Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers

Despite a few valiant efforts, remote-controlled racing has never been a popular draw on game consoles. Part of the problem is in the way they control, especially when developers try to make them feel like authentic RC cars. Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers is a new game that reminds me a lot of something like RC Pro-Am or MotorStorm RC. It's a speedy little racer where we slide around corners from a fixed isometric overhead perspective while doing everything in our power to come in first. It's just as fast and fun as those classic RC games, only this time with a slightly more user-friendly control scheme.

Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers is a simple party game that is easy to learn and fun in big groups. It's an eight-player racing game where we choose between cars, trucks, buggies and even bulldozers in order to force our way to the front of the pack in twelve different short and simple stages. It's the kind of game designed to get everybody from hard core race fans to those who have never been behind the virtual wheel playing and having fun together, and it succeeds ... for the most part.

The big difference between this and a lot of similar-looking racing games from the past is that you basically point the direction you want to go. There really isn't a gas pedal or brakes; you just aim the analog stick and drive. The only time you'll need to push a button is when you want to use turbo or change the camera angle. It's the kind of thing that can easily be controlled with only half of the Joy-Con, making it easy to get multiple people involved without needing to own a bunch of extra controllers. (It's worth noting that you can switch to a more traditional control scheme, but the analog controls seem like the way to go.)

Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers is split up into three separate locations, each with four unique tracks. We drift around the sharp corners in the city, do our best to avoid trees and mud in the jungle, and hit the sand when racing on the beach. There's just enough variety in the obstacles and backgrounds to make each of these locations stand out, and I like the mood and atmosphere in the beach courses. When you've beaten all four tracks, you'll be asked to play them all over again in a standard grand prix event.

While I like the different locations, I wish the game would have done more with them. The big problem is that none of these races are very long. In fact, you'll finish most events in less than 90 seconds. And with only twelve different courses to race, it won't take you very long to do and see everything. This is a short game that I found to be incredibly easy, to the point where I had to double check to make sure I hadn't selected the beginner difficulty setting. As a single-player game, you'll blast through this in around an hour.

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It also doesn't help that a lot of the tracks start to blur together after a while. While I like the different details found in the three settings, the courses themselves aren't all that different from one another. They're all flat and kind of the same. They will occasionally hint at something new and original, but then immediately drop it and never do anything with those ideas. Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers only scratches of the surface of what they could do with this type of racing game.

Unfortunately, this is also true of the non-racing events. Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers comes with several different battle-based mini-games, which will see you do everything from play soccer to paint the city to collect coins. These bonus games can be fun for a while with a bunch of friends involved, but are a real bore if you're playing solo. In fact, there's really no reason to play these games by yourself, since you aren't going up against computer-controlled opponents. But even with friends involved, these bite-sized distractions get boring quickly.

Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers is a mixed bag. The fast-paced racing can be fun when you're going up against a bunch of friends or online opponents, but is too simple and shallow to hold your attention for long. With only twelve short stages and a handful of lame battle modes, solo players will zip through it in no time and race fans will want to opt for a deeper experience. I like the way the game handles, but that's not enough for me to recommend the disappointing Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers.