Would you be a mug to buy Beetle Crazy Cup? Is this a Beetle of the faecally-fixated variety? Read on and find out...
James Price

Games are good, average or bad. The areas that lie between are subjective; from the vehemence of a 'terrible' 30 per cent, to the vague approbation of an 'okay' 65 per cent. Ultimately, though, the pigeonhole that's a percentage can be translated as buy it, try it or avoid it. Or, to return to the opening line with a rhetorical flourish, they're good, average or bad.

So what do you do when you find a game that's all three at the same time?

Beetle Crazy Cup is fun. Beetle Crazy Cup is an adequate racing game. Beetle Crazy Cup is frustrating and, therefore, unsatisfying. A light-hearted driving game starring innumerable variants of the titular motor, BCC is immediately approachable. With five flavours of racing - speed, cross, buggy, monster truck and jump - it's suitably varied too. Individually, these modes, with their particular courses and vehicles, are engaging but lightweight. Collectively, they command a little more respect.

Speed racing is just that - a fast-paced drive over road courses with unusual, cartoon-like physics. The Cross mode sees you scrambling over dirt tracks, while the Buggy mode is a mixture of the previous two. The Monster Truck mode gives you a cumbersome vehicle that you're required to drive around an obstacle-strewn course within a strict time limit. Finally, the Jump event involves driving a car, pepped up by a player-induced burst of nitrous oxide, over a large ramp, with distance being a predictable goal. The latter two are Future Gamer's favourites.

You can access these play modes in a variety of ways. The Beetle Challenge is top of the bill, being a Gran Turismo 'adventure' mode with L-plates. There are four courses in each of the five main categories, with a learning curve rising with each, plus a set of bonus races that offers a variation on the aforementioned themes. Win races and you win credits that can be used to purchase bigger and better cars. There are a few other modes to play, plus a multiplayer option.