Micro Machines update

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Infogrames has released new gameplay and character details on its forthcoming Micro Machines racing game, which is coming to the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox courtesy of Infogrames' Sheffield House development studio.

Like all the previous Micro Machines games, this latest installment will see players racing tiny vehicles around such vast locations as garden ponds, a barn, the attic of a house, and even a room in a space station. If previous installments--and today's screenshots--are anything to go by, players will have to watch out for obstacles like mousetraps, houseplants, and whatever weapons the other racers happen to be in possession of at the time.

Weapons that have been confirmed to date include bazookas, fireballs, homing rockets, electro charges, liquid nitrogen clouds, magnets, frying pans, boxing gloves, and flamethrowers. Needless to say, these should make for some frantic gameplay--particularly if players are enjoying one of the numerous gameplay modes that support up to four players simultaneously.

There will be eight different characters to choose from in the game, and although they all look very different, their handling will be identical so all the players have an equal chance of winning. New to the series in this installment, though, is an option to have the characters feature different handling characteristics so players will be able to base their decision on something other than aesthetics. Obviously none of the characters will be markedly better than the others, but one might excel at acceleration or cornering, while another might boast a much higher top speed.

The racing will again take place on water and land, and in this latest Micro Machines installment, each character will have no less than five vehicles. The five categories for vehicles in the game are standard car, sports car, motorbike, off-road vehicle, and aquatic--although it's not yet known if different classes of vehicle will be able to compete against each other.

Micro Machines is scheduled for release before the end of the year, and we hope to bring you a hands-on report in the near future. In the meantime, check out our previous coverage of the PS2 and PS2 versions of the game.