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It's hard to say exactly when Legos started copping an attitude. Regardless of when it happened, though, there's no question that the Lego people have worked tirelessly to create an edgy image for their brand of interlocking toy building blocks. If you're looking for proof, look no further than Drome Racers, a futuristic racing game that uses actual Lego Racer-brand car designs. Why, exactly, Drome Racers came to be, and why Electronic Arts waited almost a year after the release of the PS2 and PC versions to bring it to the GameCube, isn't quite clear. One thing is for certain, though: Whether you fondly recall building little medieval castles and moon bases with your Legos, or this is your first exposure to the brand, Drome Racers probably won't leave you with a very glowing opinion of futuristic racing games or the Lego brand.
Drome Racers features all the trappings of your average futuristic racer, with a couple of dirt tracks thrown in for good measure.
Developer ATD obviously did its homework and played plenty of Wipeout, and perhaps some off-road racing games, as Drome Racers features all the trappings of your average futuristic racer, with a couple of dirt tracks thrown in for good measure. As is expected from the genre, you're presented with a career mode consisting of increasingly difficult racing leagues. The game also throws in the occasional challenge, in which you'll face a single opponent in a one-off race. Another curious deviation from the futuristic racer formula is the qualifying drag race. Before each set of races, you're given the chance to improve your starting position through a series of drag races. Though, if you already have a good starting position, or you just don't care, the qualifying races are entirely optional.
Your standard race usually goes three laps, and each track is chock-full of speed-boosting pads, health pick-ups, and offensive power-ups. The offensive power-ups appear in the form of a floating red orb, and most of the weapons are pretty standard stuff. You'll get mines, guided and unguided missiles, and so on. There are some unique power-ups, like the flare attack, which blinds your opponents for a few seconds, or the repulsor, which turns your car into a hovercraft, giving you better speed and handling, but even with these unique touches, Drome Racers just feels like it's going through the motions. What little originality it has, like the qualifying drag races, is seriously underplayed, and most of the experience comes off as generic.
