Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96 is a 1994 racing video game developed by Supersonic Software and published by Codemasters for the Sega Mega Drive. The sequel to Micro Machines, the game is themed around Galoob‘s Micro Machines toys, and players race around environments in miniature toy vehicles. Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament adds new vehicles and game modes, and the Mega Drive version was released on J-Cart, enabling up to eight players without a multitap.

Development began after the release of the Mega Drive version of the original, and there was a focus on graphics and driving physics. Violet Berlin of Bad Influence! makes a cameo appearance as a new character. Codemasters did not develop the game because the programmer of the first Micro Machines was not available, though they did develop the Game Gear and Game Boy versions. Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament was ported to various systems, including the Game Gear and MS-DOS, the latter of which features a track editor.

The MS-DOS version is the only version of the game released in North America, where it was published by GameTek. An update, Micro Machines Turbo Tournament ’96, was released for the Mega Drive in 1995, which added the track editor, new race tracks, and a new soundtrack.

Reception was positive, with reviewers praising the additional tracks and vehicles providing replay value, but some criticised the graphics of some versions. The Mega Drive update was also well received, but some reviewers criticised it for being too similar to the original. Due to the game’s success, a spin-off, Micro Machines Military was produced and released in 1996, and a sequel, Micro Machines V3, in 1997.

Gameplay – Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

Gameplay is identical to the previous instalment: races are viewed from a top-down perspective, and players race in environments such as bathrooms and pool tables (many tracks contain obstacles such as common household objects^[1]) in vehicles including powerboats and helicopters. The game adds sixteen vehicles.^[2]

Like the original, there are the challenge and head-to-head game modes. In challenge mode, players play a series of races against three opponents and must finish first or second to progress to the next race. If a good enough lap time on any of the earlier levels is achieved, players automatically win the race. Placing first three times in a row earns players the chance to win an extra life by playing a special round to collect vehicles within a time limit. Head-to-head is a game which involves one opponent achieving enough distance from opponents to be the only racer on the screen.

Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

This earns that player a point, represented by coloured lights on the screen: one light turns the colour of that player. If all eight lights are one colour, the player of that colour wins. If after three laps, the colours are mixed, the player with the most lights wins. Players are given three lives in both modes.^[3][4] Players select a character, whose stats only affect computer-controlled players, to play as before racing.^[5][6]

Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament adds new modes: Leagues, Time Trials, Single Race, and Tournaments. In League mode, players compete for points in divisions. Seasons consist of four races. Players with the most points at the end of the season are promoted to the next division, and players with the least are relegated. In Time Trial mode players race alone (although some tracks have a Shadow Racer representing the best time) for the best time, or to practice driving.

Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

Single Race is where players compete in a series of rounds in which vehicles begin at the centre of the screen, and get further apart as the race progresses. If a vehicle goes off the screen, they are out of the race unless they have travelled the furthest. The game ends when only one player remains. Tournaments are a fixed race series played in the same manner as Single Races. The winner is the first player to win a set number of times. There are two multiplayer-only modes: Knockout and Share Games. Knockout involves a series of races similar to tournament mode, with winners progressing to the next round and losers knocked out.

Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

Share Games is similar to Single Race, but cars are coloured according to team, with each team’s finishing position depending on which member performs the best.^[7][8] The Mega Drive J-Cart provides two controller ports, enabling up to eight players in multiplayer by two players sharing the controllers.^[9] The Game Gear version retains the console sharing (two player sharing one console) function of the original,^[2] and two units can be linked.^[10]

Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96

The MS-DOS version includes a track editor,^[11][9] included in an updated Mega Drive release.^[12][9]