Lego Racers is a disappointing N64 racer that can't even compete to the likes of Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing.
Lego Racers does have a few things going for it. I like how visually the game tries to look like a Lego world. At first I noticed that some of the set pieces in the backgrounds look closer than they should be, but then I realized that they're supposed to look like that, because after all, this is a Lego game! It does look like a Lego universe after all! You can also customize your kart as well, which is a nice feature. I also like the amount of shortcuts this game features. The powerups are awesome (including the traditional speed boost, but also a hook that can move you closer to your opponents, and bombs!), and you can even use white Lego's to increase their capabilities. Using this with green lego's is especially awesome, because you can create a huge shortcut when you have three white lego's!
You'd think all of what I stated would make this awesome, but unfortunately, Lego Racers is as bland as they come. I like the amount of tracks available. If only the game was fun to play! Many of the tracks themselves are boring. Why? It's because unlike Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, there's not a whole lot of interaction with the scenery as there is in those games, only straightforward racing. That's not necessarily a bad thing in most cases, but in a kart game it's unacceptable. Granted, that's not the case with every track, and I enjoyed the snow and moon tracks. But the game really falls flat in design in general. The bosses tend to be really cheap, and their "strategies" are simply finding powerups that make them utterly cheap, making the circuit mode frustrating from the get go. Even the shortcuts are lame. Some are cool, such as in the desert level and snow level, but most don't even offer that much of an advantage. But what really kills the game is that you need ALL THE MEMORY ON A CONTROLLER PAK TO SAVE THE CIRCUIT MODE!!! It's bad enough most sports games on the N64 did that, but in a kart racing game, it sucks. What were they thinking?! This flaw alone dropped my enthusiasm for this game by about two letter grades. The controls are okay, but considering what I've previously stated, it doesn't even matter.
The graphics for Lego Racers are good, but not great. The framerate remains smooth, but the design is boring in general, despite being faithful to the look of a Lego universe. The sound effects are so-so, but they're godly in comparison to the music.
The music in Lego Racers is so HORRIBLE, I need to dedicate a whole paragraph to justify how I feel about it. Clearly an attempt to match the cute music of Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, it falls flat completely. Most of it sounds like outtakes from a Mario Party soundtrack, except random as hell, and NONE of it is memorable at all. I actually had to turn the music off while playing this game, which is something I don't usually do in a video game. Yes folks, the music is THAT atrociously bad.
In conclusion Lego Racers is a poor Mario Kart clone. It's not the worst racing game I've played, but it's nothing besides being boring. If you're looking for a fun kid themed racer for your N64, stick with Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing. Lego Racers is the equivilant of stepping on a Lego block in real life. It's that much fun to play.
Gameplay: 5/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 1/10
Value: 5/10
Score: 5.3/10 (D-)