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A radio control vehicle is on every boy's wish list at some point during childhood. Over the past decade or so, radio control vehicles have become much more complex and powerful. Adults have become more actively involved in the competitive racing of such vehicles. Although I have never delved into competitive radio control racing, I have always been fascinated with the hobby and the sheer fanaticism that accompanies this activity. Full-scale racing requires large sums of money that the average person cannot raise. Radio control racing affords race enthusiasts a way to actively participate in the sport of racing, while not going bankrupt in the process.

The concept of RC racing is not new to the PC. The recently released Re-Volt is another game that is based on radio control racing. However, unlike Re-Volt, Radio Control Racers is played from the point of view of the person in control. The driver's stand view of the tracks in Radio Control Racers gives a more realistic feel of participating in a RC race.

Radio Control Racers is an attempt to bring the excitement of authentic RC racing to the PC. It offers a realistic physics model and eight detailed tracks. While it does a good job of simulating radio control racing, it also provides a gaming experience that the whole family can enjoy. Gamers of all ages will be able to jump right into the gameplay of Radio Control Racers. The highest difficulty level and advanced settings will feed the need of radio control diehards to enjoy a more sim-like race.

There is not a lot of complexity in the gameplay of Radio Control Racers. The simplicity of the game is one of its strong points. It is a game that can be quickly learned by gamers of varying skill levels. There are only three parts of the vehicles that can be upgraded, which may not satisfy the hardcore RC enthusiasts. However, the lack of technical stuff makes the game more accessible to people not familiar with radio control racing. The three items open to upgrade make a significant difference in vehicle performance when adjusted. It pays to tinker with the vehicles.

There are four models of vehicles to choose from in RCR. Each vehicle has distinct strengths and weaknesses. The monster truck is a 4-wheel drive vehicle that has nice acceleration and good traction, but has a slow overall speed and does not get a lot of air on the jumps. The stadium truck is blessed by stability and quick recovery from getting hit, but is a bit on the slow side. It is a good all-around vehicle to use. The Baja bug has nice acceleration and is good on the straightaway, but does not corner well due to its light front end. I had a lot of fun racing with the Baja bug. The buggy is probably the best vehicle for beginners. It has excellent handling and a good top speed, however, it is light and vulnerable to getting knocked around by the heavier vehicles. The two difficulty settings have a noticeable impact on the handling of the vehicles. When set to "easy," the vehicles are relatively simple to control. The "hard" setting offers very realistic RC handling. The physics at the "hard" setting are realistic and provide more of a sim-style racing experience.

Three types of races are available in RCR. First, gamers can simply race against the computer. Up to three computer-controlled opponents try to beat the user to the finish line. Second, head-to-head racing is available via a split-screen race mode. This mode is a trip! Human racers with similar skill abilities can get into some serious racing - especially with power-ups enabled. The third type of race is the circuit race. The gamer races against fifteen other racers over a series of different tracks. Racing in a circuit involves two stages per race-a qualifying race and the main event. There are four circuits. The amateur circuit consists of four races--one race on each of four tracks. The professional circuit is a bit more challenging and involves four races on four separate tracks. The tracks on the professional circuit are more difficult than those tracks on the amateur circuit. The super circuit is where I spent the most time playing RCR. Eight races are completed in the super circuit. The tracks of both the amateur and professional circuits are used in the super circuit. Finally, the shuffle circuit is a series of four races on four randomly chosen tracks.

To add depth to the circuits, the gamer is placed in one of four main events based on the time of the qualifying race. It is important to get a fast qualifying time, and race in the A-Main event, so that more points and money can be gained. It stinks to race in the B-, C-, or D-Main events because you will get less money. I like this classification system because it makes the user try hard in the qualifying races. The ultimate goal in the circuit race mode is to accumulate the most points. The overall point total of the user is compared to those of the fifteen computer opponents.

I mentioned that money is gained by placing in the races. The winnings can be used to upgrade your car. Since you start out with a stripped-down model car, it is important to win initial races to gain money for upgrades. Up to four upgrades can be made to each of the following pieces of equipment: motor, shocks, and tires. It is necessary to make occasional upgrades in order to remain competitive at the higher difficulty level.

To make things interesting, there is the option to allow power-ups. Power-up icons are placed throughout the course and, when hit by the vehicle, give the racer special abilities. The power-ups are: turbo boost, bottle rocket, electro shock, fire cracker, ghost drive, and oil slick. Although power-ups are not available in real-life RC racing, it is fun to play with them in RCR. They give the game more flair in head-to-head mode, and add more of a strategic element to the game.

