The Black Sheep: Nintendo's Uniracers (Super NES)

Every family has one - the Black Sheep. It's that one member that doesn't quite fit in. That guy that never gets an invitation to the family reunion. Join me as I explore some of video gaming's most notorious outcasts. This is Black Sheep!


Quick, name a racing game made by Nintendo. No, not Mario Kart. Or F-Zero. Or Mario Kart 64. Or Double Dash ... look, I see what you're doing. You're just listing off Mario Kart games because you can't think of any other racing games made by Nintendo. I get it, that's a common mistake. After all, it's not like Nintendo has a large stable full of classic racing games. I mean, besides Rad Racer, Mach Rider and RC Pro Am.

If we're going to talk Nintendo's forgotten racing games, then look no further than Uniracers for the Super NES. In a world full of 3D racing games powered by Mode 7, Uniracers bucked the trend and went 2D. There aren't even real people to race with, just a set of multi-colored unicycles.

At the time, both critics and consumers were baffled by Uniracers. Even now, the game's laxidasical structure is positively bewildering. There are plenty of courses, but they all start to bleed together after a while. Gamers that stuck with it were met with a rewarding (and surprisingly deep) racing experience, but with no whimsical characters or fancy graphics, most people simply ignored it.

And that's when the lawsuit hit. Soon after release, the developer was sued by Pixar. The animation studio claimed that DMA Design had stolen the unicycle. Before long, production was halted and Uniracers was never heard from again. To this day, Nintendo won't even talk about it. Which is all the more reason for you to dig it up and discover this one-of-a-kind racing game. Or you could always side with the stuffy shirts at Pixar.

Next Week: In one week, Defunct Games will be going head-to-head against the powerful Street Fighter franchise. What could their black sheep game be? Maybe Street Fighter: The Movie? One of those horrible 3D Street Fighter games? You'll have to wait until July 15 to find out! And don't forget to subscribe to the official Defunct Games YouTube channel for more great content. Every family has one - the Black Sheep. It's that one member that doesn't quite fit in. That guy that never gets an invitation to the family reunion. Join me as I explore some of video gaming's most notorious outcasts. This is Black Sheep!


Quick, name a racing game made by Nintendo. No, not Mario Kart. Or F-Zero. Or Mario Kart 64. Or Double Dash ... look, I see what you're doing. You're just listing off Mario Kart games because you can't think of any other racing games made by Nintendo. I get it, that's a common mistake. After all, it's not like Nintendo has a large stable full of classic racing games. I mean, besides Rad Racer, Mach Rider and RC Pro Am.

If we're going to talk Nintendo's forgotten racing games, then look no further than Uniracers for the Super NES. In a world full of 3D racing games powered by Mode 7, Uniracers bucked the trend and went 2D. There aren't even real people to race with, just a set of multi-colored unicycles.

At the time, both critics and consumers were baffled by Uniracers. Even now, the game's laxidasical structure is positively bewildering. There are plenty of courses, but they all start to bleed together after a while. Gamers that stuck with it were met with a rewarding (and surprisingly deep) racing experience, but with no whimsical characters or fancy graphics, most people simply ignored it.

And that's when the lawsuit hit. Soon after release, the developer was sued by Pixar. The animation studio claimed that DMA Design had stolen the unicycle. Before long, production was halted and Uniracers was never heard from again. To this day, Nintendo won't even talk about it. Which is all the more reason for you to dig it up and discover this one-of-a-kind racing game. Or you could always side with the stuffy shirts at Pixar.

Next Week: In one week, Defunct Games will be going head-to-head against the powerful Street Fighter franchise. What could their black sheep game be? Maybe Street Fighter: The Movie? One of those horrible 3D Street Fighter games? You'll have to wait until July 15 to find out! And don't forget to subscribe to the official Defunct Games YouTube channel for more great content.