Digimon Racing
Encyclopedia
Digimon Racing is a racing video game developed by Griptonite Games
and published by Bandai
(now Namco Bandai Games
) for the Game Boy Advance
. Part of the Digimon
media franchise and video game series, it utilizes Digimons characters and elements. Its gameplay largely resembles that of traditional racing games, but also utilizes elements of kart racing and action game
s. Its eleven playable characters can be increased to over 40 via Digivolution
.
Digimon Racing uses Mode 7
and voice acting
. The game was initially announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2003 and later exhibited at E3 2004. It was released on April 1, 2004 in Japan; April 30 in Europe; and September 13 in North America. It received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with criticism directed at its resemblance to other kart racers of the time and praise at some aesthetic and gameplay aspects.
media franchise as well as those of traditional racing games. The game follows a group of Digimon
competing in a racing tournament within the Digital World
, home to all Digimon. The purpose of the grand prix is to determine who is the best racer; thus, they use specially designed karts that equate all contestants in terms of ability.
Digimon Racings gameplay largely resembles that of traditional racing games. It focuses on competing against seven CPU
-controlled characters in cup races consisting of three laps. The usage of items to attack opponents and improve one's own condition is an integral part of the gameplay, and adds an element of kart racing games. A new feature in the game is "kart hopping": using the karts to jump onto opponents, slowing them down. This adds an element of action game
play. Digivolution
, a recurring theme in Digimon, also plays a role in the game. Driving over energy hotspots scattered throughout the tracks increases an energy meter located at the bottom left of the game's HUD
. As the meter increases, the player traverses the Digimon's evolutionary line, becoming more powerful and ultimately gaining the ability to use a special attack.
The game's fifteen tracks—four of which are available immediately—are based on conventional video game environments such as jungle
s, volcano
es, and cities
. After completing a track for the first time, the player unlocks a time trial
mode for this track, and a boss battle
. The action-oriented boss battles involve defeating a generally static Digimon using items scattered throughout the areas, which are not designed as race tracks. The player can also compete in single races unrelated to the story in any unlocked tracks. The game uses the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter
or Game Link Cable accessories for a multiplayer racing mode supporting up to four players.
The game features eleven Digimon as playable characters. Eight characters are available immediately; the rest are unlockable by completing cup races. However, the Digivolution mechanic increases the total number of playable Digimon to over 40. The cast predominantly includes popular Digimon from the Digimon anime. Characters' racing abilities differ through their ranking in three areas: speed, handling and acceleration.
, United States-based Griptonite Games
. However, Digimon series veteran Bandai
(now Namco Bandai Games
) returned to publish the game. It was the first original Digimon game for the Game Boy Advance, since Digimon Battle Spirit
and Digimon Battle Spirit 2
were ports of WonderSwan Color games. The game uses the Mode 7
engine to create three-dimensional
gameplay on the handheld console otherwise incapable of such a feat. It occasionally uses voice acting
during races, uncommon in Game Boy Advance games. The game was initially announced at E3 2003. It was later exhibited at E3 2004, with the North American release announced for August 2004. Upon completion of development, the game received a rating of "E" (Everyone) from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and "3+" from Pan European Game Information
(PEGI).
and 63.67% at Game Rankings
. Critics criticized the game for its close resemblance to other kart racers of the time. IGN
's Craig Harris and 1UP.com
's Garnett Lee stated that Digimon Racings gameplay mirrored that of Crash Nitro Kart and the Mario Kart
series respectively. Aside from the familiar format, critics praised specific aesthetic points such as the graphics and music (GameZone
's Michael Lafferty) and the tracks' layouts and themes (Lee). Aspects of the gameplay were also praised, such as control (Harris and Lee), multiplayer mode (Lee), replay value, and kart hopping (Harris). Nintendo Power stated that "[t]he racing action is similar to that of other kart games, but the Digimon influence adds a fun gameplay edge." Famitsu
s four reviewers gave the game scores of 5, 5, 7, and 6 out of 10, respectively, resulting in a total score of 23 out of 40. Allgame
's T.J. Deci gave the game three stars out of five, although he did not provide a more thorough review.
Griptonite Games
Griptonite Games, is an American video game developer developer located in Kirkland, Washington. It is currently wholly owned by Glu Mobile, but was formerly a part of super-developer Foundation 9 Entertainment, where it was previously a studio of Amaze Entertainment.-History:Steve Ettinger opened...
and published by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
(now Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
) for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. Part of the Digimon
Digimon
, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
media franchise and video game series, it utilizes Digimons characters and elements. Its gameplay largely resembles that of traditional racing games, but also utilizes elements of kart racing and action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
s. Its eleven playable characters can be increased to over 40 via Digivolution
Digivolution
Digivolution is a term used in the Digimon anime series. Digivolution is a process used by Digimon, fictional monsters that inhabit a fictional parallel universe called the Digital World that spawned from Earth's communication networks. Through digivolution, a Digimon can evolve, or develop, into a...
.
Digimon Racing uses Mode 7
Mode 7
Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super NES video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects this can create is the application of a perspective effect on a background layer...
and voice acting
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. The game was initially announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2003 and later exhibited at E3 2004. It was released on April 1, 2004 in Japan; April 30 in Europe; and September 13 in North America. It received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with criticism directed at its resemblance to other kart racers of the time and praise at some aesthetic and gameplay aspects.
