Get into your crazy vehicle of choice and enjoy this arcadey ride of madness.

Racing games aren't in the mood to be crazy any longer, and, honestly, that is a saddening fact, because I used to love series like Runabout. The last game in that series came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2002 and proved to be a fun game filled with various missions and fun car driving antics. We have waited eleven long years for the next game, but it has now returned to the scene as a downloadable title for the Nintendo 3DS. While there are some kinks along the way, the fans can rejoice with a lot of groovy fun.

Rebranded as Crash City Mayhem, the game puts you in the shoes of an unnamed protagonist. He is a former spy who now works as a courier for a shady group. You are tasked with collecting details on a prototype spy car and to do so you will have tackle various missions. The story doesn't take itself too seriously and pokes fun at itself occasionally. The dialogue has an 80's movie style to it, which makes it something to adore, in my book.

The game is set up pretty straight forward, as you tackle a few objectives in every episode. The objectives involve getting to the specified location, completing your objective, and then getting to the finish line as quickly as possible. On the surface this may sound boring, but the game always twists the rules a little bit to keep you going. In one mission you are required to follow a cab closely, while in another you are trying to nab stuff from police cargo. It helps that the missions are pretty short, which keeps them from overstaying their welcome.

The fact that there isn't much time on the counter, gives the game some strategic weight. Figuring out the fastest route using the map on the touchscreen may seem simple, but can become difficult quickly. The police will hunt you at any given chance and there is a lot of other traffic on the roads. When you crash into traffic, your damage meter will go up meaning you are one step closer to your unfortunate end. There is however a positive side to crashing into things since there is a special money counter that takes note of the various things you destroy. This plays a big role in your high score and makes it equally important as the regular elements like time and speed. It also gives the game an arcade feel, which isn’t a bad thing.

With so much focus on the arcade elements, the game is a little on the short side. You can easily replay missions and try them on various difficulty settings, but it really depends on personal tastes. Every episode also has an option where you can roam the level freely so you can destroy everything in your path and have some childish, giddy fun. This may not be enough to significantly increase the game’s length, but the additions are at least novel. Completing missions unlocks an array of vehicles, which get crazier as time goes on. You start with a regular set of cars, but in the latter half of the game you will be riding vehicles such as a scooter or a gigantic tank. You can equip the vehicles with various items like a nitro boost or some weapons, which leads to some very satisfying destruction.

Since it is a racing game the controls are a pretty important part of the experience. Crash City Mayhem takes some getting used to, as it is easy to slip away if you are not paying attention. Understanding how much weight you need to put on the Circle Pad is part of learning curve and this will certainly take a big chunk of time. This learning curve means it isn’t a game you can just jump into. Fortunately, you can customize the controls in the menus.

Crash City Mayhem is not an amazing looking game, but it’s passable. The graphics are quite colorful and feature interesting and varied locations. The complaint here is that effects like explosions and smoke look a bit dodgy, though it does take me back to my arcade experiences from the good old days. It portrays that style pretty well, though younger gamers may be quite put off by it. The soundtrack is similar in that sense and provides a decent collection of rocking tracks. Unfortunately, the sound effects in the game can be a bit annoying as other drives will often spew the same one-liners.

Crash City Mayhem is an experience that I didn't know I actually missed. Going through the game and exploring the various missions, it really brought me back to the time where things were a little crazier. The game might not be the most appealing thing in the wide world, but I am appreciative that something like this exists. It might be a bit on the short side, but it will take you a long while to discover everything you can destroy. Just be wary of the guy screaming ‘‘what are you doing?'' over and over, because he is a buzz kill.