This Greek mythology- themed racer offers sufficient thrills at a bargain price.

When Disney was still in the habit of adapting classic (and more importantly, public domain) novels and fairy tales, you could almost visualise the multitude of smaller straight-to-video animation imitators hurtling into production each time the House of Mouse announced a new movie. While the original PS2 version ofHeracles Chariot Racing came out too long after Disney’s Hercules to be deemed a direct knock-off, it serves a similar purpose to those lesser animated entries, recreating that film’s atmosphere and style enough to appeal to younger and less discriminating gamers. Indeed, the game’s pastel palette is ripped straight from the Disney film of the same-ish name.

But this is not to say that the core gameplay in Chariot Racing isn’t capable; the effective controls and thoughtfully designed race tracks make this a far better buy than one might assume from merely glancing over the screenshots. Neko Entertainment, responsible for the recent WiiWare port Cocoto Platform Jumper, have resurrected this 2007 PS2 racer in a similar fashion, with Wii-tailored controls that are far from revolutionary, but hold up well.

The nine available racers are a diverse bunch, ranging from the titular son of Zeus to the Minotaur, Medusa, a satyr... And, most bizarrely, an insect-woman named Beesy. Wouldn’t Athena have been a better fit? Heracles is the all-rounder, and will be a good choice for beginners, but overall the roster caters for every racing style. The tracks are also visually appealing, with neat flourishes such as Hades observing his Underworld track from above, while Cerberus shoots fireballs at competitors. Even Athena’s goggled Owl has got involved, assuming the role that Lakitu plays in the Mario Kart series.