Each time you clear one of the 20 goals (4 goals on each mode, 5 modes total, and throw in another few bonus modes for good measure) you’ll receive more points, which you can then use to purchase over 50 different types of vehicles. Unfortunately, you are limited to which type of vehicles you can use in a particular mode (ie you can’t use your monster Beetle on the Speed race course). Basic VW models include the Beetle, Karmann Ghia, the VW Bus and my personal favorite circa 1974, the VW Thing. Not all 50 cars are available to you in the beginning either-you have to unlock the higher models before you can buy them. If there’s anything I hate in a game, it’s this annoying unlocking requirement. I mean if you paid the money for the game, you should be able to play the entire game, right? Anyway, I digress…
Once you clear the 20+ goals, you then have to enter the World Beetle Cup. You race five races and have to win. Nothing too exciting here, just your regular circuit race although you don’t have to race the circuit in order.
After you win the World Beetle Cup, you’re still not done. You then have to enter the Super New Beetle Challenge using the very best car available and win.
Now you’re all done and can race anything and everything. Of course you can also play the game over a LAN (sorry no internet play, but that’s why you have Kali, right) and split screen on the same PC.
The graphics in the game are very good if you use a 3D accelerator. The game uses the “Ambush 3D engine” and although I’ve never heard of it before, it is a very good-looking engine. The tread on the tires is very accurately detailed. The dirt coming off of the tires could look a little better (looks like a pixel storm) but it’s not something that detracts from the game. There are drivers in the vehicles and they respond accordingly-if they turn left you’ll see the driver turn the wheel left. Other games I’ve seen have drivers that don’t seem to realize they need to put their hands on the wheel, so kudos to Infogrames on this one. I felt that 800x600 gave me a very good picture when playing the game.
The sound in the game will bring you back to the days of Beach Blanket Bingo. The music is peppy and upbeat, which is a great change from the constant techno thumping rave music we’ve listed to in most every other arcade racing game.
