Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
  1. Games
  2. Racing

Pocket Racers review

Like a really bad Micro Machines

Reviews
By Greg_Sewart published 30 November 2006

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Retro-'80s cover art

  • +

    A lot of cars

  • +

    Laughable story

Cons

  • -

    Steep difficulty curve

  • -

    Sloppy

  • -

    unresponsive controls

  • -

    Useless weapons

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

If there's one genre the PSP does well, it’s the racing genre. No inherent control issues; no really bad graphical limitations; the system has the power to pull off a convincing sense of speed through decent enough environments. And it’s almost like the developers of Pocket Racers went out of their way to make sure their game suffered from all the problems mentioned above. This game is atrocious.

Since Codemasters has the lock on the Micro Machines license, Pocket Racers instead depends on an embarrassingly bad - as in, so embarrassingly bad it's actually fantastic - back-story to explain the situation. During a totally rockin' party, you and your friends are attacked by a dark stranger bent on stealing your souls. He does this by turning you all into tiny cars - yes, you read that correctly - which must then race each other through a series of mundane events if they ever hope to survive.

Wow. And you thought Katamari Damacy's plot setup was far-fetched.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
  • 1
  • 2

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
CATEGORIES
PlayStation Platforms
Greg_Sewart
Latest in Racing
Star Wars Galactic Racer big preview
Star Wars: Galactic Racer makes more sense for the Star Wars universe than Palpatine somehow returning ever did
 
 
Mario Kart Arcade GP key art, with Pac-Man and Mario racing against each other
Nintendo's forgotten Mario Kart game is finally playable again as the best GameCube emulator gets even better
 
 
Forza Horizon 4
Creating a new studio with former Forza and Codemasters devs is like "taking the best singers from the best boy bands"
 
 
Big in 2026 - Star Wars Galactic Racer
The Outer Rim is your highway in Star Wars Galactic Racer, but it's more than Burnout in space
 
 
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 is going full anime with Initial D-inspired Touge Battle mode and a full-sized Gundam
 
 
Forza Horizon 6 gameplay screenshot
Forza Horizon 6 adds Assassin's Creed Shadows-style base where you can build anything, if you fund it with tofu delivery
 
 
Latest in Reviews
Asus ROG Azoth 96 HE gaming keyboard on a wooden desk
The Asus ROG Azoth 96 HE has returned to take the magnetic crown, but that price tag is going to be a problem
 
 
A Thrustmaster T248R and its pedals on a grey carpet
The Thrustmaster T248R is making me question where a sim racing wheel with no direct drive and no modular wheelbase fits in the market in 2026
 
 
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary review: "Large scale sci-fi with tons of heart"
 
 
Slay the Spire 2
Slay the Spire 2 early access review: "Instantly familiar, but already bursting with new ideas"
 
 
Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy Emily Rudd as Nami and Jacob Romero as Usopp standing on the deck of the Merry in One Piece season 2
One Piece season 2 review: "It's hard to imagine a better version of One Piece in live action"
 
 
The player raises their fist as it glows blue in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Monster Hunter Stories 3 review: "This Pokemon-like JRPG evolves to almost match the highs of the main series' hunts"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A player runs towards the Pokemon Pokopia release time
    1
    "It can't even be Pokemon Minecraft, you can't even craft": Pokopia leaves co-op fans disappointed, saying GameShare between Switch 2 and its predecessor "might as well not exist"
  2. 2
    Intel confirms Core Ultra refresh rumors, announcing "the fastest desktop gaming processors" the brand "has ever built," and I hope this means long-term support for its current motherboard socket
  3. 3
    I feel like I can't escape Xbox drama, as even new retro handheld emulators are causing a stir over app charges
  4. 4
    Jujutsu Kaisen Incremental codes (March 2026) for free rerolls
  5. 5
    New Marathon patch seemingly makes the whole game a touch easier as Bungie nerfs UESC enemies, to fans' relief: "One of the best patch notes I've ever read"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...