Micro Machines V4 could very well be one of the better racing games you run into this summer. Why is that, you ask? Simple- because it's unlike most of the racing games on the market. Instead of hopping behind the wheel of some souped-up sports car and taking part in a series of races that have world-based locales and realistic tracks, you're racing minature cars across a series of locations such as a cluttered kitchen, a garage floor, and a pool table. After all, the game is called Micro Machines, and is based on the long-running toy line of those cute little cars.

The game features a variety of modes to choose from, and the track design never really wavers in its creativity. One minute, you're driving into a bottom kitchen drawer and launching yourself out of a top one, and the next, you're on the rooftop of a local building, using an awning to prevent a nasty fall. There's a number of power-ups and weapons to pick up along the way, so you can pound away at the competition in an attempt to keep the lead.

Micro Machines does have a weird balance in computer AI, so if you're playing the single player mode, you might find yourself slightly frustrated going up against enemy racers. They seem to have an advantage in terms of speed and handling the track, while you're still trying to adjust to the learning curve. The camera can also be problematic, as sometimes you're so far ahead and your enemies are behind, and the perspective zooms out to the point that you can't really see the turns that are ahead- which can result in you flying off the track if you're not careful.

But not all is a failure here. The graphics still look colorful and zippy, there's a number of Micro cars to unlock within each racing series, different challenges emerge all over the place, and multiplayer is a complete gas, where up to four players can compete in one race. There's no online multiplayer, but I suppose having some kind of human competition is better than no competition at all. Micro Machines V4 takes a little getting used to since it doesn't run the basic route of racing games, but once you adjust, you'll have a great time.