Excitebots: Trick Racing

Excitebots: Trick Racing

エキサイト猛マシン

Developer(s): Monster Games Publisher(s): Nintendo Platform: Wii Category: Racing Players: 1-6 Predecessor: Excite Truck Successor: (None)

Release dates N. America: April 20, 2009 Japan: August 30, 2011 Europe: (Unknown/unreleased?) Australia: (Unknown) S. Korea: (Unknown) China: (Unknown)

©2009 Nintendo

Excitebots: Trick Racing is a video game in the Excitebike series released on the Nintendo Wii. It is the unofficial squeal to Excite Truck.

Gameplay

"Grab the Wii Wheel accessory (optional, sold separately) and prepare for a wild ride where anything goes! Pilot your bot off massive jumps, crash through bowling pins, spin around high wires, or assemble poker hands in the craziest races ever, then take on your friends in local or online multiplayer"

Similarly to other Excitebike games, you take control of a racing vehicle. Unlike other Excitebike games, Excitebots features various animal themed robots called "Bots". The main objective of every mode is to get as many stars as possible, however in different modes, it is done different ways. When driving a Bot, you are able to go forward, backward, turn using Wii's Motion controls like a steering wheel similar to Mario Kart Wii, use a turbo speed boost, and use an item. Using the motion controls when airborne, your also able to fall at different speeds.

Bot Stunts

Bot Stunts are tricks that help you earn stars, these are dependent on driving. The Bot Stunts are:

Type of Bot Stunt	Description
Air	Keep your Bot airborne for as long as you can after flying off a big jump.
Drift	Slide your bot around a turn.
Tree Run	Drive as long as possible near trees without crashing.
Air Spin	Spin your bot while in the air.
Bot Throw	Shape the terrain and launch your opponent into the air.
Jump Combo	Quickly link consecutive jumps.
Bot Smash	Ram an Opponent with your Bot.
Nice Crash	Recieve a star for crashing (This will slow down your time)
Rings	Launch your Bot through a series of rings.
Leg Smash	Ram into your opponent while running in Leg Form.

They each give a different amount of stars, and the bigger the stunt, the more stars earned.

Question Mark Trigger, Items, and Tricks

The Question Mark Trigger helps you throughout the different modes, it will create terrain to gain air time, add rings or cards that going through give stars to you, and/or make other small challenges you can do to collect stars after hitting a Question Mark Trigger. Some also appear in different mini games.

Red Bar

"Drive toward a Red Bar to latch on and start spinning! Rotate the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote around in a circular motion in time with your Bot. Closely synchronize the timing of your rotation and your bot will spin faster. Complete 10 Rotations to release."

This isn't reliant on hitting a Question Mark Trigger. It can earn you a maximum of 10 stars.

Yellow Bar

"Hit the Yellow Bar during a race to latch your Bot onto it. Once on it, your bot swings around automatically. Thrust the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote forward when your bot is at the bottom of its swing to release successfully!"

This isn't reliant on hitting a Question Mark Trigger.

Flip Bar

"Rotate the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote around in a circular motion to do backflips and earn stars when launched by the pink Flip Bar, but make sure your finished by the time you catch the bar again!"

This isn't reliant on hitting a Question Mark Trigger.

Elevator Bar/Turn Bar

Elevator Bar

"Tall bars surrounded by red energy are Elevator Bars. Grab an Elevator Bar with your Bot to reach areas you wouldn't otherwise be able to get to. Release by thrusting the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote forward at the correct time."

This isn't reliant on hitting a Question Mark Trigger.

Turn Bar

This item will allow you to make sharp turn while gaining 5 stars if done correct. As you swing around the bar, Release by thrusting the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote forward at the correct time.

Leg Running

"Grab the wrench token to turn your Bot into Leg Form! Seesaw the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote left and right to run. Get in a rythem to boost!"