Gameplay
Digimon Racing is a racing video game that utilizes characters and elements from the DigimonDigimon
, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
media franchise as well as those of traditional racing games. The game follows a group of Digimon
Digimon (creature)
Digimon are fictional creatures from the Japanese Digimon media franchise. They are central to several anime series and films, manga, video games and other merchandise. The word "Digimon" is invariable in the plural, and stands for "Digital Monster"...
competing in a racing tournament within the Digital World
Digital World
The Digital World is a fictional universe featured in the Digimon media franchise. In Digimon anime, manga, video games, and other related merchandise, the Digital World is a parallel universe to Earth that was made from computer data originating in Earth's communication...
, home to all Digimon. The purpose of the grand prix is to determine who is the best racer; thus, they use specially designed karts that equate all contestants in terms of ability.
Digimon Racings gameplay largely resembles that of traditional racing games. It focuses on competing against seven CPU
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
-controlled characters in cup races consisting of three laps. The usage of items to attack opponents and improve one's own condition is an integral part of the gameplay, and adds an element of kart racing games. A new feature in the game is "kart hopping": using the karts to jump onto opponents, slowing them down. This adds an element of action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
play. Digivolution
Digivolution
Digivolution is a term used in the Digimon anime series. Digivolution is a process used by Digimon, fictional monsters that inhabit a fictional parallel universe called the Digital World that spawned from Earth's communication networks. Through digivolution, a Digimon can evolve, or develop, into a...
, a recurring theme in Digimon, also plays a role in the game. Driving over energy hotspots scattered throughout the tracks increases an energy meter located at the bottom left of the game's HUD
HUD (computer gaming)
In video gaming, the HUD is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player as part of a game's user interface...
. As the meter increases, the player traverses the Digimon's evolutionary line, becoming more powerful and ultimately gaining the ability to use a special attack.
The game's fifteen tracks—four of which are available immediately—are based on conventional video game environments such as jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
s, volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es, and cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
. After completing a track for the first time, the player unlocks a time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
mode for this track, and a boss battle
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
. The action-oriented boss battles involve defeating a generally static Digimon using items scattered throughout the areas, which are not designed as race tracks. The player can also compete in single races unrelated to the story in any unlocked tracks. The game uses the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter
Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter
The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter is an accessory for the Game Boy Advance, and was released by Nintendo in 2004. It provides an alternative to the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable but does not enjoy the same popularity due to a number of issues...
or Game Link Cable accessories for a multiplayer racing mode supporting up to four players.
Playable characters
| Playable characters | |
|---|---|
|
|
The game features eleven Digimon as playable characters. Eight characters are available immediately; the rest are unlockable by completing cup races. However, the Digivolution mechanic increases the total number of playable Digimon to over 40. The cast predominantly includes popular Digimon from the Digimon anime. Characters' racing abilities differ through their ranking in three areas: speed, handling and acceleration.
Development
Unlike previous games in the series which were developed by Japanese companies, Digimon Racings development was handled by the Kirkland, WashingtonKirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
, United States-based Griptonite Games
Griptonite Games
Griptonite Games, is an American video game developer developer located in Kirkland, Washington. It is currently wholly owned by Glu Mobile, but was formerly a part of super-developer Foundation 9 Entertainment, where it was previously a studio of Amaze Entertainment.-History:Steve Ettinger opened...
. However, Digimon series veteran Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
(now Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
) returned to publish the game. It was the first original Digimon game for the Game Boy Advance, since Digimon Battle Spirit
Digimon Battle Spirit
Digimon Battle Spirit is a fighting game originally published by Bandai and developed by Dimps for the Japanese-only WonderSwan Color handheld system under the name Digimon Tamers: Battle Spirit...
and Digimon Battle Spirit 2
Digimon Battle Spirit 2
Digimon Battle Spirit 2 is a game for Game Boy Advance released in 2002.-Story:The plot echoes that of Digimon Frontier; several children receive messages on their cell phones asking them if they want their lives to change. Some answer yes, some answer no...
were ports of WonderSwan Color games. The game uses the Mode 7
Mode 7
Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super NES video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects this can create is the application of a perspective effect on a background layer...
engine to create three-dimensional
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
gameplay on the handheld console otherwise incapable of such a feat. It occasionally uses voice acting
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
during races, uncommon in Game Boy Advance games. The game was initially announced at E3 2003. It was later exhibited at E3 2004, with the North American release announced for August 2004. Upon completion of development, the game received a rating of "E" (Everyone) from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and "3+" from Pan European Game Information
Pan European Game Information
Pan European Game Information is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe and came into use in April 2003; it...
(PEGI).
Reception
Digimon Racings release fell on April 1, 2004 in Japan; April 30 in Europe; and September 13 in North America. The game received mixed reviews from critics upon release; it has a score of 62% at MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and 63.67% at Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. Critics criticized the game for its close resemblance to other kart racers of the time. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Craig Harris and 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Garnett Lee stated that Digimon Racings gameplay mirrored that of Crash Nitro Kart and the Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
series respectively. Aside from the familiar format, critics praised specific aesthetic points such as the graphics and music (GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
's Michael Lafferty) and the tracks' layouts and themes (Lee). Aspects of the gameplay were also praised, such as control (Harris and Lee), multiplayer mode (Lee), replay value, and kart hopping (Harris). Nintendo Power stated that "[t]he racing action is similar to that of other kart games, but the Digimon influence adds a fun gameplay edge." Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
s four reviewers gave the game scores of 5, 5, 7, and 6 out of 10, respectively, resulting in a total score of 23 out of 40. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
's T.J. Deci gave the game three stars out of five, although he did not provide a more thorough review.
External links
- Official site (archive of the original)