This idea was part of the 2025 game jam ideas project.

Tiny machines

One Liner: Tiny racing machines, in an oversized world

1. Love of SNES Micro Machines

There was a game from the SNES called Micro Machines, Top down racing game where the tracks are oversized environments such as the breakfast table or the bath tub. The track had things you would find on the breakfast table, like sticky orange juice, cereal flakes, or apple, etc… Think of what a child would put on the table to make a race course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrG35KfuTuY I have very fond memories of it.

I tried playing it again a few years ago and my memory of this game was much better than it actually is. You can play it here https://www.retrogames.cz/play_269-SNES.php

2. Threejs and Bruno's Folio 2025

https://bruno-simon.com/

This is a portfolio website for Bruno Simon that has a small car running around an open world. The full source code for this project can be found here https://github.com/brunosimon/folio-2025 and there are a few videos of him going through the source code. It's got cartoon physics that makes it bouncy and fun to play. There is even a single player race track game that you can play with.

Engine, and working example, full source code, permissible license.

3. Remake of Micro Machines in the browser

The idea would be to take Bruno Simon portfolio and add in new assets for an oversized environment like in Micro Machines. Then make a envisioned version of Micro Machines.

After getting the cars to move around on the map, the next goal would be to make a level editor that allows for loading arbitrary blender models and giving them a material. The material would dictate how they respond to the world (when hit by a car, etc…)

Then most of the game afterwards would be building fun and interesting levels.

Prior art

When looking into the successor for SNES Micro Machines, I found two other games.

  • Toybox Turbos - (2014) Same designer as SNES Micro Machines but updated to use a 3D engine. Unfortunately it's produced by EA and has long since been abandoned, you can't play it without their online server, even in single player mode. Fuck EA
  • Super Toy Cars Offroad - (2020) More realistic then I was hoping for