By Jason Frank
This was a game that I just wasn't that thrilled to review. I looked at the box and I thought that racing monster rucks on a GBA seems a little ironic. The great thing about monster trucks is their size, and here I was squinting to make out my behemoth. It seemed to lack the grandeur and pageantry of a monster truck rally. However, as I played, I saw that the game had more in common with kart racers than I would have expected. Racing games just haven't held a lot of sway with me. There is really only one racing game that has truly gotten me excited,Mario Kart. I was genuinely surprised at how much like Mario Kart this game is. There are plenty of Power-Ups peppered throughout the tracks to give you that added advantage and serve to make the game more than the tedious routine of going around and around.
The graphics are the real highlight of the game. Every time I think that I've seen the best that the GBA can produce, along comes a game like Monster Truck Madness that just blows my expectations out of the water. This is one great looking game. What really stands out, in my opinion, is the level of detail in the trucks themselves. You're not just choosing between three trucks in three different colors. Each truck is nicely rendered and distinct in both appearance and handling. It really does make a difference what you drive and how. The sound is functional for the game. I was surprised at the absence of music, but not unpleasantly so.
The tracks are long enough to be challenging, yet short enough to keep you interested. The game is broken up into three types of racing; circuit, rally, and monster x. I really enjoyed the variety. With so many tracks and trucks to choose from, Monster Truck Madness has a lot of replay value even if it is missing a multi-player mode.
The damage feature is kind of fun. You're actually rewarded for demolishing breakable items littered throughout the tracks. I mean what's the good of being in a Monster Truck if you can't crush things under your oversized wheels? If you run over enough things you'll engage the Rampage? mode where you're pretty much unassailable for a few moments.
Details like vehicle damage and mud are impressive. This is a great game to show what the Gameboy Advance can do. Is it a terribly innovative game? No, not really. But it's entertaining and it's got plenty of tracks to keep you coming back for more. To be able to go head to head with one of your friends would add a great deal to replayability, but with so much to do already in the game, it won't really be missed. So, if you've had you're fill of Mario Kart, but still crave a little more of the same, there's a lot to like in Monster Truck Madness.