Hey, Relax, Guy!

I have to admit, South Park is not a show that instantly lends itself to a racing game. Aside from Mrs. Crabtree, the psychotic bus driver, there are hardly any characters on the show who even drive that often. However, South Park Rally pleasantly surprised me and turned out to be a fairly decent game.

I will start out with the cons of the game, since I don't like to leave a bad taste in someone's mouth right at the end of my reviews. First of all, the graphics in this game are nothing to write home about. They tried to re-create the pastel/construction paper look of the show, but there's one problem. The show is 2D. The game is 3D. The transition is not pretty. The settings and characters end up KIND OF looking like they do on the show, only they are badly mis-shapen and warped.

Bad graphics are not a major gripe with me, but the gameplay also leaves a lot to be desired. . For instance, on the course that winds through the town, there are several intersections to take, but you're not given any indicator on which way to go, and some roads just lead to a dead end. You end up driving all over the place, while the computer-controlled racers automatically know where to go and dust you. If you add on to this the fact that most of the cars handle like a go-cart with a 600 HP engine, you get a very difficult game.

The game does have it's redeeming points, however, and most of them might only be recognizable to avid watchers of the TV show. For instance, I found myself to be the only one in the room laughing when suddenly Sadam Hussein's face pops up on the screen, a'la Spooky Vision, and says, "Hey, don't get mad, guy!" And the weapons that you can use while racing are also mainly obscure references to the TV show. Stan will throw up on the road to create a slick, Cartman throws Cheesy Poofs, they can all get an "anal probe" that will shoot lasers at the other racers, etc. Also, Sparky the gay dog and Alice the prostitute make appearances as weapons.

One thing you will probably notice while playing South Park Rally is its uncanny resemblance to Mario Cart. You will also probably note that Mario Cart did it much, much better. It's basically the same premise; well known characters racing each-other in comically undersized vehicles and firing strange projectile weapons at each-other. What made Mario Cart stand out in this respect is that it had great graphics for the time, and it was not so hard that you wanted to stop playing after 10 minutes.

For all the fans of the South Park TV show, South Park Rally is really worth a look. I would strongly suggest that you rent the game, and not buy it, because you will either hate it or think it's decent, depending on your views about South Park's humor. Really, this game is more about the quirky jokes that go along with the TV show instead of just being a straight racing game. If you're looking for a great racing experience, Gran Turismo 1 or 2 will thrill you way more than South Park Rally. However, if you're just looking for a goofy game to take your mind off of things for about an hour (you probably won't be able to stand it much longer), give South Park Rally a look.