Racing games are popular with children because of their fast pace and non-stop action. The most attractive games of that genre are simple ones, which emphasize less on realism and more on fun. Games with cartoon characters, who depend on mischief in addition to speed to take the first place, add an extra element of strategy and appeal to youngsters.
Mario Kart Wii
Nintendo's newest addition to the Mario Kart series turned out to be an immediate commercial -- as well as critical -- success. The player takes control of the most well-known characters of the Mushroom Kingdom, such as the Mario Brothers, as well as some of the bad guys, like Bowser and Wario. The classic power-ups are present once again and can be collected during your wild race through the game's locations, from islands to mud tracks. Players can choose between carts and motorcycles, with the former offering more stability, but the latter superior in speed. Mario Kart Wii is exclusively available on the Nintendo Wii console and also supports the optional Wii Wheel accessory.
Hot Wheels: Track Attack
Based on the Hot Wheels toys franchise, Track Attack is targeted to younger players and attempts to replicate the joy of playing with toy cars on screen. The game's graphics are bright and colorful, while the controls are simple, allowing small kids to focus on the game. Children can drive the miniature cars through jungles and cities, and can design their own track as well. Success is based primarily on speed, with no power-ups available during the race. Hot Wheels: Track Attack is available on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.
Sonic Free Riders
One of the first racing games to utilize the Kinect peripheral of Xbox 360, Sonic Free Riders features the characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It's a motion-controlled game, which means that -- if you own the Kinect -- kids have to stand in front of the screen and move accordingly to steer their virtual hover board. The racing tracks vary, from ancient tombs to volcanoes, all with their own share of hidden shortcuts. Important elements are also the boost platforms and the coins, which are important to upgrade your hover board.
Crash Tag Team Racing
Another popular character, Crash Bandicoot, serves as the basis of a kid's racing game. In the last addition to the series (back in 2005 on PlayStation2, PlayStation Portable, GameCube and Nintendo DS) Crash and his friends race against each other in levels where in addition to the wooden box power-ups, players will find also boost platforms, shortcuts and traps. With a feature introduced in Crash Tag Team Racing, two players can mix up during a race, with one acting as a driver and the other as the handler of a deadly weapon. The graphics are top-notch and the wacky driving-shooting experience will captivate young children.
