MaximumPC 2005 10

J

uiced is the latest underground racing
sim to hit store shelves, and it reeks
more of commercial exploitation than le-
gitimate street cred.
From the get-go, Juiced wastes no
time putting you into a drivers seat to live
out your dreams of asphalt domination.
There’s no infiltration of an underground
scene; the career mode begins as soon
as the game starts. Next thing you know,
you’re racing to win in a borrowed car, and
from there every taste of victory allows you
to buy newer, faster cars, or to trick out
the one you’re currently racing.
A calendar of racing events is available
for you to pick and choose from. Some
events are free and can be used to build
your bank account as well as “respect,”
which is gained by winning races, perform-
ing stunts, and satisfying other require-
ments. Some racing events require you to
pay an entry fee or to have a certain level
of respect in order to participate, which is
aggravating but gives you something to
strive for in the game’s early stages. You
can also earn money betting on races from
the sidelines, but unfortunately you have to
actually watch the entire race unfold, which
gets boring fast.
As in real life, customizing your cars
becomes a major time suck requiring
serious investment, but it’s incredibly
satisfying to turn a used hunk of junk into
an awesome beast of a machine. ( Juiced
shamelessly flaunts its licensed brands,
and you’re reminded at every turn that
the NoS-powered Acura you’re driving is
actually approved by Honda.) While racing
for “pinks” in all-or-nothing races is un-

comfortably tense and thrilling, we always

chickened out if we were losing and would

just opt to not save the game.

Handling is more arcade-inspired than

simulation-based, and the damage model-

ing is disappointing. Though cars take a

beating in races and you’re forced to pay

for repairs afterward, you never get the

sense that your car is actually smashed up

or in need of repair. We were also turned off

by the closed-circuit nature of the tracks. If

this is illegal street racing, we’d like to be

dodging pedestrians and avoiding cops,

not bumping into roadblocks.

The arcade mode is the most enjoyable

part of the game, and makes competing

in the campaign to unlock cars and tracks

worthwhile. You’ll be satisfied if you treat

Juiced as an arcade racer, but those itch-

ing for a realistic underground racing sim

should look elsewhere.

—NORMAN CHAN

Juiced

A street-racing game made

from concentrate

GAMEGEAR

BUTTKICKER GAMER

You know those hooptie-mobiles that pump so much bass

your fillings rattle? That’s the idea behind the ButtKicker

Gamer. The difference is that this subwoofer sans speaker

vibrates your chair. Think force feedback—for your ass.

Connect your PC’s bass output to this 100-watt amp, and it will drive a piston

clamped to your chair. The piston’s rapid movement produces intense vibrations

synchronized to low-frequency audio

events, a sensation that’s about as

much fun as a sonic enema.—MB

XFX XGEAR DUAL REFLEX

The XGear is a standard dual-thumbstick

USB controller, with an eight-way direc-

tional pad, and eight buttons. And it’s

built big—to accommodate adult-size

mits. During testing, we found the pad

comfortable to use, and the no-slip rub-

ber grip is a nice touch. Programmable

macro functions, vibration feedback,

and some gratuitous (but cool)

green lights, round out the

package.—SK

“I can see through time!” You’ll find no shortage of motion-blur and other mind-

bending effects in Juiced.

$40, http://www.juiced-racing.com, ESRB: T

JUICED

FRESH SQUEEZED

Licensed cars and parts,

fun arcade mode, and

sparkly graphics.

CONCENTRATE

7

Weak damage models, frustrating career

mode, and simple tracks.

BUTTKICKER GAMER

$150, http://www.thebuttkicker.com

8

XFX XGEAR DUAL REFLEX

$40, http://www.xfxforce.com

OCTOBER 2005 MA XIMUMPC 85

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