Radio Control Racers has a number of cheat codes. I tried most of these cheat codes and must admit they make the game even more fun. I am usually not a big fan of codes, but got a kick racing with some of the more extreme settings from using the cheat codes. Overall, the gameplay of Radio Control Racers is fun, and can be made as easy or challenging as the user desires.

The longevity of Radio Control racers lies in its addictive gameplay. There are only eight tracks and four types of vehicles, which limit the longevity to some degree. It would have been nice to have four or five more tracks, and the addition of a few more vehicle types. It would also have been cool if radio control boats were available with several water-based courses. I guess I am getting too greedy.

The circuit racing at the higher difficulty level will provide the gamer with a fun and challenging experience, but once mastered, the head-to-head play will be the only reason to play the game. It is too bad there is no online play for Radio Control Racers. It would be a trip to play against human opponents over the Internet. A track creator would be another cool addition to the game. The gameplay is fun, but would be enhanced greatly over the long term with the addition of online play and a track creator.

Radio Control Racers supports the following types of control: keyboard, mouse, joystick, game pad, steering wheel, force feedback controller, and the Traxxas Free Wheel controller. I played RCR using the keyboard, mouse, and the Gravis Gamepad Pro. Use of the keyboard is functional, but not ideal on the more complex tracks. Using the mouse yielded a similar outcome. The control is not bad, but it is hard to gain the precision needed to win the more difficult races. Using the gamepad, I felt in total control of my vehicle and was able to compete at the higher levels without frustration. I imagine that a steering wheel is better yet. The responsiveness in RCR is surprisingly good. I was expecting the control to be more in line with Micro Machines, but it is actually more forgiving.

The in-race control of the vehicles is simple. Cars are maneuvered by use of directional controls. The brake and reverse functions share the same command. The power-up function is performed by a separate command. Cornering is performed by the combination of the directional controls and the brake (when appropriate). The whole feel of controlling the vehicles is intuitive.

The graphics of Radio Control Racers are above average. The eight tracks have a photo-realistic look, and are sharp. The dirt, gravel, water, wood, etc. all look nice. The vehicles are 3D objects and animate very smoothly. While the tracks and background items are pre-rendered, they mesh well with the vehicles and power-ups, giving an overall pleasant visual experience. The course design features such mundane items as swinging tires, animals, water puddles, and doors.

The vehicles look good, but since the game is played from a driver's stand view, the vehicles are not that big. The detail and beauty of the vehicles is more readily visible from the selection and customization screens. Each of the four vehicle types has six different decoration schemes.

There are several graphics options in RCR. Ambient animations can be enabled or disabled. The gamer should definitely turn these background animations on. The user can also adjust the screen brightness from the graphics options screen. The three resolutions that can be used are 640 x 480, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 768. I played at a resolution of 1024 x 768 with absolutely no slowdown or choppiness in play. Finally, there is an option to make player name tags visible during the race. The names appear next to the vehicles and are hardly noticeable during the race, which is a good thing.

There is an opening FMV sequence that is fairly cute. It features a ground level view of a track with radio control racers zooming feverishly across the dirt. A groundhog keeps popping out of his hole, only to have to duck when the racers come flying towards him. Young folks, especially, will enjoy this FMV introduction to Radio Control Racers.

The music during the menu screens and the races is upbeat and catchy. It gives the game a lighthearted feel that makes sure you do not get too tense while racing around the tracks. The sounds of the vehicles are realistic and sound like actual RC vehicles. The announcer does a nice job, and interjects humorous phrases at appropriate moments. The engine noise, announcer volume, music volume, and sound effects can all be adjusted. Overall, the sound of RCR is implemented well and adds to the overall experience.

The installation of Radio Control Racers is a snap. After inserting the CD, a series of menus walks the user through the installation process. I performed the full install since it does not take up that much drive space. The actual installation process is fast and hassle free.

Radio Control Racers is one of those games that is hard to dislike. It does not offer the large number of tracks, great sense of speed, or ultra-powerful cars found in more traditional racers. However, it does provide realistic radio control gameplay with a low learning curve, and an experience that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of gamers. It is clear that the developers of this game have a working knowledge of RC racing, as evidenced by the realistic vehicle physics and true-to-life driver's stand point of view. Everything about the game, from the graphics to the gameplay, is solid. With a suggested retail price of $19.99, Radio Control Racers will provide many hours of fun gaming without hitting your wallet too hard.