mapaquette's Full Review: Rumble Racing for PlayStation 2
If you are looking for a car racing game of nuance and strategy, look elsewhere. If you want to drive a car really fast, do cool stunts, and blow up your opponents, then Rumble Racing is a great choice.
Rumble Racing follows the same theme as several other cartoonish racing games lately: drive fast and collect power-ups that make you go faster or slow down your competitors. Rumble Racing adds a twist: while in the air, performing stunts give you a speed boost. The more elaborate the stunt, the longer the speed boost.
Rumble Racing implements this theme competently. Graphics and animation, while not sharing Gran Turismo 3's hyper-realism, is smooth and fast. The cars have a good mix of hot-rod caricature and realism. The scenery, from night-lit industrial to bright, sunny sandy courses and several in between, are rich with variety and detail.
Adding to the fun is the commentator. His repertoire of funny insults and coaxing is large enough not to be repetitive, but can be annoying. Luckily, you can tone him down or turn him off completely. The music is not especially remarkable. The sound effects are better, working well with the fast action on the screen.
Playing the game is great fun for hardcore gamers and newbies alike. I have spent countless hours unlocking cars and tracks by using stunts and well-placed power ups to win races. A good friend, a self-described Luddite, loved playing the game, too. She did not have to worry about things like "brakes" and turning corners properly. Press the X button hard and steer. Jumps, bumps, smashes, and a few silly remarks from the commentator entertained her immensely.
Her favorite power-up, the tornado, is well done and fun to watch. Launching it against your opponents starts by darkening the sky as a huge tornado touches ground ahead of your car, sweeping up competitor's cars and other debris in the process. Other power-ups can slow down your competitors by temporarily giving them bad gasoline, prevent them from steering by freezing them, throw rocks in their path, and other nasty, fun things.
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