NASCAR racers, and most race car drivers in general, usually get their start on go-karts. Such is the case with Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine, a kooky kart racer for all the major game consoles (360 version reviewed here).

You have a cast of goofy racers on silly cars here. Like a guy racing in a bathtub, a vampire lady driving a coffin, and a sports mascot in a jet-propelled easy chair. You’ll unlock more crazy drivers and cars as you win cup races.

It’s how you earn power-up weapons in this game that make it unique. As you drive around the track, you can go on roll over panels that light up to please the crowd. This nets you audience points that translate into weapons earned for your car. Like mines, missiles, and boost. Each is assigned to a certain button on the controller, and you can upgrade each one by earning more points. When you take damage, make sure to stop into the pits to repair yourself and refill your ammo. There are also buttons you can drive on to give you a boost, trigger a trap for other racers, or open up a shortcut.

The game has a variety of challenges in the cups, so it’s not just standard races over and over. Some tracks make some of the racers drive in the opposite direction, so you have to watch out for collisions. There are also last man standing and survival endurance missions. You can do cup races, time trials, quick races, or split screen multiplayer.

While the world really doesn’t need another kart racer, if you’re a big fan of NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson, you may enjoy this one anyway, as he hosts the races and you might even be able to challenge him to a race…if you’re good enough.

Kid Factor:

Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine is rated E-10 with ESRB descriptors of Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Mild Violence. Most of these descriptors come from the stereotypes of the racers, but it’s really no worse than a Looney Tunes cartoon. I’d be OK with any kid playing this, really. Reading skill is helpful, but not always required, as most of the text is followed by spoken voice. Younger gamers and less experienced racers may get frustrated at the difficulty, though.

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