who is cocky and never seems to develop a friendship with Lightning, even though this story takes place after the movie. Even with all that said, I still recommend it to kids and older. Despite Wingo, Boost, DJ, Snot Rod, and Chick being antagonists of the game, there are still plenty of positive role models for children to follow, like Lightning, Mater, Sally, Doc, and everyone else from Radiator Springs. This will always be a classic game for me.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
Martin N.
Martin N. Adult
April 19, 2020
age 5+

chilled

a nice chilled out racer with rockabilly music also keyboard maping is good

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

There is some story in CARS, but the core activity is racing and driving cars: Kids put the pedal to the metal in more than 25 races on a variety surfaces. In story mode, players drive and race their way around Radiator Springs and the vast Ornament Valley -- powersliding, jumping, and even driving backward along the way. During pit stops, players race through a variety of Mini games, painting their vehicles or sneaking into the fields with Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) to do \"Tractor Tipping,\" for example. As kids make their way through the story, they unlock content that can thereafter be played separately in the arcade and vs. modes.

Is It Any Good?

Fans of Disney/Pixar's animated Cars will enjoy this video game of the same name. It's set right after the movie's plot, and kids are sure to delight in recognizing the characters and voices (Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, and the rest of the cast reprise their roles). Kid testers spun out occasionally, but in general they thought the race controls were on the money. The two modes (a shorter game for younger kids, and a more-challenging game for older kids) make this a nice choice for families.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which of the 10 playable characters they like to be. Does this game look like the movie? What's your favorite race, and what's your favorite Mini game? Parents of older kids may want to discuss the appeal of movie-based video games and how these games promote the movie.

Game Details

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