Indianapolis 500 Racing

After spending a couple of hours trying to get past the second level, I gave up. I was hoping for something more like Mario Kart, but more realistic. This was too difficult for me (guess I'm too old!)

For any fan of the golden era of open whel racing this game is great!. Your have to love traditional oval racing or you may think it is boring, but it is very true to the era in the cars and drivers and even to the voice of ledgendary race announcer Tom Carnegie calling the race. Not for those who want gimmicks or glitz, but great for someone who remembers and loves the history of the sport. Though no credit is given, I am sure the intro of "Gentleman start you engines" is the voice of Tony Hulman. A bargin for under $20

I'm a little surprised at how many high rating this has received. Not that it's a bad game but it does get a little boring going around in circles on the same track over and over. We purchased this as a racing alternative to Mario and this is good for that, but we also purchased F1 2009 for the Wii and it is much more fun than Indy 500. F1 2009 offers more track choices and interesting layouts (rather than going around and around the same track). For the money Indy 500 is okay and thus 3 stars, but not as much fun as F1 2009 which I would rate 5 stars. If you want to purchase one, spend a few more bucks and pick the F1 2009 over the Indy 500.

Things to know before you buy:

1. The variety of cars and the differences they present add a lot to the fun, so much so that this is arguably the game's biggest draw. The period that the game spans ('61-'71) was an interesting decade of technical advancement and this historical tie gives the game real dimension.

2. As you may have read in the product description you have to unlock new cars and years by "earning" them through various missions. However, the missions themselves are fun and they effectively force you to become a better player.

3. The only negative (for me) is the pit stop regimen. Instead of having to master actually driving into pit lane correctly the game takes over control and "auto-parks" your car. Then you have to use the Wii controller to turn things and move things in order to change your own tires and add your own fuel. Hmmm. It seems that the authors were trying to add tension to the pit stop (which this does) but I am not in love with the approach. My opinion.

4. While you do not need the Wii wheel accessory, it does add a bit of realistic feel and it makes the controller MUCH easier to manage. You definitely want to get it.

GET THIS GAME. Tremendous fun for the low price!

The experience is quite nice, since you start your career in 1961 and wins make available new cars ans missions. YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE PRECISE WHEN DRIVING, NOT MUCH CHANCE TO RECOVER IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE.