S.C.A.R.S.
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
The first thing you notice about S.C.A.R.S. (Super Computer Animal Racing Simulation) is that it feels like a console game (cough�Mario Kart�cough�pardon me). That�s because it is a console game�available for both PSX and N64�ported over to the PC.
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Now, most of the time when you get a port, you�ll notice some features have been taken out and others added to adjust to the new platform. But S.C.A.R.S. feels just like you�re playing on a box hooked up to your TV.
This has both advantages and disadvantages. The plus side is if you�ve got a nice gamepad, you get clean, arcade-y action. The minus is you don�t get some of the benefits you should from playing on a PC: You can�t type in your name or passwords but have to move through the alphabet soup one letter at a time as you would in a console game. In fact, you lose out on the multiplayer side. On N64 or PSX, you can play up to four players split-screen; on the PC, you get two. No LAN play, no Internet play (despite Ubi Soft�s online service), nada.
Despite these deportation drawbacks, S.C.A.R.S. is a pretty fun little game for the money (you can pick it up for $12 in the bargain bin). The tracks are enjoyable, if monotonous. Of the three in the first cup race, two are the same. Weather and lighting effects (cool headlights, especially) are thrown in for some variety.
Luckily, you can create your own custom cups using races from cups you�ve mastered, so you can string together some of the game�s nine tracks to keep yourself interested. You can also race against another player in the cups or just animo-y-animo in VS. mode.
The weapons are diverse, including rockets and heat-seekers as well as traps and turbo boosts. And the longer you hold down the fire button, the more powerful the effects get. Instead of animals riding motorized go-carts (which would be a blatant rip-off, you understand), you�ve got vehicles that mimic different types of animals (ah, so cleverly unique!). You start out with five and have to beat the other four in challenge races before you can use them. It�s all detailed in the game�s story line, delivered in the same disjointed editorial style characteristic of the manual.
The game�s audio tracks, catchy at first and then annoyingly repetitive, match the physical racetracks. For example, the Mountain track features flying saucers floating randomly about and a mock X-Files tune. Unfortunately, the races usually last longer than the music, so you often hear the song more than once; and the race pauses when the song loops, which sometimes locked up my system.
Overall, S.C.A.R.S. is an easy-to-pick-up game that the kids�ll love and adults will tolerate. It�s missing the best part of Mario Kart�esque games�the battle mode�but you can�t beat the price.
