MySims Racing

MySims Racing
PAl cover art
Developer(s)	Artificial Mind & Movement
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Distributor(s)	EA Distribution Nintendo
Series	The Sims
Engine	Havok (Wii)
Platform(s)	Wii, Nintendo DS
Release date(s)	Nintendo DS, Wii NA June 8, 2009 EU June 19, 2009 AUS June 19, 2009
Genre(s)	Racing Life simulation Sandbox (DS only)
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E OFLC: G PEGI: 3+
Media/distribution	Wii Optical Disc Nintendo DS Game Card

MySims Racing is a go-kart/car racing video game developed by Electronic Arts as a spin-off from its trademark The Sims series of simulation games. The title is developed and it was released on June 9, 2009 ^[1] for the Nintendo DS and Wii.

Though similar to Mario Kart, the game offers some unique gameplay features, such as a Story Mode (similar to the rebooted Need for Speed series), basic car and character customization, and the ability to transfer cars to and from Wii Remotes.

Game features

Base Vehicle Types

• Compacted - The compact class is zippier, handles great and accelerates nicely too. The downside is they are very light therefore against a bumping opponent they will tend to get pushed around a little more on the tracks.
• Mid-Size - The mid size vehicles are a step up in performance, weight and handling when compared to the compact class.
• Large - The large class consists of trucks, SUV’s and a van. The obvious differences are that these vehicles are very heavy and tend to bully opponents off the tracks. Their downsides are they tend to accelerate very slow and do not handle as well as the compact karts.
• Advice - Heavier cars tend to drift more while lighter cars handle well.

Customization categories

• Performance Upgrades – There are four categories in which you can upgrade the karts performance attributes including Engine, which affects top speed and acceleration; Frame, which affects weight and acceleration; Handling; and Special. Special upgrades are given to a player when they win Gold Medals in any given challenge. They can affect all of the above.
• Styling Upgrades – Choose from different Body Types, Front Bumpers, Front Headlights and Grill Assembly, Front Hood Ornaments, Side View Mirrors, Rear Accessories, Rear Tail Lights, Rear Bumpers, Wheels and Horns.
• Paint Shop – Choose from dozens of colors and then add a door decal such as a Skull, Star, Lightning Bolt, Paw, Flames, Checkered, #8, Kitten, Bowtie, Butterfly, Heart, Flower, Wings, Octopus, Ninja Star, Snail, Bunny Luv, Radio Active, Hawaiian Flower and Soccer Ball.
• Create A Sim – There are multiple MySim Attribute categories to customize including Hair Style, Hair Color, Eyes, Voice, Name Your Sim, Skin Color, Mouth, Goggles (Eyewear) and Outfits.

Power-ups

The game features a large array of Power-ups (similar to the "items" of Mario Kart) which can be used during races to hinder rivals. Here is the list of Power-ups that appear in the game, along with their effects:

• Melon Accelerator - Wipes out other racer.
• Pumpkin Catapult - Creates slippery puddle and or obscures vision of other player.
• Beehive Trail - Honey trail to slow down other players.
• Soccer Balls - This allows you to shoot up to three bouncing Soccer Balls. Any opponent hit by one of them will go into a wipeout.
• Bubble Dropper - Momentary traps victims.
• Seed Thrower - Forms tree in road.
• Force Field - The Force Field surrounds your car with sturdy shields that keep you safe from most items for a short time. The Force Field can also be used as a battering ram, which will send the opponent in to a wipeout upon impact.
• Tornado Inverter - This will turn the view of opponents ahead of you upside-down for a limited time, making it harder for them to maneuver their vehicles.
• Bunny Luv - This power-up summons a cupid-like bunny to shower opponents' windshield ahead of you with love, temporarily blocking their field of vision with a multitude of hearts.
• UFO - Using the UFO will allow you to get a free ride as it zooms along the race track.
• F-Energy Zap - This will send out a burst of F-Energy, overloading the engines of opponents ahead of you to temporarily reduce their speed and prevent them from boosting.
• F-Energy Storm - Your boost meter fills with large amounts of F-Energy for a limited amount of time. Use it while you have it!
• Bottle of Soda - Sends you flying for a limited amount of time.

Characters

The following are characters featured in the Nintendo Wii version of MySims Racing.

Racers

• Brandi
• Chaz McFreely
• DJ Candy "Supergroove"
• Dr F
• Fire Chief Ginny
• King Roland
• Makoto
• Mel the Mummy
• Morcubus
• Ol' Gabby
• Sir Charles
• Star
• T.O.B.O.R.
• Violet Nightshade
• Your custom made racer

Business owners

• Chef Gino Deplicioso
• Chef Watanabe/Sachiko Watanabe
• Dolly Dearheart
• Goth Boy
• Madame Zoey
• Master Arand
• Agent Poppy Flowers
• Professor Nova
• Agent Marshall

Business owners

• Roxie Road
• Samurai Bob
• Shirley
• Travis
• Trevor Verily
• Vic Vector

Others

• Esma (MorcuCorp Employee)
• Gonk (Islander)
• Luis (MorcuCorp Employee)
• Roger (MorcuCorp Employee)
• Sir Vincent Skullfinder (MorcuCorp Employee)
• Summer (Starter Girl)
• Grandma Ruthie (Resident)

Reception

The game recivied positive reviews among critics. GameSpot gave the Wii version 7.5, praising the games customization and new style of kart racing, however was let down by the game having no online multiplayer.^[2] The DS version recivied 7.0 from GameSpot. It was praised for its fun customization options, story mode mixes up the standard kart-racing formula and its crisp, vibrant visuals both in and out of races. However felt the games 'Story mode' was too long.^[3]

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/driving/mysimsracing/review.html
3. ^ http://uk.gamespot.com/ds/driving/mysimsracing/review.html

External links

• MySims Racing Official Website
• MySims Racing on MySims Wiki, an external wiki