Wacky Races

Wacky Races is an arcade racing game based on the 1960s animated series of the same name. Released in conjunction with versions on consoles, the Game Boy Color version has its own modes and tracks and platform-appropriate graphics.

The game includes eight different characters and their vehicles as seen in the TV series, all with different top speed, handling and acceleration. Only half of the characters are selectable from the start, the rest have to be unlocked by completing several of the game's modes. The races take place over nine tracks located all over the United States, from Alaska to Hawaii and from New York to Oregon.

Four different game modes are available: Arcade mode consists of three different cups of three tracks each. Finishing among the top three is necessary to advance from one track to the next. Endurance mode takes place on shorter variations of the regular tracks. In this mode, the racer in last position gets eliminated after every checkpoint until only the winner remains. Winning a track is necessary to advance to the next. Championship mode goes trough all tracks in order, with points awarded depending on finishing position. Time Trial mode allows the practicing of every track and competing for the best times.

The races are seen from a view behind the racer, with an OutRun-style perspective view of the track. Power-ups lie on the track and can be picked up to unleash a variety of effects. These include self-guided missiles (explosive and freezing) as well as temporary speed-ups and invincibility. The AI opponents use different power-ups that they drop into the player's way, including bombs, mines and oil slicks.