You may have heard of this game, due to famous people such as Game Grumps already reviewing it. But let’s take this from the point of view of someone who grew up with it. For a seven year old girl, this was the bomb. At least, the GameCube version was – I do not know if the PlayStation 2 version is the same.
From the title, we know that the game is based around driving and aimed at kids yearning for freedom and teenagery things. The whole game consists of mini games, there really is no story line. But like any other game, you can become attached to the characters: Claire, Tiffany, Mary-Kate, and Ashley. Yes, this game is actually aimed for girls due to there only being girls as options for players.
The game is ideal for anybody who prefers a quick-match type game, one you don’t have to try so hard at or keep up with a story line. It’s been compared to Mario Party but it’s more for girls or teenagers that just want to chill and play a game. The map is similar to Mario Party, for you travel from panel to panel, but the mini games are quite different and it’s a care-free game consisting of hot girls and boys driving and feeling young.
Some people have actually tried to compare the GBA version of this game to any GTA game, but there aren’t any violent acts or strippers in this kid game – only driving.
On the soundtrack, I can’t actually talk that up, but will say it is very edgy, different from the modern era’s But first let me take a selfie type lyrics. The music does fit the whole freedom and teenager girl vibe, which the game was going for, so that’s a plus.
I think the graphics fit the game nicely. They have the cartoony feel to them, similar to the Zelda game The Wind Waker. The maps for the game are very detailed and appropriately fit the environments. A lot of the mini-games are based on driving skill, so they feature cones as part of the map to practice accuracy in steering. Another visual note is that Mary-Kate and Ashley are clearly distinguished by color: blue for Mary-Kate, the tomboyish one, and red for Ashley, the more girly twin.
I can honestly say that even if this doesn’t appeal to most gamers, it is actually pretty entertaining, if not to play, to laugh at. Characters were clearly defined and had variety, there were many mini-games available, and there was competition for players who like to win. Maps were customized to fit the scene and the music fit the whole mood of the game: freedom and a sort of pop-punk girly feel.
The intention and the audience were well-defined and, even though I am a hardcore gamer, I considered picking this game up again, just to play the mini-games and have a good laugh. It’s a stress reliever, no waste of money there.
Screenshot courtesy TeraPatrick2008 at Gamefaqs.
