Game Design: Lego Racers

This is a basic Kart racer.  However, it has a really nice twist on a basic Kart system to make this game unique.  Well, two.

One is the short cuts you see in the videos.  The second is that the white bricks upgrade any of the effects.  the colored block is the basic move (shield, speed, outright attack, delayed attack) and each white brick upgrades the attack.  Shields get more powerful, you eventually can teleport ahead of the other racers by a significant amount, attacks get more powerful, and you can mess with another racer's driving system. 

This is actually a nice twist on the game.  You must plan ahead, but it's a bit of a gamble.  Either the attack will be weak or you can use it immediately, or you can save up to get a game breaker, but it might not happen until late in the race, and too late. 

It's a very nice touch, that I wish I  could see in more Kart racers.  I'm actually not sure if it was in it's sequel...