ChoroQ

"Such adorable cars! No more confusing titles!"

This is my first ever attempt at a review. It should be alright though. First, some background info for those unfamiliar with the series. ChoroQ is a line of miniature cars, trucks, and other vehicles which are mostly found in Japan. Elsewhere, the series and it's games had taken on various titles. Including: Road Trip, Gadget Racers, Seek & Destroy, and Penny Racers. In 2004, Atlus decided to correct this issue by releasing ChoroQ under it's original licence. This version is based on ChoroQ HG 4. ChoroQ HG 3 was cancelled for US release, but did reach Europe. One common feature in the series is customizable cars. Onto the scores.

Graphics: 7.5

Too high of score you say? No. For this game, simple is better. There are many different visual aspects for your car. Most interesting is the 100 or more bodies to choose from. Certain other items such as paint may also change your appearance. The tracks have neat effects too. Cows can be seen and heard next to one, another is futuristic, etc. What use do tiny cars have for cows? Who knows. In fact, said cars appear to be the game's only intelligent life form. The HUD contains your tachometer, speedometer, number of laps, and some other data. Very nice!

Sound: 7

Keep in mind, this game's audio is loud! It's soundtrack is of the Mario Kart nature. No licenced music or techno-rock. It has a generally cheerful atmosphere. Everything sounds the way you'd expect it to. Car engines, etc. Well done, since it had no voices to botch during translation.

Gameplay: 7.5

It's missing a few features from previous Choro Q games. Such as the track builder and flying races, but what's there works. Be patient. It'll take a few runs at the easier tracks to build up your finances (and car) for serious competition. Like always, the first vehicle you're given will need upgrading right away to do anything useful. Remember: the goal here is customizing!

Multiplayer: N/A

I haven't tried this mode yet, but it's fairly standard. The game supports 2 players. There's a race battle, fishing, and others. Only certain types of event allow cars saved from the garage to enter.

Overall: 7

This is an interesting game. It's best feature is the doing away with titles which didn't make sense. Atlus is known for bringing over a huge number of Japanese games that otherwise may not have been released worldwide: Cubivore, River City Ransom EX, and more.

If you like this, check out: Snowboard Kids 2, Mario Kart Double Dash, Road Trip Shifting Gears (ChoroQ Advance 2).

Rent or buy: Buy! It's usually sold for $12.99 to $19.99, and being a less common game you'd probably never find a place to rent it from.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/05