Sprt: Bugged Out Rally [by Inoculous Games

Game Review:  Bugged Out Rally
Release: November 2, 2004
Genre: Sports
Developer: InoculousGames
Publisher: Winterwolves
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP, 256 MB RAM, 16mb Video Card
Players: 1 (multiplayer online)
Price: $19.95
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This is a game where you are supposed to race against other bugs using mines and rockets to scare your enemies away. Couldn’t you just use a fly swatter? Is this game really going to go somewhere, or will it just be the target for a lot of puns?

In short – is it a bug’s life? Or should these little bugs bugger off?

As you start the game, you only have access to one bug model – the beetle. Until I played “Bugged Out Rally”, I had no idea that a beetle looks like a yellow loaf of bread with two straws at the front. Oh, and the loaf of bread has wheels! Luckily, the models get better as you progress in the game, and the Black Widow and the Scorpio models look really nice.

I was a bit disappointed at first, because I downloaded this game shortly before going to bed, and saved it for the next day. That night, I conjured up images of a game with great-looking models of bugs, and possibly the option of being able to fly around in the game. So when I finally sat down to play the game a day later, I was disappointed to find out that the bugs have wheels and are earth-bound. I guess that’s alright though. I figure that animating a centipede would’ve been an animator’s version of hell on earth.

One thing that isn’t alright, and comes as a major disappointment, I might add, is the in-game graphics. I recently bought my computer, a Pentium IV that has up until now worked perfectly with games. Rome: Total War works flawlessly, and so does NHL 2005, so there are no performance issues.

But the graphics in “Bugged Out Rally” remind me of those from my old Playstation 1 games, and are sorely lacking in detail. The lack of detail is probably for the better though, because the plants and fences that do exist, take an eternity to render. You’ll be speeding along with your little loaf of yellow bread (probably due to an overdose of saffron), and you’ll see half a plant! As you get closer to it, it will grow into a full plant. This happens not only on the first course of the game, but also at the later stages. The problem remains even after texture detail has been set to very low.

The controls are easy to get a grasp of, even though the default buttons for firing off your rocket or placing a mine ought to be located closer to the space bar (which works as your brake), so you can reach them without removing your fingers from the space bar. Luckily, that can be fixed since you have the option of setting your own controls, which is always a nice feature to have, especially in a racing game.

The game’s biggest potential probably lies in the on-line racing option, though I have been unable to test it, due to not finding any servers where the game is played. But once people start buying this game, I’m certain that you can get a lot of fun out of blowing your buddies to smithereens with a well-aimed rocket. Die, my little friends, die! [Insert-mad-scientist’s-laugh-here.]

There are some other things that could really be better in this game. One thing, that Winterwolves’ are usually good about is adding different difficulty settings, I wish they had done that here. This game just might be harder to solve then world peace, at least for me. It’s unfair for those little bugs to be so good at hitting me with a rocket!

There’s a terrible amount of bouncing in the game. Imagine what it would be like if you were going 120 mph, and hit a little bump in the road. Now imagine what that would do to your little bug. I’ve been bouncing around more than I did when I tried bicycling down the stairs. Both made me dizzy, and the in-game bouncing also left me trailing behind the other bugs.

I would have liked to see some stats on the performances on the different models. They are supposed to get faster, and since you have the buy them with your prize money, I’m sure they do, but exactly how much faster? And does the speed come at the cost of a bug that’s harder to control at the higher speed? How good is the bug at taking the curves? [Wow. That’s certainly a sentence I’d never imagined that I’d write!]

Myself, I prefer Winterwolves’ “The Goalkeeper.” This company has the talent needed to create good games, but “Bugged Out Rally” isn’t one of their best. [editor's note: Bugged Out Rally was published by Winterwolves, and was developed by Inoculous Games]

Graphics: 6
The later models of bugs look great, but the beetle looks like a yellow loaf of bread, as I’ve mentioned, and the ladybird looks like a blob of jelly (much like the ones we all know and love from Breath of Fire) with black spots on it. The slow in-game rendering made me want to throw stuff at my screen.

Sound: 9
The in-game music, and sound, are one of the game’s best features. When a rocket is coming your way, you will hear a ticking sound that will increase as the rocket comes closer. It’s the most awful sound I’ve ever heard – probably because I know I’m about to be squashed by a bug again.

That is, by the way, also a sentence I’d never imagined I’d write. Bested by a bug. Typical!

Gameplay: 8
It’s a tough game to win, so difficulty settings would have been helpful. I hate to hit a bump in the road and find my little bug bouncing harder than a guy on crack at a rave-party. Bugged Out Rally gets extra points though for of the option of playing on-line. Beating your mates on-line will give you bragging rights for days to come!

Options: 8
You’ve got a lot of options to play with. You can increase (or decrease) music or sound volume, change screen size, and change control keys. Once again, the option to play online raises the grade a notch here. What’s pulling this score down from a nine or a perfect ten? The lack of difficulty settings!

Concept: 8
Bugs on wheels. Sounds like Disney on skates, only better.

Fun: 6
I can see different grades of fun for this game. The first is a grade of six – you against the computer bugs. Hard to beat, but not impossible. The grade really takes a hit because of the graphics problem. Without them, I’d be more than willing to raise the grade to a 7. And once you are able to play online, this could be a clear-cut 8. Beating your pals is always a pleasure, whether it is done on the Nintendo 64 while playing Golden Eye 64, or by squashing bugs. Consider what you will be using the game for, when deciding to buy it.

Overall: 6
This could be such a nice game, if only the graphics worked better. Though hopefully you won't have the same issues as I did. Download the demo, play it through, and see if you have any problems with it. If you don’t, you can raise the score to a 7.
Added: January 20th 2005
Reviewer: Martin Krantz
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