GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 07/31/2000
- Updated on: 05/17/2006
- Released on: 07/19/2000
- Originally published on GameSpot: Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (Dreamcast) Review
Infogrames' Wacky Races was supposed to be the first kart-style racer on the Dreamcast, but a few gameplay quirks made it more like an F1 simulation than a fun cartoon romp. Thanks to Eidos, however, the Dreamcast finally has its first true kart racer: Walt Disney World Quest - Magical Racing Tour. It seems Chip and Dale wandered too close to the theme park's magical fireworks machine one day, accidentally dumping some acorns into it. As a result, the machine went kablooie. To fix it, they have to compete in a series of races to reacquire the parts. While the premise is unrealistic, you certainly can't call it unoriginal. Despite the unique plot twist, though, Magical Racing Tour is mainly a Disney-licensed duplicate of Mario Kart.
Magical Racing Tour's homage to Mario Kart begins with its features. There are two racing modes, adventure and versus. The adventure mode lets you take control of one of 12 Disney characters in order to help Chip and Dale repair the magical fireworks machine. Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Goofy are absent, but the presence of Chip, Dale, and Jiminy Cricket gives the game some semblance of brand familiarity. In order to fix the machine, you must place first in all 13 of the game's courses, which are loosely based on real Walt Disney World rides, such as Splash Mountain, Dinosaur, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Nine of the game's courses contain parts for the fireworks machine, while the rest enable you to unlock hidden characters and other secrets. In versus mode, you and three friends can compete against one another in two types of races: a three-lap challenge or a 30-coin challenge. Unlike Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing, however, this mode lacks battle arenas.
When you get into the actual game, Magical Racing Tour's similarities to Mario Kart become even stronger. You begin each race alongside five other drivers. To control your racer, you accelerate with A, brake with B, steer with the analog, use the L trigger to fire power-ups and the R trigger to jump. Powerslides, drifting, and "super dashes" behave exactly as in both Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing. Several different types of Mickey balloons dot the track at regular intervals, and - just as with the question blocks in Mario Kart - these balloons give you a number of power-ups. For the most part, these acorn and teacup power-ups behave exactly like Mario Kart's turtle shells, stars, bananas, and ghosts. Literally, the only major gameplay difference between Magical Racing Tour and the rest of the genre is that it plays twice as fast.
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