History VideoGame / MicroMachines

* InkSuitActor: Violet in ''Turbo Tournament'' is based off of Violet Berlin, former presenter for the British show ''Bad Influence'', which talked about upcoming games in the early 90's.

* MacroZone: naturally.

Developed by Creator/{{Codemasters}}, the Micro Machines games took the popular children's toys and turned them into a top-down racer set in a MacroZone. Whether racing 4x4s on the breakfast table or F1 cars in the games room, the Micro Machines series has a great combination of fun, amusing details (such as the cereal boxes with "[[TakeThat 100% Artificial Ingredients]]" written on them) and multiplayer madness.

* {{Expy}}: V4 of Spider.

* RubberBandAI: In the original game, a car that was behind you would be faster than if it was in front of you. It didn't matter how far ahead/behind they were, however, so if that wasn't enough, there was no further help coming. It also featured a rather hilarious, and unintentional, [[UnstableEquilibrium inversion]]: if you put the fastest drivers in the fastest cars, the speed boost from being behind would be more than the AI could handle, causing the cars to leave the track and fall even further behind.

** ''Micro Maniacs'' made everyone ugly, but it was ultimately just a way of making it seem DarkerAndEdgier.
*** Debatable with Vortex and Pyra. Vortex is only offset by the striking two-tone skin, but even then she is quite the stunner. Pyra is almost statuesque ... until you remember that she is literally living fire and probably a virtually-hollow skin. Roach was probably quite handsome before his karmic punishment, and we have no idea what V4, Twister or Beatbox really look(ed) like.

* AllThereInTheManual: Some lengthy character descriptions, among other things.

*** And everyone from the original ''Micro Machines'' had a backstory. It was AllThereInTheManual.

'''This game series provides examples of:'''

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Micro Maniacs is ''people''. Most people don't even know it's part of the franchise at all.
* BackStory: ''Micro Maniacs''. (There's a lot of accidents)
** V4 was in a motorcycle accident.
** Pyra had a lab accident involving combustion.
** Maw-Maw is a [[MixAndMatchCritters Mix and Match Critter]].
** Twister was a crazy twit.
** Beatbox was a DJ who wanted to be able to play more effectively with elements of TheSpook.
** Waldo was a rival scientist who had an accident with his own shrink ray and got [[IncrediblyLamePun picked up]] by it's inventor.
** Mesme was a CreepyChild who suffered a NoodleIncident.
** Dynamo was a crashed alien.
** Roach was the doctor's nephew and an insect torturer who is suffering karmic punishment.
** Toxin was a mercenary who tried to steal the Minimizer. Dr. Minimizer gave away the plans in exchange for Toxin's cooperation in the experiment.
** Project X is AllYourPowersCombined with a lot of CloningBlues.
** Amazingly, Vortex is the only character not to have suffered an unfortunate accident. Instead she was just taught how to make ''gravitational singulaities at will''.
*** And everyone from the original ''Micro Machines'' had a backstory. It was AllThereInTheManual.

* CuteMute: Mesme.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Oh, ''Micro Maniacs''.

* ExcusePlot: Subverted - while the plot in ''Micro Maniacs'' is just a justification for tiny people running around, it's as developed as a real plot and has a resolution for every character.

* TheGhost: Dr Minimizer. He does have backstory other than being the inventor of the Minimizer - he's Waldo's rival and Roach's uncle.
* HairTriggerTemper: Project-X, apparently.
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Project-X and Maw-Maw were created by Minimizer and given those names, while Dynamo, Waldo and Mesme are known by their real names (albeit with OnlyOneName), but V4, Vortex, Pyra, Beatbox, Twister, Roach and Toxin never have their real names mentioned. [[note]]Although Roach's surname is probably Minimizer.[[/note]]

* MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial: Inverted for ''Micro Maniacs'' - all the secret characters are men.
* MultipleEndings: Again, ''Micro Maniacs'' - one for every character.
** V4 goes destiny-seeking with a motorbike Dr. Minimizer made from the rest of the crash parts.
** Vortex gets honour degrees and becomes an astronaut where she leads the first ever mission into a black hole.
** Pyra takes a nice holiday in a volcanic lake.
** Waldo tries to turn himself into a giant with the Minimizer, but accidentally turns himself into a baby and destroys his power suit.
** Maw Maw escapes and eats cake. (Well, it ''is'' Maw Maw.)
** Twister gets action figures made of, becomes a household name, and gets very rich.
** Beatbox opens a club with Maximized hi-fi.
** Mesme brings her teddy bear to life after Maximising it to prevent her nightmares.
** Toxin gets a three year cold and goes to jail.
** Roach tortures everyone else (so is presumably the first to be Maximized).
** Dynamo goes home.
** Project X clones itself and leads a rampage, but Dr. Minimizer puts a stop to it.
* MyBrainIsBig: Mesme's brain ''sticks out of her head''.

* NoMouth: Mesme doesn't have a mouth.
* PlayingWithFire: Pyra.
* PolarOppositeTwins: Vortex and Pyra are almost the same, except for the exact details of the accident. Of course, they're not twins.
** Also Project-X and Maw-Maw, who are siblings, both being the creations of Dr. Minimizer. While Maw-Maw is a courageous guard animal, Project-X is an aggressive SuperSoldier.

* RealIsBrown: Perhaps not brown specifically, but ''Micro Maniacs'' is definitely much duller and less colourful than the games before and after it.

* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: Roach.
* ShockAndAwe: Dynamo.

* IHaveNoMouth: Mesme doesn't.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Spider is essentially [[HappyDays The Fonz]].

* TheComputerIsaCheatingBastard: In the first game, particularly the destruction cars, the computers have a considerably faster acceleration than you.

"[[MotorMouth Andrememberifitdoesn'tsay"MicroMachines"]]... It's not the real thing!"

* NoProblemWithLicensedGames: It helps that the licence is for a series of toys rather than a film or something, but up to and including V3 (followed by dropping the party element and including the very different ''Micro Maniacs'') the series were some of the best party games ever produced. ''64'', ''Turbo'', and the remake of the original also got adequate reception, and while ''Micro Maniacs'' would naturally be a little far out for fans of the franchise, newcomers to the series liked it.
** The best known ones are the original, which is loved for it's simplicity and eclectic design, and ''V3'', which managed to avert PolygonCeiling.

*** Debatable with Vortex and Pyra. Vortex is only offset by the striking two-tone skin, but even then she is quite the stunner. Pyra is almost statuesque ... until you remember that she is literally living fire and probably a virtually-hollow skin. Roach was probably quite handsome before his KarmicPunishment, and we have no idea what V4, Twister or Beatbox really look(ed) like.

** As did Vortex, concering black holes.

* PolarOppositeTwins: Vortex and Pyra are almost the same, except for the exact details of their accidents. Of course, they're not twins.

* ''Micro Machines'' (yes, that's what they called it)

Developed by Codemasters, the Micro Machines games took the popular children's toys and turned them into a top-down racer set in a MacroZone. Whether racing 4x4s on the breakfast table or F1 cars in the games room, the Micro Machines series has a great combination of fun, amusing details (such as the cereal boxes with "[[TakeThat 100% Artificial Ingredients]]" written on them) and multiplayer madness.

* ''Micro Maniacs'' (featured [[hottip:small people-like things:They ''do'' have a backstory.]] rather than cars).

* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Project-X and Maw-Maw were created by Minimizer and given those names, while Dynamo, Waldo and Mesme are known by their real names (albeit with OnlyOneName), but V4, Vortex, Pyra, Beatbox, Twister, Roach and Toxin never have their real names mentioned. [[hottip:*:Although Roach's surname is probably Minimizer.]]

* NoProblemWithLicensedGames: It helps that the licence is for a series of toys rather than a film or something, but [[hottip:up to and including V3:followed by dropping the party element and including the very different ''Micro Maniacs'']] the the series were some of the best party games ever produced. ''64'', ''Turbo'', and the remake of the original also got adequate reception, and while ''Micro Maniacs'' would naturally be a little far out for fans of the franchise, newcomers to the series liked it.

