Penny Racers (Nintendo 64)

This article is about the Nintendo 64 video game. For more uses see Choro Q video games.

Penny Racers
Developer(s)	Locomotive Games
Publisher(s)	THQ JP Takara
Series	Choro Q series
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Release date(s)	JP July 17, 1998 NA February 10, 1999 PAL February 19, 1999
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E

Penny Racers is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 it was released in 1998. The game is part of the Japanese racing game series Choro Q and is known by the name Choro Q 64 in Japan. (Japanese title: チョロＱ64). The game had a Nintendo 64 sequel released only in Japan, Choro Q 64 2: Hachamecha Grand Prix Race. It is a customizable racer game, it has a total of 114 Parts, arranged in eight categories. To save your car and unlocked parts you will need a Controller Pak.

Car Body types 14
Engine types 25
Tire variations 12
Brake types 9
Suspension styles 10
Armor types 8
Extra Parts 21
Special weapon items 15

Gameplay

Of all the collectible parts in the game 8 of them the player has when starting, 12 of them are Special Upgrade items that are unlocked when the player meets a required accomplishment in A Class of the 'Race Series' Mode. There are four Class type of race, Class C, Class B, Class A, and Class AA. "You start the game in Class C. You can move up to the next Class when you come in 3rd Place or better on all courses." ^[1] After beating all 9 tracks the next Class is unlocked, the tracks remain the same but the items the player can use become greater and the difficulty of beating the other racers becomes harder. Each Class, allows only certain parts to be used on its tracks by giving each part its own point values, allowing only so many points to be used in that Class. The player acquires more parts by winning a track, they are then rewarded with the option of taking opponents car parts, or trading with them. The weapons can be used to knock out opponents, as well as for an extra boost of speed as with the Turbo Boost. Two other special techniques to use while driving are the barrel roll, and Popping a wheelie. The Nine tracks are as follows:

• Country Arena
• Lakeside
• Harbor
• Mountain
• Ruins
• Volcano
• Alpine
• Caves
• Ice

Modes

'Race Series' is the standard one- or two-player race mode where the goal is to beat all the tracks in each class.
'Time Trial' allows the player to race any of the tracks, and save it as a 'Ghost Racer' and then load the Ghost to try to beat their own best times.
'VS' Versus mode allows up to four players to compete against each other on any of the nine tracks, or one or two players on the 'New Track' user-designed courses.
'New Track' allows the player to create their own track on a 24 by 24 grid, with 200 track pieces, On or Off Road, and Circuit or Stage (point to point) courses. These tracks can only be played in Versus or Time Trial modes.

Promotions and Criticisms

The original release of this game was in 1998 in Japan as Choro Q 64, it was packaged with a mini toy car,^[2] a strategy guide book was also available for this game.

In the USA an issue of Nintendo Power ran a "Design A Penny Racer" contest^[3] which was located on the end of the article about the game. In this same issue it is reviewed as "The menu screens are difficult to understand and navigate.^[4]

In an IGN review simply says "...the game starts off much too slowly and many of the courses are boring and simplistic when compared to those found in Diddy or Mario Kart. The game picks up once you have upgraded your engine and acquired weapons, but it never quite gains enough momentum to stand up there with Rare's and Nintendo's racers."^[5]

The Special Upgrade items in the game were difficult to find and no guide was released in English, allowing the players to become annoyed with it, having 12 parts that they couldn't locate or find any clue as to how to get them, the games instructions doesn't mention these items, and in Nintendo Power, it simply says, "If you see 'Special' next to a car on the Swap or Take screen, it has a Special Upgrade. Pick that car and nab the item that is flashing!"^[6] Some Special Upgrades were as simple as coming in first on a track, others were linked to a certain time to beat on a track, while others required the player to do a certain thing without resting or turning the power off. For example, Racer 14 is only unlockable by beating all 9 tracks in Class A using 'Racer 11' without resting or turning the power off. Other conditions include equipping the car with two specific items and finishing a race in third place or better, while another requires a lap time with .99 as its seconds. When the sequel Choro Q 64 2: Hachamecha Grand Prix Race was released in Japan, the hidden items where replaced as prize items that the player could pick from and these few items couldn't be taken from the opponents.

References

1. ^ Games instructions.
2. ^ See 'Choro Q 64' box art image below.
3. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 117, Page 56.
4. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 117, Page 118.
5. ^ http://ign64.ign.com/articles/152/152325p1.html IGN review.
6. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 117, Page 53.