Micro Madness Demo

Racing games have become quite complicated lately, due to the fact that they require state-of-the-art graphics engines and realistic handling systems as well, to make the driving experience as close to the real thing as possible. However, arcade simulations are also a welcomed sight, as long as they offer quality content and addictive mechanics to make up for the lack of realism.

Micro Madness has a few different ideas when it comes to racing, since it discards every notion of realism and even decides to use miniature vehicles instead of actual cars. Moreover, the tarmac tracks and off-road paths are replaced by much more mundane environments, such as the living room or the backyard gardens, as well as many other such creative locations.

The cars themselves are quite detailed and they come in over two dozen models, although some of them kind of look the same if you do not pay enough attention. Their attributes vary, though, so the best cars are unlocked toward the end and you can safely take advantage of their power, since you get to practice on slower ones first. Unfortunately, you might have some trouble anyway, because the handling system is rather poorly designed and it really doesn't matter how much practice you put in.

Moreover, the handling is also affected by the ineffective and unresponsive control scheme, which more often than not gets in the way of your ability to negotiate corners properly. However, you can sort of get used to it after a while, but you should not expect precision at any point and use the break key should be your best friend. Although this is indeed an arcade simulation, it should at least not be frustrating, if it doesn't respect the laws of physics.

Visually, the game does not impress at all, but it certainly doesn't want to do so anyway. In essence, it was designed to run on as many computers as possible and work smoothly even on older hardware, which is a good thing to see nowadays. However, this means that there are basically no reflections, the shadows are just gray blobs and the cars themselves contain very little geometry overall.

Micro Madness may not win any awards anytime soon, but it certainly is entertaining, as long as you do not let the awful controls get in the way of the fun. The wacky environments and miniature cars are the major attractions, however, coupled with the arcade mechanics and the laid-back attitude of the gameplay.