Full Review

7 July 2006 - Remember the advert with a little car on the tip of a finger and the phrase "Micro Machines come in collections of five" well the toys might have faded, but that hasn't stopped Codemasters bringing a fourth version of the game to the PSP, PS2 and PC.

For those who think we've gone mad, Micro Machines was a series through the 1990s that saw miniature vehicles racing around a every day situations like the kitchen floor, a pool table, and even school desks.

As with previous versions its jam packed with races both single and multiplayer. Within the game races are broken down into a number of different races areas; Micro Tournament, Practice and Garage. The Micro Tournament is broken down further into Learner, Rookie, Hero and Legend and then furthermore to Battle, race and checkpoint.

Getting around the course involves lots of practice and with 750 vehicles from 25 different classes and over 50 tracks to master this isn't going to be a game you complete overnight.

Rather than just another racing game you can get power-ups during the race that help you knock off your enemies and these vary from electrical zappers to dice bombs.

Although entertaining as a single game it’s the multiplayer elements in the past that were the most fun and Codemasters have ensured you can still get plenty of fun here.

The PSP version we tested supports up to four players via a wireless network or two players on the same console battling it out using the keys on either side of the screen.

VERDICT
Micro Machines v4 doesn't bring anything overtly new to the mix aside from new races, however it's such a trip down memory lane that we love it none the less.

Codemasters has kept it simple and that's its wining card. It is still highly addictive and whether it’s the PSP version or the PS2 version if you're looking to kill time on the train or coming back from the pub with your mates.