* PolygonCeiling: The fact that ''Micro Machines V3'' averted this [[hottip:*:Just look at the original game. Now just imagine how impossibly hard it be to play this straight]] makes it one of the two best-remembered games in the franchise (aside from the original).

* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Project-X and MawMaw were created by Minimizer and given those names, while Dynamo, Waldo and Mesme are known by their real names (albeit with OnlyOneName), but V4, Vortex, Pyra, Beatbox, Twister, Roach and Toxin never have their real names mentioned. [[hottip:*:Although Roach's surname is probably Minimizer.]]

** Also Project-X and MawMaw, who are siblings, both being the creations of Dr. Minimizer. While MawMaw is a courageous guard animal, Project-X is an aggressive SuperSoldier.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Anne, Mike and Emilio mysteriously disappeared between the original and ''V3''. Not counting all the new characters brought in the games inbetween.

* {{Expy}}: V4 of Spider. And, by proxy - Vortex and Bonnie, Pyra and Cherry, Waldo and Jethro, Twister and Emilio, Beatbox and Joel, Mesme and Anne, Maw Maw and Chen, Dynamo and Mike, Roach and Dwayne, Toxin and Walter (Project X is closest to Jade from ''V3'', since she's a slight CompositeCharacter, but being literally ''[[AllYourPowersCombined everyone]]'' he probably doesn't need a basis).

* StylisticSuck: Nicknames that compliment the characters such Ace Spider and Fab Bonnie eventually become Able Chen and Fair Anne, and ultimately Poor Dwayne and Dire Walter.

** Same with Pyra (again).

* NoProblemWithLicensedGames: It helps that the licence is for a series of toys rather than a film or something, but [[hottip:up to and including V3:followed by dropping the party element and including the very different ''Micro Maniacs'']] the the series were some of the best party games ever produced.

* StylisticSuck: Ace Spider and Fab Bonnie eventually becomes Able Chen and Fair Anne, and ultimately Poor Dwayne and Dire Walter.

* ''Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96''

* ''Micro Machines V4'' (the first game that allowed you to choose your own cars for all races.)

** Mesme brings her teddy bear to life after Maximising it. Now Mesme won't have nightmares anymore...

** Project X clones itself and leads a rampage, but Dr. Minimizer decides to stomp the invasion and crush it's megalomaniacal dreams.

* PolarOppositeTwins: Vortex and Pyra are almost the same, except for the exact details of their accidents.

* DifferentAsNightAndDay: Vortex and Pyra are almost the same, except for the exact details of their accidents.

* ThatOneLevel: The sandpit levels in the first game. If your dune buggy went into the water, it took a very long time to sink - eating up a large period of time while your opponents got ever further ahead. Happily avoided in the later games with water hazards, as the cars would sink much faster.
** ALL the desktop sportscar levels, due to so many falloff points and the cars moving far faster than most reaction speeds. ''[=MM1=]'''s finale, "Win This Race To Be Champion", is particularly heinous.
*** The real offender, however, was the Rufftrux levels. Not only are you likely to sink, but it's against an unbelievably stingy time limit. With all the sinking, it's very difficult to actually finish one. To add insult to injury, if you get 1st on all the races, this'll get you a Rufftrux level just after a Formula 1 race, which also qualifies for this trope. If you lost lives falling off the table (or onto the table), you won't be able to get them back (they're the prize for completing a Rufftrux level).

Developed by Codemasters, the Micro Machines games took the popular children's toys and turned them into a top-down racer set in a MacroZone. Whether racing 4x4s on the breakfast table or F1 cars in the games room, the Micro Machines series has a great combination of fun, amusing details (such as the cereal boxes with "100% Artificial Ingredients" written on them) and multiplayer madness.

* PolygonCeiling: Partially averted: V3 was one of the first big party games for the PlayStation One, but the series has fared less well since then.