An exceptionally deep cut in the world of gaming, the 1992 PC-Engine cult classic Moto Roader series is back on the track 30 years later with the release of Ratalaika Games’ Moto Roader MC. Does this pint-sized arcade racer have what it takes to make an impact today, or are its pixels starting to show their age?
Moto Roader MC Review
The top-down antics of Moto Roader MC are easy to grasp, yet surprisingly difficult to master. You and four other racers must make nine laps around its single screen world, braving its world of speed boosts, sharp turns, and dead-ends to make it to the top. Handling errs on the side of slippery, and sabotage is an absolute must.
Those weaned on the micro antics of Micro Machines will know what to expect here, but one must think even smaller with Moto Roader MC. The cars take up so little real estate on the screen that it can be hard to even see where you are. This is far from the most colorful game around, but losing your wheels amidst the chaos is more common than you think.
In addition, it can be tricky to get the control down just right. One can go forward or in reverse and can change the style of turning, but it often feels like the cars are on ice. As a result, there is a bit of a counterintuitive learning curve. This is far from a deal breaker, but don’t be surprised when you’re playing dead last in the first handful of races.
It’s just a shame that this small perspective leads to small excitement. Whether one is racing in the Circuit, City, Nature, Marchen, or Special tracks, things quickly begin to blend together after some time. There are some unique maps in the lot, including a dungeon with teleporting paths and a sky castle with a runaway penguin. However, for every monkey there is just another fairly standard track that goes around in a circle – a dire case when there’s only 25 tracks in all.
Ultimately, that’s Moto Roader MC’s biggest problem – it lacks legs. Each race takes an average of a minute to complete, and there’s little to do outside of its main modes. There is the chance to earn driver points in its main mode (much like the system found in Mario Kart) or take on the average time trial, but most everyone will see everything on tap in a little over an hour.
Outside of the chance to adjust how cars collide and how slippery things are, Moto Roader MC also has a Omake mode. A soccer-based car mode (eat your heart out, Rocket League), players can either go one on one or two on two in an attempt to score enough goals in a set amount of time. There’s little variety to these bouts, and even the three different map layouts aren’t enough to make things stand out.
The pint-sized action of Moto Roader MC is too small for its own good. The almighty Micro Machines have cornered the market on pint-sized thrills, and this single screen racer doesn’t do enough to dethrone the king.
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