Description

As a kid, I incessantly imagined myself strapped inside my LEGO creations, dodging family pets and chair legs at breakneck speeds. Nowadays, virtual racing fans can simply load up LEGO Racers, build a virtual car from the signature block parts, and compete with computer opponents or a friend around tracks with such exotic names as Dark Forest Dash and Tribal Island Trail.

Players make a choice a driver based on preferred driving style, and then snap together their dream machine in the LEGO garage. Real-world physics comes into play here: adding a “wedge” brick to the tail improves aerodynamics, and placing a couple of extra bricks over the wheels adjusts the traction (prior LEGO building experience may turn out to be useful). Each and every themed track offers unique racing adventures, such as dangerous lava geysers in the Magma Moon Marathon, with power-ups supplying special abilities such as oil slick deployment and turbo boosts. Beat a champion racer and you can earn the right to select over his or her machine for the most productive parts–just like my older brother’s unwritten rule throughout our childhood LEGO playtimes. –Eric Twelker