Topic: IMPRESSIONS: Pit Crew Panic

[Kairon]

Have you ever repaired a giant flowerbed? How about a giant toilet?
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=17194

 Pit Crew Panic is a game that could only exist on a downloadable service. Start by imagining a Pit Crew simulator: uniformed mechanics rushing to repair race cars as quickly as possible. Then replace mechanics with women in miniskirts, and add motorcycles, cakes, giant flowerbeds, and even toilets to the battered vehicles racing into the pit for repairs. Playing the game, one thought instantly popped into my head: "Yup, this is Japanese, all right."    

The next thought that popped into my head was "Yay! Multiplayer!" Pit Crew panic allows for four players to manage a pit crew together, and it even supports drop-in play. The main game is played cooperatively, but players can also compete against each other. When competing, players will still be on the same pit crew, but the player or team that does the most repair work is declared the winner.    

Pit Crew Panic is controlled entirely with the Wii Remote and is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play. Players simply press a button to select a crew woman and drag the pointer to any section of the vehicle (dubbed a "whatsit") that requires repairs. Players can have workers attend different sections or team up on one large repair job. Players can also aid a single worker by pointing at them, holding down the B button, and performing the indicated gesture. With all the action on screen, it seemed very easy to lose track of my cursor in a multiplayer game.    

Players can have their fastest repair times tracked in online leader boards, and if they keep at it, they'll unlock "Class A" whatsits, which are supposedly even zanier than the giant toilets at hand.    

Pit Crew Panic definitely has the quirk factor to draw attention, and the multiplayer focus is a welcome angle for the game to take. However, it doesn't appear to exhibit much content beyond the timed repair challenges of countless whatsits. The WiiWare game is still without a set price and launch date, but the build I played seemed quite polished and ready for release.