You use Leg Running in the Song Rail Mini Game, and during races generally leads into a Song Rail, or Glider Flying.

Glider Flying

"When in Leg Form, launch off a ram to turn into a Glider. Tilt the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote backward to gain altitude and tilt it forwards to gain speed."

Glider Flying generally has you collect Butterflies to gain more stars as you descend. Butterflies give you 5 Stars per collected.

Song Rail

"Try to keep your balance on the rail! Move the Wii Wheel or Wii Remote upward at the end of the ram to get music notes."

The Song Rail has it's own Mini Game which extends the track of a song rail beyond just one set of music notes.

Item Box

"Hitting the Question mark trigger will sometimes reveal the item boxes ahead of you. Hitting a box will give your Bot an item to hold in it's claw. Use the item that your Bot is holding by pressing "A". Every item works differently, so figure out how to use all of the, to earn the most stars!"

Items Include:

The Tambourine if tapped at the right times, will net you 5 Stars.

The Dentures will attack an opponent netting you 3 stars.

The Rocket Stick propels you into the air to gain Air Bot Stunt points, and stay safe from other Bots.

The Pie will have you throw a pie at a clown, earning 3 points if hitting the face.

The Hammer has three swings, allowing you to smash opponents for 4 stars per smash.

The Bomb you can throw to wreck an opponent.

Sports Tricks

"Hitting the question mark trigger will sometimes reveal a soccer ball, football, baseball, or even a set of bowling pins! Try to kick, throw, hit, and bowl to gain more stars!"

Darts, Bowling and Soccer get their own Mini game. All of the sports appear in a Mini Game which combines every single sport trick into a Gauntlet of 20 Sport Tricks. The Sport Tricks in that Mini Game do show up multiple times.

Modes

Excite Race

The player races through a cup, School, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum each with 5 tracks, performing stunts and collecting stars. There is a total of 25 racing tracks. The game supported up to 6 player multiplayer over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, but the service has since ended. You are still able to play 2 player split-screen multiplayer with a friend.

Poker Race

There is a poker racing mode where the player collects cards to create poker hands and gain stars. You swap between cards in your hand to choose one to discard and replace with one on the road. When you drive into a card, that card replaces the card you selected to discard. You are able to not discard if you don't prefer. If you get a poker hand, like a pair or royal flush you can redeem it for stars. You still get points for winning the race, so balance poker with racing wisely.

Mini Games

The Mini games are made up of the small challenges seen throughout the Excite Race Game-mode. These challenges are extended, often via repeating the game, a number of times. The Challenges are:

Challenge	Objective
Soccer	Score 10 Goals to get 60 Stars.
Red Bar	Spin around the red bar to get 100 Stars.
Song Rail	Collect all the music notes to get 55 stars.
Hand Escape	Collect bundles of 5 stars to get 65 stars
Glider	Collect the Butterflies to get 95 stars.
Bowling	Score Strikes to get 200 Stars.
Bar Challenge	Swing around the Yellow Bar to get 70 Stars.
Dart	Score 10 Bullseyes to get 70 Stars.
Sports	Play all the sports to get 140 Stars.
Leg Challenge	Run and Glide into stars in leg form to Get 110 Stars

Completing all the Mini Game's unlocks exclusive icons for your profile.

Collections

This is where you find Profile Icons, Statues, and Dioramas. You buy and view them here.

Reception

The Game generally received favorable reviews, favorable critics praised the game by saying things like "it’s enjoyable, fast, challenging, and delightfully absurd". While most were positve, some negative critics point out "over-responsive controls and lacks... depth".

Meta Critic Awards this game an 77/100

References

Main Games Excitebike Vs. Excitebike (Arcade) Vs. Excitebike (Famicom) Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium Excitebike 64 Excitebike-e Classic NES Series: Excitebike / Famicom Mini: Excitebike Excite Truck Excitebots: Trick Racing Excitebike: World Rally Excitebike (3D Classics)