Lawrence.com

At the Wii's launch, Excite Truck was one of the first titles Nintendo used to show how racing games would work with motion controls. It was an enjoyable title but lacked distinguishing characteristics outside of the control method. It seems they realized this, so they added personality and a generous helping of ludicrous features to its spiritual successor, Excitebots Trick Racing.

Fans of racing sims like Gran Turismo might want to steer clear of this game, as it's about as far from realistic as you can get. It's pure arcade lunacy in every way, from the transforming robot animal vehicles to the insane amount of jumps. Distractions are all over the track, as you'll be throwing darts at targets, bowling, collecting poker cards, playing a tambourine and more while you try to outrace and outperform your opponents.

All of these distractions serve a purpose, as a nice dart throw or tambourine performance will net you stars. These stars are actually what determines the winner of the race. If you did a ton of jumps and stunts successfully, you can end up winning even if you didn't cross the finish line first. It's a neat twist on the standard racing system, and really rewards you for taking risks.

While it may not get the attention of bigger name franchises like Mario Kart, Excitebots is pretty close to it in terms of quality. Fans of madcap arcade racing will definitely want to check this out, as it's one of the few worthy racing titles for the Wii.

Graphics: 7.5

Sound: 7.5

First Play: 8.0

Replay Value: 8.0

Gameplay: 8.0

Overall: 8.0