Mickey's Racing Adventure Review

With more than 20 tracks and six characters to choose from, this title shows how Game Boy racers should be done.

It would be very easy to dismiss this title as just another fluff Disney game, but the fact of the matter is that Mickey's Racing Adventure is a solid choice for racing fans.

The game is viewed isometrically, and you control Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, or Goofy as they race around tracks filled with obstacles, ramps, power-ups, and Pete's evil cronies. Many of the races consist of both land and water tracks, and you'll instantly switch vehicles on reaching the shore. Each character has a special vehicle, as well as two others that can be purchased with Disney Dollars, which are earned for racing expertise. All of the cars can be upgraded - you can purchase a better accelerator, top speed, and turnbox for each car. These are necessary to complete the game, for as more difficult tracks are unlocked, opponents' vehicles are upgraded automatically. You can also purchase and cast magic spells to disable the competition on the track.

In addition to the tight racing are scores of minigames, from a Pipes-style game with a locomotive to Pluto's eight Bone Hunt challenges, which he literally has to dig up to play. Maneuvering the characters around Mickey's world is a task in its own right, as Pete's goons are on the loose and they will steal your hard-earned Disney Dollars if you come into contact with them.

The graphics of Mickey's world are nearly perfect: All of the characters are animated as well (if not better) as they are in a Disney cartoon. The musical score is dynamic and vibrant - a pleasant change from the usual three-note themes that are repeated endlessly in so many Game Boy titles. The visuals and the sound during the races themselves aren't up to par with the rest of the title, but they get the job done more than adequately. With more than 20 tracks and six characters to choose from, this title shows how Game Boy racers should be done.

The Good

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The Bad

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