Mad Tracks

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 94 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
Mad Tracks Game Cover
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"Mad Tracks" is a fun and exciting toy vehicle racing game with a variety of track options and customizable vehicles. Experience wild and wacky circuits filled with ramps, jumps, and obstacles. Compete in both single-player and multiplayer modes to become the ultimate racing champion.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews
music4 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • Nostalgic experience that brings back fond childhood memories.
  • Variety of game modes and tracks, providing hours of fun, especially in local multiplayer.
  • Fun mechanics and power-ups that enhance the racing experience.
  • Lacks online multiplayer, which limits replayability and social interaction.
  • Some frustrating mini-games and tracks that can detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • Technical issues such as control customization not working and game progress not saving.
  • gameplay13 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by basic graphics and a mix of mini-games that lack depth and enjoyment, with mechanics that often feel poorly designed and frustrating, such as the unnecessary spring mechanic that disrupts driving. While there is a variety of game types and some fast-paced racing elements, the overall experience is marred by shallow mechanics, a short career mode, and a lack of innovation compared to other titles in the genre. Despite some redeeming qualities like good music and a decent selection of maps and cars, many players find the gameplay dull and unengaging.

    • “Fast paced arcade racer with slightly unique mechanics.”
    • “Overall the game has, apart from racing, some interesting gameplay called 'minigames'.”
    • “---{gameplay}---”
    • “Very basic graphics, the driving has some spring mechanic where it wants you to let off the gas every so often, and it's got an emphasis on playing a bunch of different mini games that honestly aren't much fun or well thought out.”
    • “To its credit, it has a really nice variety of game types that can cater to whatever mood the player feels like playing at the time; the downside of that is that the game mechanics aren't really great for any of them.”
    • “If you have neither, Mad Tracks brings nothing new to the table and is shoddily developed with heaps of jank, terrible design decisions (I'm looking at the stupid friction engine mechanic), mini games that are locked behind a wave of races and events, a short career mode that can be finished in less than three hours, and achievements that have no business being as tough as they are.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many players appreciate the nostalgic and iconic soundtrack, some find it repetitive and grating after extended play. Changes to the music in certain levels have disappointed some fans, and there are calls for the original soundtrack to be released as DLC. Overall, the music enhances the experience but can become tiresome during repetitive gameplay.

    • “Soundtrack slaps hard”
    • “As soon as the menu song kicked in, I was thrown back to my childhood.”
    • “+ iconic soundtrack”
    • “I managed to tough it out, but it soured my last moments with this game and the first 20 seconds of the song it played in that mission.”
    • “The game is fun; honestly, it's worse than the original CD version because of the swapped soundtrack for multiple courses and also changed car models.”
    • “The sound and music get quite annoying over time.”
  • story8 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is generally considered simple and forgettable, with some missions offering good moments but often requiring repetitive play that can become frustrating. While the music enhances the experience initially, it can become tiresome during repeated attempts at the same missions. Overall, the narrative does not leave a lasting impression.

    • “The non-race single-player missions have their good moments, but most of them are pretty simple and forgettable.”
    • “+ challenging missions”
    • “I managed to tough it out, but it soured my last moments with this game and the first 20 seconds of the song it played in that mission.”
    • “This game also has a weird obsession with making you replay the same mission over and over, as one achievement requires you to win one race 5 times in a row against hard AI, while another wants you to play another race 20.”
    • “Some missions are a bit frustrating.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as basic and rough, with some reviewers noting that they were acceptable for its release year in 2006, featuring cartoonish visuals that have aged reasonably well. However, there are criticisms regarding the overall quality and detail, with some players finding them underwhelming and lacking polish. Additionally, the game offers a few graphics options for PC users, but the visuals do not stand out significantly.

    • “Music is good, visuals are cartoonish so they didn't age poorly, gameplay is tight, power-ups aren't cheap but if used skillfully can be very impactful, a lot of maps, 4 different cars that vary in stats.”
    • “Ok graphics for its time (2006).”
    • “A few graphics options which cover the basic needs of a PC port are available and there is no FPS lock.”
    • “Very basic graphics; the driving has some spring mechanic where it wants you to let off the gas every so often, and it's got an emphasis on playing a bunch of different mini-games that honestly aren't much fun or well thought out.”
    • “Graphics are rough; difficulty settings are whack, and mechanics are not fleshed out.”
    • “Music is forgettable and graphics look meh.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often requiring excessive time and effort to progress. The need for additional lives to manage the grinding further compounds the annoyance, leading to a less enjoyable experience.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding is tedious and feels like a never-ending chore.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report that the settings menu exhibits some bugs and instability, affecting the overall user experience.

    • “The settings menu is a little funky and buggy.”
    • “I experienced frequent crashes that made the game unplayable.”
    • “There are constant frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Mad Tracks is criticized for its monetization strategy, as it is a free mobile app that has been repackaged and sold on Steam, leading users to perceive it as a cash grab by developers looking to exploit PC gamers.

    • “Mad Tracks is a free mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a paid game, as a cash grab by greedy mobile developers trying to gouge PC gamers.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for requiring high-performance system specifications, leaving some users feeling disappointed.

    • “I'm really ashamed that they had to make the system requirements so high.”
    • “The game runs poorly even on high-end hardware, which is frustrating.”
    • “I expected better optimization; the frame drops are unacceptable.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

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