The Kart Racer That Crashed and Burned.. Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom Gameplay Review 2025 | 4K
8Serious yet fun, let’s dive into the intergalactic chaos of Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom, a 2002 racing game that’s equal parts nostalgic curiosity and cosmic misfire. From the perspective of 2025, where retro gaming is a cultural treasure hunt, this PlayStation 2 and GameCube title offers a quirky relic of early 2000s licensed games. Buckle up for a review that dissects its gameplay, compares it to era-defining peers, and reflects on its place in today’s gaming landscape.
Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom, developed by Runecraft and published by Vivendi Universal, is a kart-style racing game based on the short-lived Nickelodeon animated series Butt-Ugly Martians. Released in 2002, it follows the show’s heroes—B-Bop A-Luna, 2T Fru-T, and Do-Wah Diddy—as they race futuristic One Martian Air Bikes (O.M.A.B.s) to win the Martian Conqueror’s Cup and save their Earth assignment from the wrath of Emperor Bog.
With seven characters (two unlockable), nine intergalactic tracks, and modes like Time Attack and two-player split-screen, it aimed to capture the hearts of young fans with its zany humor and accessible racing.
From a 2025 lens, Zoom or Doom is a time capsule of licensed games rushed to market to capitalize on fleeting TV fame. The Butt-Ugly Martians show was canceled after one season, and the game’s lackluster reception reflects its tie-in constraints. Yet, for retro enthusiasts and collectors, its obscurity adds a certain charm, like finding a scratched CD in a thrift store bin.
The core of Zoom or Doom is straightforward kart racing, with a focus on speed, light combat, and power-ups. Each character’s vehicle has unique stats—handling, acceleration, and top speed—offering mild strategic depth. Tracks, ranging from asteroid fields to alien cities, are visually distinct but plagued by narrow designs that lead to frequent collisions with walls, a frustration critics noted at the time. The “Taunts” system, where players can distract opponents with quips like “Let’s get ugly!” (repeated ad nauseam), adds a playful but repetitive edge.
Controls are arcade-simple: press X to accelerate, steer with the analog stick, and deploy power-ups. An Assist Mode simplifies handling for younger players, a thoughtful nod to its kid-friendly roots. However, the lack of an autosave feature—a cardinal sin even in 2002—means progress is lost without manual saves, a baffling oversight.
In 2025, the gameplay feels barebones compared to modern racers like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Sonic Racing Transformed, which offer polished mechanics and vibrant multiplayer. Even by early 2000s standards, Zoom or Doom lacks the spark of its contemporaries. Its redeeming quality? A quirky charm that shines in short bursts, perfect for a nostalgic YouTube playthrough where you can laugh at the clunky physics and dated voice lines.
Visually, Zoom or Doom is a mixed bag. Character models are small and low-detail, with vehicles barely distinguishable without squinting. Tracks offer some creativity—space-themed stages with glowing asteroids stand out—but the overall presentation feels like a rushed Dreamcast port, as IGN noted in 2003. Particle effects are minimal, and the game barely taps the PS2 or GameCube’s potential. In 2025, where retro aesthetics are celebrated, the game’s blocky textures and vibrant colors have a certain low-fi appeal, akin to rediscovering a PS1 classic.
The sound is the game’s strongest suit, though that’s a low bar. Voice actors from the show, including S. Scott Bullock and Jess Harnell, deliver lines with Saturday-morning-cartoon energy, though their repetition grates quickly. The techno soundtrack, oddly mature for a kids’ game, feels misplaced but adds unintentional humor—like a DJ spinning club beats at a kiddie pool party. For a 2025 audience, the audio is a delightful artifact, ripe for YouTube montages poking fun at its quirks.
Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom is a flawed but fascinating relic of 2002’s licensed game boom. Its simple racing and quirky charm are overshadowed by dated mechanics and missed opportunities, falling short of era greats like Mario Kart: Double Dash!! or Crash Nitro Kart. In 2025, it’s a YouTube goldmine for retro enthusiasts, offering just enough oddball energy to fuel a fun video. For fans of the show or collectors, it’s a nostalgic curiosity; for everyone else, it’s a quick pit stop in gaming history. Zoom? More like Doom—but in the most lovably butt-ugly way possible.
Support the channel on Paypal : goo.gl/oBLRMp
Support the channel : www.patreon.com/FSXNOOB
Buy me a coffee : https://bit.ly/3dWG5S5
Flight Sim Movies : https://goo.gl/T4omPt
PC games : https://goo.gl/mV5XEU
Good Old Games : https://goo.gl/mYv81S
PS1/PSX Games : https://bit.ly/3GVWfpj
------------------
#games #retro #review #buttugly #nostalgic #racing #tvshow #nickelodeon #licensed #martians #mars #aliens #letsplay #gameplay #retrospective #ps2 #gamecube #playstation #gog #games #gamers #emulator