It takes an awful lot for a racing game to stand out from the crowd these days. With so many options available, from realistic sims like GRID Autosport to, well, Mario Kart, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Mini Motor Racing X is a fine arcade racer with smooth gameplay and decent graphics, but it just doesn’t do anything to sell itself. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into on the surface, but dig a bit deeper and there’s actually very little on offer here that hasn’t been done before.

Taking the approach of a more accessible, simplistic experience, Mini Motor Racing X feels like a bit of a cross between Micro Machines and Mario Kart, featuring blocky, toy-like vehicles alongside abilities like nitro boost and various weaponry. There are an abundance of tracks to choose from, with some located on tropical beach resorts, and others in African grasslands, complete with giraffes and rhinos. Keeping to the ‘mini’ theme, these tracks are generally quite short, and so often compensate for this by featuring four or five laps.

The way the vehicles themselves handle is a bit iffy, at least at first. They have an incredibly floaty feel to them, and so you need to be careful when taking corners so you don’t oversteer and end up facing the opposite direction. It takes a bit of getting used to, and even then it can be a tad too fiddly for our liking. Weapons take the form of wrenches, rockets and more, and instead of picking them up as you drive around the course, they’re handed out each time you cross the starting line. This often means you’re stuck with no weapons at your disposal if you happen to use them too soon.

The game’s Career mode makes up the bulk of the gameplay in Mini Motor Racing X; you’ll race your way through championships, unlocking more courses along the way, in addition to new vehicles and upgrades. These can then be utilised in the separate Quick Race mode and Arcade mode (which features a mini-game called Bumper Ball, and is essentially the game’s inferior take on Rocket League). If you like collecting new items, you’ll find plenty here to be getting on with.

We love a good arcade racing game, and in many ways Mini Motor Racing X delivers thrills in spades; it’s a reasonably fast, responsive experience with loads of vehicles and tracks to try out. Ultimately, though, there’s just nothing here that really stands out; nothing to tear you away from Mario Kart 8 or Rocket League. It’s quite content with being an entertaining alternative, and if you’re happy with that, then you’ll have a good time.