Once upon a time, Lego was all about building cheery cul-de-sac houses and waving little plastic smiling people. These days, the Danish toy manufacturer churns out action-packed goodies aimed squarely at boys. Lego Drome Racers (based on last year's toy range of the same name) is of such an ilk and, being all about dangerously high-speed driving, is a WipEout clone geared towards the younger gamer, i.e. it's not as fast, deep or exciting as its more revered cousins. You get to star as Max Axel, a Tom Cruise-alike for the year 2015, who is keen to make a name for himself on the dog-eat-dog circuit of futuristic dragster racing.

Controlling your souped-up vehicle is pretty simple - taking corners at insane speeds won't throw you off course, but being nudged (over which you have little control) will. However, the major worry your blue-eyed racer faces is being zapped from behind by your weapon-totin' competitors. Thankfully, you too can utilise cheeky tools to your advantage. Pick up a red object (there are loads of 'em about) and you'll be rewarded with a random weapon designed to make toast of the opposition. These range from blinding Flares and car-battering Disruptor shields to the devastating Hatchet missile.

Although Arcade races and a Battle mode can be unlocked, the main focus of this game is the Career mode. You must rise through the ranks on the Drome Racer circuit, winning championships and fending off one-on-one challenges from a series of mean-spirited rival road nuts. Success earns you cash, which can be spent on upgrading your vehicle. In fact, you might even get to build your own car, although a wealth of already constructed dragsters are available for you to drive, all with daft names like Burner Desert and Raptor Stunt.

And that's about it. There's a fit lady who doubles up as your mechanic, some picturesque courses which, bizarrely, all feel rather similar, and split-screen racing for two players. The racing's not slow, but it hardly threatens the sound barrier either. This is just another dreaded karting game masquerading as a futuristic racer. It's playable but will probably prove too frustrating for the very young audience it's aimed at, while being far too easy for everyone else.

Unless you suffer from an unhealthy Lego obsession, we can't see why you would want to play this over other racers such as Quantum Redshift.

1. Nice visuals
2. Enjoyable action

1. Offers nothing new
2. Little variety
3. Annoying when you get hit from behind
4. Overly gentle learning curve

Power
It looks pretty and moves at an adequate pace (just!) but it hardly pushes Xbox to its limits.

Style
A watered-down futuristic racer/combat sim. Quantum Redshift meets Mario Kart for the kids.

Immersion
Fun and easy to get into. Kids should be kept quiet for a while, but some might find it frustrating.

Lifespan
Even building cars in Career is shallow. A very generic, thrilless product with limited longevity.

Summary
Works as a decent if slightly unsympathetic introduction to high-speed racing for the under-sevens.