The principle is therefore similar to the Nintendo game: different characters riding different vehicles race on circuits dotted with objects to pick up and throw at opponents in order to slow them down. Always fun and effective, this recipe is here applied to the world of Paw Patrol, which is easily recognized. The un-genius but clean graphics are consistent with those of the animated series, and the eleven contestants to embody are made up of the young hero Ryder and ten of the famous puppies. Mayor Goodway and Mayor Hellinger also make a few appearances, while the starting signal is given by the hen Galinetta, who pecks at an indicator light. With regard to the respect of the deductible, the contract is therefore rather well fulfilled. The gameplay is obviously very accessible, and all you have to do is constantly accelerate and follow the turns to easily cross the finish line. A small subtlety is all the same present at the time of departure, since it is necessary to succeed in keeping the accelerator in a certain zone in order to benefit from an initial acceleration. The objects to be picked up on the circuits are also classic: accelerator, tornado slowing down the opponents, throwing a fruit pie intended to make the unfortunate person who passes over it skid, not to mention the essential skill allowing you to manhandle the competitor currently in the lead. the race (the equivalent of the famous blue shell of Mario Kart). Nothing very innovative compared to the competition therefore, and some effects even struggle to differentiate themselves from each other. On the other hand, the game has a welcome feature: the hunt for croquettes!
NOTHING IS TOO HARD, PUPPIES SURE?
Indeed, in addition to the mystery objects placed on the track, it is also possible to pick up bone-shaped croquettes, in order to fill a special gauge. Once full, the latter allows you to trigger the ultimate skill specific to each character. Ryder adorns himself with a shield that repels those who touch him. Chase triggers a siren capable of slowing down opponents. Marcus throws a water balloon at the nearest competitor. Ruben sends an inflatable rock down the track. Rocky places a pile of leaves behind him. Zuma pours water in order to make those following her skid. Stella flies away and benefits from an acceleration. Everest throws a snowball meant to freeze the nearest pilot. Tracker uses spring cables to catch and slow down the competitor in front of him. And Rex roars to slow nearby vehicles. Interesting on paper, these skills are however not very useful when playing against the computer. Despite three different difficulty levels, no challenge awaits the seasoned player, or even the occasional player for that matter. The difficulty balancing is all about young children, which is completely understandable and commendable given the series' intended audience. But the presence of a mode for older people would still not hurt. In any case, the best is to play with several people, this Grand Prix supporting up to four players in split screen. It is under these conditions that the autopilot option is particularly welcome. The latter allows the youngest to participate in the party, even if they are not yet able to really handle a game controller. Indeed, the autopilot accelerates permanently in their place and even allows itself to reframe the vehicle s he starts to deviate a little too much. Placebo effect guaranteed on the little ones!
MY VERY FIRST MARIO KART
The thirteen circuits available use three different types of scenery (the Bay of Adventures, Jake's Snowboard Station, the Jungle) but remain very classic. The elevations are rare, the tight turns even more, and only a few very simple shortcuts (left path or right path) bring a micro-mini-hair of strategy. In terms of faults, it is also impossible not to mention the voices of the puppies, who keep repeating the same interjections over and over. In a single race, you will hear the same phrases dozens of times! And it's even worse in the Adventure mode, which is content to stupidly investigate seventeen circuits (the day/night option being used to generate additional variants) and forces us to go through them while always keeping the same character. You will go around it in less than two hours, but will come out with the desire to foreign the voice actors. We know that children like anything that is repetitive, but hey… It should also be noted that the scenario which is supposed to justify this adventure mode is non-existent, and only revealed through a few fixed screens (an image of a puppy, a passphrase everywhere, and voila!). Too bad no effort has been made on that side, with for example a few small cutscenes and/or a minimum of stakes. This Grand Prix is therefore generally satisfied with the minimum service, and will therefore leave most players unmoved. But young fans of the series will find their account and, who knows, may end up turning to a real Mario kart a few months or years later.
