The 1994 PC game Wacky Wheels put you behind the wheel of some wicked karts driven by eight wacky creatures. This kart racing game was created by Beavis Soft (no relation to "Beavis and Butthead," mind you) and published by Apogee. All bets are off when this cast of racers go at it. This blog post takes a look at "Wacky Wheels" and if it is worth your time.
NOTE: This blog post is based on my playing of the Version 1.1 Shareware Release of this game.
LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):
SEP 17 2018 - this review has been updated to include notes on the Registered version.Wacky Wheels
^ from: (YouTube) - What happens when you give wild animals a go-kart? Play this game and find out!
From the same prototype of "Wacky Kart," Beavis Soft came along with "Wacky Wheels" and was published by Apogee. Yes- the same Apogee that has come along with many classic PC games that basically dominated most of the early-mid 1990s. This game was released in 1994 and offers up frantic kart racing action. Each of the characters used in this game are wild animals. "Wacky Wheels" offers 15 tracks spread across three levels of difficulty. You start off with the Bronze Wheels events and work your way up to the Gold Wheels events. Apparently, there are 15 extra tracks you can also race on in addition to the original set of races. You can also compete in various Battle Mode competitions on six different courses. Those Battle Mode stages also include six additional stages for a total of 12.
From my own personal experience, I've played the shareware version countless times. The Shareware version only gives you the Bronze Wheels tracks, the first three Battle Zones, and four of the eight characters. The full version includes three championships as well as access to all eight characters (instead of the four in the Shareware version). The complete package features a total of 30 tracks and 12 Battle Mode stages.
Characters.
Meet the crew...• Tigi - a tiger.
• Razer - a shark.
• Morris - a moose.
• Peggles - a pelican.
• Blombo* - an elephant.
• Ringo* - a raccoon.
• Uno* - a panda.
• Sultan* - a camel.
* = not available in Shareware version.
For what I know, there is no real competitive advantage as to who you choose as your racer. You are almost basically choosing a character on personal preference.
Racing.
There are five modes to choose from. Here is a description of each...• Amateur Class - the easiest level of competition.
• Pro Class - the normal level of competition.
• Champion Class - the hardest level of competition.
• Time Trial - go for the best time or practice your racing skill on any track.
• Kid Mode - accelerating and braking is done automatically; all you have to do is steer the kart and use the items.
Once you select a mode, you can select whether you want to run a six-lap race, an eight-lap race, or the maximum ten laps. You can choose to race with 6 horsepower engines or 12 horsepower engines. The latter is obviously faster, but you may want to go with the 6hp engines if you are a mere novice. More points are offered at the higher difficulty levels.
To advance to the next round, you must place third or better. If you fail to advance, you must use a continue. The game is over when all continues have been exhausted.
Two-Player Action.
So you want to bring along a friend to race against? You can compete in two-player races or do a two-player shootout. The racing simply pits you against another human opponent. The two-player shootout is a Battle style mode where it is you vs. a human opponent. The goal can be set in multiples of five and can range from a score of 5 to a score of 20. Whomever reaches the goal score first wins.Wacky Duck Shoot.
If you want to take your aggressions out by shooting hogs on ducks, then try the Wacky Duck Shootout. There are two ducks- Wacky and Digger. The regular Wacky duck takes just one hit to defeat. Digger (who wears a military helmet) takes two shots to defeat. Try to take out as many ducks as possible within the two-minute time limit.Notes.
Here are a few notes about Wacky Wheels...• Get the hogs scattered across the track to use as your weapons against your opposition. These can be used to attack rival drivers in racing modes and the ducks in the Battle modes. One thing to note, I mean hogs as in hedgehogs. That's what they are in this game. They can be used at any time granted you don't have a secondary weapon on hand.
• It is possible for you to whack something so hard that you end up flying off of your kart. Once this happens, you must use one of your continues. If you run out of continues, the game is over.
Now with all of this said, it's time to give a review.
Wacky Wheels: Final Thoughts
Wacky Wheels is a great-looking game with some pretty frenzied racing action. A great job was done to offer up a crazy racing experience. This game is closer in quality and experience to Super Mario Kart than Skunny Kart (that I reviewed here on "John's Race Space"). It was almost as if Beavis Soft offered up an experience like Skunny Kart, only better. This was a game I enjoyed in my younger days albeit playing the Shareware version of it. This is definitely a game to check out if you simply enjoy classic Mode 7 type racing games. I don't think you will be disappointed unless your standards for racing games far exceed what Wacky Wheels offers.
Video Preview.
Here is a video look at the game I reviewed in this post:^ "Wacky Wheels"
That's all for this post, but in case you're interested...
Wacky Wheels HD (Bonus Section!)
A few years ago, a developer called Cascadia Games brought back Wacky Wheels and given it a high-definition makeover. This new-age Wacky Wheels, called "Wacky Wheels HD" can be checked out on Steam if you're on Steam. This game includes 20 tracks and nine characters (one more character than the original Wacky Wheels). I didn't note too much difference between this 21st Century Wacky Wheels and the classic game. The only obvious difference is the sharper-quality graphics. Besides these things, one thing that turns me off about Wacky Wheels HD is these sort of farting sounds. A bit too immature for my tastes and takes away from the fun and (for lack of a better term) wacky racing action.
Here is a sample of this HD remake of Wacky Wheels:
^ "Wacky Wheels Greenlight Trailer"
For more information on this remake, visit the Steam page for Wacky Wheels HD. I may do a review on Wacky Wheels HD if I somehow decide to give it a try.
If you are new to "John's Race Space," this blog started life as "John's Gran Turismo Space." Since using this blog to discuss other racing games, I have offered some extra life to this blog. This blog is still true to its roots. I haven't truly abandoned Gran Turismo topics. I am just offering more material to better market my material to the masses. So I hope you enjoyed your time here. Be sure to Subscribe and Follow in some manner if you love my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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