Wacky Racing: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

In [[Real Life]], the racing of any kind of vehicle is very dangerous, and many people have died or suffered serious injury while doing so. Things have gotten better, but it is still a potentially deadly sport truly only kept in the reigns of safety by [[Badass Driver|the skill of the drivers]]. However, there is also the fact that in real life, except for off-road rallies and endurance races, most races simply involve going from point A to point B, or driving in a circle for 500 or so laps. Because of this, writers tend to spice things up a bit. The result is a Wacky Race, a race so improbable, so outrageous, so dangerous, that it makes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7amgj1DpSA Pikes Peak] look like a Sunday drive.

== Films ==

* ''[[The Great Race]]'', which served as the inspiration for the ''[[Wacky Races]]''.

* The Podracing scene in ''[[Star Wars|The Phantom Menace]]''.

* ''[[Death Race 2000]]''.

* ''[[Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines]]'' had the same basic concept, only with airplanes.

* ''Monte Carlo or Bust'' (a.k.a. ''Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies''), sequel to the above.

** ''Cannonball'' (1976), a classic David Carradine B-Movie Action Flick.

** ''[[The Gumball Rally]]'' (1976), a slapstick comedy.

*** Its sequels, ''The Cannonball Run II'' (1985) and ''Speed Zone!'' (1989).

* Of course, the Wachowski brothers' live action ''[[Speed Racer (film)|Speed Racer]]'' is all over this.

* Sam Carter of [[Stargate SG-1|SG-1]] once had to go through a ridiculous course in an improvised ship in the episode ''Space Race.''

* ''[[Gekisou Sentai Carranger]]'' and to a lesser extent ''[[Engine Sentai Go-onger]]'' combine this trope with ''[[Super Sentai]]'', which is already pretty damn wacky.

** The amazing thing about the Bugatti Veyron race was not that the Bugatti lost, but that it lost by only FOUR SECONDS.

** There was a division similar to that in some speedways for a while. One car involved, but two drivers.

** Don't forget racing ''the post.'' They basically raced against an ''abstract concept.'' {{spoiler|And lost.}}

*** Arguably, they were racing a relay team; mail boat takes the letter from the island to the mainland, where a series of planes and trucks carry it further, until it reaches the local post office where a dude comes round and delivers it.

 

 

* ''[[Flat-Out]]'': Similar to ''Burnout'' but with crazier, off-road tracks, and high explosive trackside objects, but no civilian traffic. The other racers want to make you crash so hard that you're flung through the windscreen of your vehicle, though.

* ''[[Wipeout]]'': High-tech hovercraft zoom round vastly improbable tracks (including ones suspended from a city's skyscrapers) at supersonic speeds, while blasting each other with various types of missile, and the Quake Disruptor, a weapon that causes the entire track to undulate in an excessive manner, slamming itself into opponent's craft, causing massive damage.

** ''[[Need for Speed]]: Most Wanted'' and ''Carbon'': Same as before, but add ''German and Italian supercars'', and just to top the whole thing off, throw in a police department [[We Have Reserves|with infinite funds and reserves.]]

** It gets better in 2010 ''Hot Pursuit'', where you can play as the [[Cowboy Cop]] wrecking the wacky racers' fun.

* And the aerial version of this trope, ''[[Freaky Flyers]]''.

* The early 90s computer game ''Stunts'' was about racing in European supercars on courses filled with more obstacles than you can shake a stick at, including half-pipes, corkscrews, loops, jumps over buildings, and roads made of ice. Its [[Spiritual Successor]] ''[[Track Mania]]'' upped the ante by introducing ''air-suspended courses specially meant for cars that defy the laws of physics''. With its [[Level Editor]], you can also make your courses as crazy as you want - provided the car can get through them...

* ''[[Excite Bike]]'' and ''[[Excite Truck]]''. The latter in particular feels like a G-rated ''[[Carmageddon]]'' crossed with ''Monster Truck Madness''.

** How about ''Excite'' '''''Bots,''''' which is like Truck, except with vehicles styled after animals and minigames ''in the middle of the races.''

* One of Blizzard's earliest games, ''[[Rock N Roll Racing]]'' featured futuristic race cars, racing on tracks with deadly jumps and mines, while the racers themselves touted energy blasters, missiles, and mines.

* ''[[Grip Shift]]'', despite featuring cars, is more of a [[Platform Game]] than an actual racing game. Ditto for the ''[[Track Mania]]'' games.

* ''Crazyracing Kartrider''

* ''Star Wars Episode I: Racer'', based on the ''Phantom Menace'' race mentioned above. Settings include underwater cities, mining facilities, volcanic planets and zero-gravity space prisons.