Micro Machines
Micro Machines brought British studio Codemasters' original idea to the Game Boy – races of miniature toy cars across unusual, oversized everyday household settings. Tracks run across the kitchen table among mugs and cutlery, through garden flowerbeds, over a pool table, or through a bathtub, and the top-down view offers a constantly new and surprising environment, even though at its core it's classic time-based racing against opponents. It's precisely this variety of settings that was one of the main reasons the game still felt fresh even after many tracks had been raced.
The controls are deliberately simple, but the tracks are full of narrow spots, jumps, and dangerous obstacles, so the game demands precision and quick reflexes rather than deep control nuance. A major draw at the time was link-cable multiplayer, which let you race against a friend on a screen with a shared field of view – whoever fell out of the camera's frame lost the round, which brought surprisingly tense dynamics to what were otherwise simple races. On the Game Boy's small screen this worked surprisingly well, and it helped the game keep a fresh pace even after many races had been played. The sound effects and music complemented the playful atmosphere that suited the miniature vehicles and their giant surroundings well.
Micro Machines was among the critically well-regarded titles at the time of release and helped cement Codemasters' reputation as a studio with a knack for imaginative, accessible race design. The combination of original settings, legible graphics, and an addictive multiplayer mode made it one of the platform's more popular racing titles. Even years later, the game still works surprisingly well thanks to its timeless idea of miniature racing, and it's among the titles worth trying even for today's players looking for lighthearted but honestly well-made fun.
Game 107 of 147 for Nintendo Game Boy
The same title elsewhere (3)
Micro Machines on the Nintendo NES shipped without Nintendo's license — publisher Codemasters worked around the console's lockout chip with their own solution, a rare feat at the time. It still delivered brisk split-screen racing for multiple players and an inventive overhead view of tracks laid out among everyday household objects. The later Super Nintendo version benefits from more powerful hardware: richer colors, smoother scrolling, and fuller sound thanks to a better chip, though the core gameplay stays true to the original. For the best-looking version, go SNES; the NES release is more of a historical curiosity released without Nintendo's blessing.
