Codemasters' Toybox Turbos looks like Micro Machines...

I have very fond memories of playing Micro Machines and its sequel with my schoolfriends back in the early 1990s. For years I've been asking Codemasters when there's going to be a sequel. Well, the sad fact is, there isn't going to be one. But don't cry! Look at this footage I captured from its brand new table-top racing franchise, Toybox Turbos:

The resemblance is uncanny. But, having played it in multiplayer in its still-unfinished state, this new racing game does capture the spirit of Micro Machines. You can knock other drivers off narrow rules between desks like in the first game and even hit each other with mallets like in the Micro Machines V3 and V4 3D sequels. Being a new IP, of course, it does add genuinely new elements to the mix, like a mode where you have to beat a tsunami of lava in Escape, or pass a set number of tiny London buses in Overtake. And there are several weapons to pick up and use, like a machine gun, mines and turbo boosts. Also, if you get knocked out of a 4-player race, you can fire missiles at anyone who's left in. Such sweet revenge…

The game is heading to Steam on PC on November 12 for £11.99 / €14.99/ $14.99, with a PS3 and Xbox 360 download version to follow soon after. While it won't have a pad-sharing 8-player mode like Micro Machines 2, it will be 4-player, both online and off. Oh, and it even has two 'classic' camera options, one of which is directly over the action, just like in Micro Machines. I'm excited about this game, as you probably guess, so look out for more coverage on GamesRadar soon.