Indianapolis 500 Legends Review

2008-12-19

Other Racing Games

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Screenshots

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Introduction

Racing games are a steady fare today on all of the platforms and the Wii experience has a few titles lately that are aimed at gamers who like the adrenalin thrill of jockeying in traffic against determined opponents with equal equipment. Racing games have been repeatedly done over the years by developer after developer and gamers have devoured them as quickly as they have been released, which tells us just how popular this genre is.

Indianapolis 500 Legends is one of the racing titles produced lately exclusively for the Wii experience and while it is fun and entertaining, it fails to reach the pinnacle of driving mania. A slightly failed attempt, but one with a few good spots that make the driving suitable for a few hours of boredom relief.

The Story (3 out of 5)

In Indianapolis 500 Legends you sit behind the wheel of the fastest cars of the period during the years 1961 to 1971, when legendary drivers like Eddie Sachs, A. J. Foyt, and Jack Brabham were making their marks on Indy history.

Developers include three modes for gamers to pick from; Mission, Classic and Museum mode. Classic mode has the gamer choose one of the ten years for a short 15 race or the full 200 lap marathon. The single player game has you completing various driving missions in the Mission mode, including surviving a crash, defeating another racer, and the end run scenario where you come into the pit with so many laps remaining, pit and then race off to another win. Museum mode is the place to view videos and pictures you have unlocked during the race, unfortunately there is only 12 pictures and 25 videos to unlock, which should only take a few hours.

The Good (3 out of 5)

Easy to master and control, Indianapolis 500 Legends is a simplistic game designed for all ages, with relatively uncomplicated strategies and simple Wii game mechanisms.

The developers did a good job researching the history used in the game, the personalities and car technologies change from year to year in the game, as they did in history.

The Bad (2 out of 5)

Indianapolis 500 Legends lacks any real depth of play for the gamer, it left me hungry for entertainment, and the thrill of racing wasn’t transmitted by the game. The Wii controls weren’t really implemented by the developers to increase the fun and enjoyment level of the game, since the Wii experience isn’t really transmitted by the game.

The Game Graphics (4 out of 5)

The authentic photos used of cockpits, engines and tracks of the period are beautiful and do add a little enjoyment out the game if you’re a history buff or Indy fan. The unlocked scenes and videos are outstanding and one of the few highlights of the game.

The Game Sounds (3 out of 5)

The soundtrack for the game is solid, fits well with the action occurring on the screens and the sound effects are synchronized. In fact the engine sounds are authentic recordings of the period engines at the time and the announcer in the game is the legendary Tom Carnegie – the voice of Indy 500 for over 60 years.

How Does the Game Play (2 out of 5)

Indianapolis 500 Legends is good for a few hours of easy driving, but not really a challenge or a title that is really fun to play. The playability of the game seems to have been forgotten in favor of authentic history, maybe they could start a new genre, authentic history, for history teachers and students.

Want to Play Again (2 out of 5)

Got a few hours you need to fill during a rain storm or the next snow blizzard, then this title will certain keep you busy, otherwise after a few minutes you’ll find it hard to work enough interest to play it again.

Conclusions (3 out of 5)

Indianapolis 500 Legends isn’t going to go down in interactive entertainment history as one of the first great racing games to transmit the Wii experience to gamers. It really isn’t enjoyable for more then a few hours, unless you’re an Indy fan or interested in the history of this period of Indy racing, you’ll be putting the Wii Wheel down.