Lego Stunt Rally

Hot damn, do you remember LEGO Stunt Rally by LEGO Interactive, the Slotcar-Esque gameplay that provided, what could be, the easiest to complete game that ever existed? This game isn't hard so if you're into it, it has to be for nostalgia purposes. Strap in and prepare yourself for this classic racer.

Gameplay

Okay so, to put it simply, you know slot cars? The remote control racing toys that followed the groove in the track and all you had to do was control the speed, going fast on straights and easing up on corners? Yeah, it's that. It's exactly that for this game. Here, all steering is controlled automatically so you don't have to fully worry about taking turns.

Instead, you are given the ability to reduce your speed a little to ensure that you don't come at the corner too quick and blast off the track. To give the game credit, this does provide a little bit of a challenge alongside the mud pits and fans that blow you off course.

Also, this game does have the standard Kart racer style powerups, you can pick these up and use them at any time by switching lanes and collecting them. They provide simple temporary abilities like speed boosts and such.

Track Editor

There is a track editor in this title. It is admittedly rudimentary but it is present. I would suggest completing the short story mode before trying this out as many of the items and pieces for the editor can only be unlocked as you complete it. The track editor is fun and I really enjoy it whenever a game has one of these in it but in reality, it's not that in depth as it still conforms to the gameplay requirements that hold the rest of the game. It's nothing like Trackmania, which provides an incredible amount of options for challenge and fun. Instead, this focuses more on the controlled and easy-to-use gameplay.

Suitable For All

So, as you've probably noticed, I have said this game is easy on more than one occasion and that is true, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. Although simple in design and function, the title does manage to provide a straightforward game for those of any age to engage with.

You could be looking to go back and play the game for nostalgia, or perhaps you want to get your child into gaming and need something simple to start off with. In either case, it’s a solid option for all intents and purposes. It is a well made and well presented game with that textbook LEGO humour that we’ve all grown accustomed to over the years.

Pros

• Very Easy to play
• Track editor is fun

Cons

• Very short
• Lack of gameplay diversity

Build 'em up and knock 'em down! Who'd of thought that playing with Lego would successfully cross over to the videogame market? The good part about it is that the brick you are looking for can be found with a quick press of a button – it certainly beats searching for it in a giant bucket for hours on end! Or maybe that's the whole point?

Blockbuster!

Stunt Rally is primarily about racing across different areas to become the Lego supreme Stunt Race champion, but it is also a rather fun track building game too. As you race against Lego characters across many different terrains, upon winning each one, more options become open to you in the course construction area so that you can build bigger and better tracks! These include trickier bends, more obstacles and plenty of jumps for you to tackle and you can then go on to race on your newly created track on the single race mode.

The racing itself is a rather odd affair, as you hardly use the D-pad. The car turns the corners by itself, and all you need to do is simply control the speed of your chosen vehicle as you tear around the track. If you go too fast on a corner, or too slow over an obstacle then you spin out, and risk the cars behind you overtaking – and nobody wants that to happen! Along the way there are various power-ups and weapons that can help/hinder your progress, and they are activated by pressing up on the control pad. It's fun, simple and once mastered (sadly) not all that challenging but, happily, the construction area should give you plenty of hours of pocket-sized gaming enjoyment!