I was browsing the new Xbox Live Indie Games yesterday and noticed a Wacky Karts. From the screenshots I could tell right away it is a clone of the SNES era Mario Karts. Since arcade and kart racing games are the only ones I ever can play successfully I was pretty pumped.  So, I downloaded the trial and gave it a spin.  The first thing I noticed was that the AI, even on the easier levels, is nearly perfect.  I also quickly found out that if you leave the track, even a little, you are going to come in last.  After the trial ended I went on to playing other stuff (Lost Planet 2 Co-op Demo!) and nearly forgot about it.

A few hours later I got an email from the creator of the game offering me a copy of the game for to review for XBLA & XNA Ratings.  I agreed and will be posting a longer review over there once I’ve had a chance to play more of it.  However, the free copy got me to play it again when I otherwise might not have.  I’m glad it did to because I replayed a few of the same tracks and started to do a lot better.  Mostly because I started to learn the layouts and stay on the track more. One thing I found annoying at first, but quickly grew to like was that when you’re in the back half of the pack the power ups are almost always turbo.  The first few times I played this annoyed me because I wanted to try some of the other ones, but now I like it because the turbo can really help you make up lost time.

The graphics have a very SNES look to them that has really grown on me.  I tend to not notice the area around the map because I’m trying to focus on the race but these graphics stand out with their retro look.  The sound effects are a little generic but really I did not notice them that much so at least they were not annoying.

Wacky Karts definitely is game that is hurt by the 8 minute trial time limit. It took me at least 30 or 40 minutes to start winning some races.  Once I found the right kart for my racing style and got a feel for the tracks I was able to consistently be in the top 3 or 4. A couple hints I figured out that really helped me: as soon as the track loads up hit the gas. Unlike Mario Kart games where you would spin out for revving the engine too soon in Wacky Karts you will get the best start that way.  Second, as soon as you can get in front of an enemy block them off so they can not pass.  This will cause them to hit you from behind and give you a little speed boost.

The game does have its faults.  The menus are slow to respond to button presses at times, but in other cases you will hit the button once and it will register twice.  The learning curve is really steep and the karts do not seem to be very balanced.  However, if you play with some friends and use the faster karts it can be really fun.