Manic Mechanics Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

by Jim Smale · Published July 12, 2023 · Updated July 6, 2023

For this Manic Mechanics Review, where It’s time to dust off our overalls and hitch on your toolbelt in Manic Mechanics – a chaotic couch co-op game where you and up to three fellow grease monkeys serve the car-obsessed residents of Octane Isle. The faster you work, the more chaos is unleashed. Fuel spills ignite, tyres explode, robots short-circuit, cows stampede and aliens abduct… just about anything can happen in Octane Isle. But with teamwork, skill – and maybe just a little luck – you’ll earn the right to call yourselves Manic Mechanics!

Manic Mechanics Review Pros:

Nice cartoon graphics.
1.3GB download size.
Has its own achievements system.
Online leaderboards.
Eighteen characters total with four unlocked initially.
Accessibility options – game ui scale slider text size slider, hint duration, and station assist.
Controller support for handheld, pro controller, dual Joycons, and a single Joycon.
Two button layout choices.
Three ways to play – couch, online, and Wireless.
3D world map that you can freely drive around to choose levels and locations.
Opening tutorial set piece.
The goal of the game is to repair cars by getting the parts from the conveyor belt and putting them on.
Parts usually require a mini game style interaction to use them like inflating a tyre, repairing an engine or paint a door.
As you play spills can appear that impact you but you can mop them up to clean it.
Fast paced action with a scoring pop up based on time taken.
Can be played in solo.
There is hidden activities within the open world map part.
You can freely change character when driving around the map world.
The Preview level button let’s you move the canera around and see where all the work stations are.
Mini game interactions at the stations are varied from holding a button down, tapping it fast or reaction based parts.
The accessibility option for the stations turn all interactions into a self played action.
Earn cogs based on your performance.
The levels are timed.
Premium parts can rarely turn up and require no station interactions and gives a bonus score.
Throwing items allows you to share with others or throw them onto the car or at a station.
You can replay levels.
More parts get unlocked as you play like spoilers and tuning parts.
Clever level design.
When a car is being worked on you get a visial list of parts needed and tick off as you do them.

Manic Mechanics Review Cons:

You need a Nintendo switch online membership for the leaderboards.
Long loading times.
Characters in interactions are not voiced.
Not that fun in single player.
I don’t think it’s actually possible to 100 percent a level in single player.
Turns into a scenario where you need to memorizer what parts need what stations.
Cannot rebind controls.
Takes a while to get used to.

Manic Mechanics:

Official website.

Developer: 4J Studios

Publisher: 4J Studios

Store Links –

Nintendo

8/10
Graphics - 8/10
8/10
Sound - 8/10
8/10
Accessibility - 8/10
8/10
Length - 8/10
8/10
Fun Factor - 8/10

8/10

Summary

Manic Mechanics is a game in the same vein as Overcooked, you play as a mechanic and need to repair cars as fast as you can. Collect parts from the conveyor belt and then use the designated station to get the part ready so for example, get a wheel and pump up the tire and then fix it to the vehicle. The stations are all mini-games like tapping fast or timing button presses etc, you can turn that off and make it automatically happen. I like the idea and the level design, atmosphere is brilliant it really is and the whole game shines in multiplayer. You can play the game solo and it’s fine but it’s not as fun and a lot more frustrating I mean the game isn’t designed for that so you can see why. Premium parts can randomly appear and they don’t need any station work and give bonus scores, they glow and are pretty easy to find. Learning from other games in this genre you get throwing off parts straight away and go a step further by letting you throw parts into the stations or fixing parts to the car and when in solo this is an absolute godsend. I had a few random glitches where throwing a part can have it literally go up to the moon and back down again, I would get randomly hit by something and can land up respawning but that aside I had more positive actions than negative. This is a game I would love to introduce into the party game rotation but the biggest issue is the loading times and frequency, it’s enough to be a problem and is my only real sticking point because everything else is buttery smooth and a ton of fun especially when you start going on the whacky over the top garage layouts.