《激情漫遊：特技競速》（Excitebots: Trick Racing，日文名：エキサイト猛マシン）是由Monster Games 開發、任天堂（Nintendo）發行的Wii平台競速遊戲。這是《Excite》系列的第四部作品，同時是《Excite Truck》（激情越野卡車）的正式續作。最早於2009年2月26日由任天堂美國分公司在發行清單中首次曝光，並於2009年4月20日在北美地區推出，之後於2011年8月30日登陸日本市場。

雖然不像傳統競速遊戲那樣有明確的劇情線，但整體世界觀充滿「機械動物狂歡」的奇幻色彩。所有賽車都不是普通的車輛，而是設計成各式各樣的動物造型機械（Animal-themed Robots）——例如蜂鳥、甲蟲、蝙蝠、螃蟹、青蛙甚至龍蝦等。這些機械動物在充滿誇張起伏、極限跳台與環形軌道的賽道中疾馳、翻滾、滑翔與旋轉，讓整體比賽不僅是速度的對決，更是一場視覺與操作的特技秀。

每條賽道都模擬自現實世界的地點，例如美國沙漠、墨西哥山谷、非洲草原與冰雪山地。場景廣大且開放，玩家可自由選擇路徑，甚至能飛上半空或衝進森林，營造出近似冒險旅程的自由感。

需橫向握持Wii Remote（可選配 Wii Wheel 方向盤），以體感操作方式來控制機械車輛的轉向與傾斜。遊戲的核心並不單在於「誰先抵達終點」，而在於比賽過程中能否進行更多特技表現，累積更多「星星（Stars）」得分。每場比賽都有一個「評級系統」：從最低的D級到最高的S級。若要獲得高分，必須在比賽中完成多種特技與小遊戲（Mini-Games），包括：

• 在高速中跳躍、旋轉、空翻或撞擊其他對手；
• 投派餅砸小丑臉、撞倒保齡球瓶、踢足球進球門等突發的迷你挑戰；
• 利用「紅色搖桿（Red Bar）」或其他懸吊物體進行擺盪飛躍。

完成特技即可獲得星星，累積越多星星，最終等級越高。每場比賽通常為兩圈（因賽道極大），並設有許多可供探索的捷徑與跳台。共有25條賽道，規模龐大且多樣化，每一條路線都有機會讓玩家「起飛」或進行連續動作連鎖，形成極具節奏感的特技競速體驗。支援六人線上對戰（Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection）與雙人本地分割畫面模式。線上模式包括傳統的「Excite」競速賽跟創新的「Poker Race」撲克競速模式。

可選擇匿名比賽或透過任天堂好友代碼系統與好友連線。比賽中可以用遊戲內代幣（Tokens）下注自己的勝負，贏得的代幣可兌換塗裝、雕像與收藏物等解鎖內容。然而，本作並不支援Wii Speak語音聊天或SD卡自訂音樂播放，相較於同時期的競速遊戲略顯簡化。

儘管獲得遊戲媒體的正面評價，特別是對於其創意玩法、流暢操作以及幽默的競速節奏給予肯定，但任天堂最終僅在北美地區發售實體版。澳洲任天堂總經理 Rose Lappin曾公開表示，因市場興趣不足，該遊戲未在澳洲上市。日本玩家則必須透過Club Nintendo積分兌換才能獲得實體版本，距離北美首發已超過兩年。

媒體普遍認為，這款作品以其「將特技、迷你遊戲與競速結合」的創新設計，成為 Wii 平台上最被低估的競速佳作之一。IGN與GameSpot均讚賞遊戲節奏感強、操控靈敏，並稱其為「結合動作與速度的娛樂遊樂場式競速」。然而，也有評論指出其畫面表現略顯簡單，缺乏劇情深度與角色塑造，使其在主流市場難以脫穎而出。最終，《激情漫遊：特技競速》雖未能成為全球爆款，但在任天堂與Monster Games的粉絲間仍被視為最具創意與娛樂性的賽車作品之一。隨後，系列於2009年11月推出第五作《Excitebike: World Rally》，延續了這套結合懷舊與創新的「Excite」品牌精神。

Excitebots: Trick Racing (Japanese title: エキサイト猛マシン, Excite Mou Machine) is a high-energy racing game developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. It is the fourth entry in the long-running Excite series and serves as the direct sequel to Excite Truck (2006). The game was first announced on February 26, 2009, through Nintendo of America’s release schedule and was officially launched on April 20, 2009, in North America. It later became available in Japan on August 30, 2011, through Club Nintendo as an exclusive reward.

Story and World Setting

While Excitebots: Trick Racing does not follow a traditional narrative, its universe bursts with wild creativity and mechanical imagination. Instead of standard cars or trucks, all vehicles in the game are animal-themed robotic machines — ranging from hummingbirds, beetles, bats, and crabs to frogs and lobsters. These mecha-creatures tear across vast, surreal landscapes filled with loops, jumps, obstacles, and environmental hazards, creating a world that feels both exhilarating and absurdly fun.

Each racecourse is inspired by real-world locations such as deserts, snowy mountains, tropical islands, and ancient ruins. The races are less about straightforward competition and more about spectacular performance, where aerial stunts, collisions, and acrobatics are just as important as finishing first.

Gameplay and Controls

Players hold the Wii Remote horizontally (optionally using the Wii Wheel), steering by tilting and turning the controller. Unlike traditional racing games, victory in Excitebots isn’t solely determined by crossing the finish line first — it’s about earning the most Stars, which serve as the scoring system.

Each race is graded from D (lowest) to S (highest) based on performance. To earn a high rank, players must perform tricks, stunts, and mid-race mini-games such as:

• Soaring into the air and spinning mid-flight
• Crashing into other bots at high speed
• Swinging on “red bars” and other hanging objects
• Smashing bowling pins, tossing pies into clown faces, or playing quick soccer shots

These actions reward Stars, which are tallied at the end of each race to determine the final grade. The game offers 25 expansive courses, most requiring two laps due to their size and verticality. Each track is filled with multiple routes, hidden shortcuts, and aerial sections that encourage experimentation and chaos.

Multiplayer and Online Features

Excitebots: Trick Racing supports six-player online multiplayer via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and also includes two-player local split-screen play. Online modes include the standard “Excite Race” and a unique “Poker Race” mode.

Players can compete either anonymously or with friends using Nintendo’s Friend Code system, and can bet in-game tokens on their own performances. These tokens can later be exchanged for unlockables such as new paint schemes, statues, and decorative items.

Unlike Excite Truck, however, Excitebots does not support custom music from SD cards nor the Wii Speak microphone, which limited direct player communication.

Reception and Legacy

Despite its strong critical reception, Excitebots: Trick Racing had an unusually limited release. Nintendo chose to publish the game only in North America, with no official launch in Europe or Australia. Nintendo Australia’s managing director, Rose Lappin, explained that the decision was due to a “lack of market interest.” Japanese players could only obtain the game two years later through the Club Nintendo rewards program.

Critics widely praised the game’s imaginative design, fluid controls, and gleefully chaotic gameplay, calling it one of the Wii’s most underrated racing titles. Reviewers from IGN and GameSpot highlighted how it blended speed with arcade-style creativity, describing it as a “carnival of movement and mayhem.”

However, some criticism targeted its simplistic visuals, lack of storyline, and absence of character depth, which made it feel more like an arcade experience than a full-fledged racing simulator.

Though it never achieved mainstream success, Excitebots: Trick Racing remains a cult favorite among Wii enthusiasts, celebrated for its offbeat humor, over-the-top stunts, and joyful disregard for realism. Its legacy continued later that same year with the release of Excitebike: World Rally (2009), a digital WiiWare title that carried forward the Excite series’ blend of nostalgia and innovation.