Parent's Guide: TOW: Things On Wheels - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

Things on Wheels is a racing game that shrinks you down to the size of a toy car, as you take over the wheel to whizz round a remarkably shiny art deco style home. Jumping through the kitchen and skidding under the snooker table, it's up to you to take part in a number of races, as you make use of the ramps, jumps, and power-ups available to speed your way into first place.

Although it may sound fairly Mario Kart-y, Things on Wheels is arguably aimed at a slightly older audience. The cars don't handle quite as easily as on Mario Kart, as, being toys and all, they don't have that much weight behind them. Making it easy to be spun round by the computer players, or simply overshoot a corner, it can take some getting used to having less weight behind the car - and cornering/slowing down appropriately. That said, with computer players that are entertainingly clumsy (falling off things, crashing into door frames), you're in for a laugh even if you don't manage to steal first place.

Perhaps the main reason we have this down for a fairly old age group, though, is that the tracks don't offer all that much in the way of signposting. It often isn't all that obvious where you're meant to go next or which way corners go, as there's no map, and very little in the way of chevrons or similar objects that may telegraph the route. While older players should have few problems, younger ones who're more used to Mario Kart may struggle to figure things out - at least for the first few laps, until they've memorised the course. The power-ups, too, let you do things like freeze your opponents' wheels, or slow them down thanks to an electric spark - but they affect every player on the track simultaneously, without anything in the way of warning. Because of this, it can sometimes be a bit tricky for younger children to tell why their car suddenly won't steer, because they haven't seen themselves be "hit" by any specific power up - your wheels just turn to ice the instant someone uses it.

With full support for four player split-screen multiplayer though, this can be a blast with a group of similarly skilled friends. With the power-ups providing ample opportunity to interfere with your friend's race, and some generally entertaining courses, this is one for the older players, certainly - but could be well worth a look.

While there's a variety of power-ups on offer in Things on Wheels, there's nothing here for parents to worry about. None of the weapons actually even fire projectiles, and cars don't take any damage, so this is thoroughly family friendly.

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: Xbox 360