DESCRIPTION

Pulse Racer is a futuristic kart racing game with the added twist of characters being directly wired to their vehicles, which operate on life energy rather than fuel. This symbiotic relationship between man and vehicle is represented by a beating heartbeat — a pulse — which quickens whenever players move too quickly or place undo stress upon their vehicle. Three modes of play include Career Race, Quick Race, and Time Trial. A total of 15 courses are initially available to race across, but players can also edit their own tracks and save them to the hard drive for racing against up to three other friends.

In addition to outracing the competition, Pulse Racer has players using various weapon pick-ups to improve their chances of winning. Missiles, mines, plasma beams, and other helpful items are available during the racing action. Yet care must be taken not to flat line, which causes the vehicle to stop for a short time as a result of too much acceleration. Characters must carefully balance their vehicle by leaning back, forward, left, and right while competing against seven other drivers trying to knock them out of contention. Since each of the nine characters is viewable onscreen, they can grab onto poles to propel their vehicles ahead of the opposition or to sling around tight corners. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide