Kinetica

"Another futuristic racer, with a spice of originality."

When it comes to the world of futuristic racing, there are two franchises that come to everyone's mind: F-Zero and Wipeout. F-Zero has become popular thanks to its crazy track designs and difficulty, and Wipeout has been famous for its system of offensive and defensive items to help you along.

Kinetica basically uses both all at once. And a little extra, too.

The gameplay is just like any other racer; keep driving and come out 1st. Your mode of transportation, however, is not some kind of hovercraft. You strap on ''kinetic suits,'' which are like clothing with the vehicle built within. A majority of these suits look like the ''lightcycles'' from Tron. While driving or in the air, you can perform stunts by holding one of the shoulder buttons and moving the direction stick in different preset motions (like left-right-left or a half-circle forward). This does sacrifice your steering, but doing these stunts add to a boost container, which you of course can use to boost your speed. You can also add to the container by siphoning boost from special boost pads on the tracks rather than immediately getting the extra speed on contact.

While we're on the topic of the tracks, let me just mention that the tracks in Kinetica are insane. They not only go left and right, but they also seem to go every other which way as well. The tracks are so complex, the only to see if you're in the lead is a straight line with arrows on the side. The tracks also have occasional shortcuts that you are able to take to not only cut down time but also get past the opposition. In many of the tracks, it is possible to fall to certain doom, but you are then reset onto the track as close to where you were as possible. You never have to worry about losing energy.

The assorted powerups that you can obtain in the game are mostly for defensive and supportive use. They can help speed up your tricks to help link more for extra boost in shorter distances, or they can give you infinite boost for a short amount of time, or even give you limited access to an even stronger boost. Only one weapon is available through the game and it only slows one opponent to a stop.

The modes available are few, but they can take up a bit of time. You have single races that you can play, or you can compete in different seasons. You can also practice your laps in the different tracks that you have access to, and you can compete with another player in a race. You can both also practice together.

That's all that I feel needs to be mentioned about the different gameplay offerings of this game. The graphics are smooth just about all the time, with almost no slowdown. The sounds fit, and the music does too, though with very few tunes you'll remember (except maybe the main theme, Hybrid's ''If I Survive''). And it isn't too hard to get into the game. It might be confusing where to go, of course, since the tracks aren't your standard racing fare, but practice can change that.

Unfortunately, the game does have its drawbacks. My main complaints are the brevity of the game, the lack of a true assortment of play modes, and not enough tracks, racers, and seasons. Minor improvements could've been a few more offensive weapons to make things more interesting.

But above all, Kinetica is a rare gem that shines in the vast universe of racing games. It's got enough unique traits that give it a name of its own: The trick and boost system, the crazy complex tracks, and those kinetic suits! Anyone should at least try it and see if it's up their alley. If this is the kind of game that you enjoy, then get this game. Just don't throw up if you get dizzy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03