When Super Mario Kart took consoles by storm in 1992, DOS gamers could only watch with envy — until Apogee delivered Wacky Wheels in 1994. A kart racer featuring zoo animals, power-ups, and chaotic tracks, it was exactly the DOS answer that PC gamers needed.
About Wacky Wheels
Wacky Wheels was developed by Beavis Soft and published by Apogee Software in 1994. The game features eight playable animal racers — including a hippo, giraffe, elephant, and shark — competing across 24 tracks in four cups. A battle mode adds arena combat for up to four players. Apogee released Wacky Wheels as freeware, making the complete game freely available.
Gameplay
Wacky Wheels plays like you’d expect a kart racer to: top-down perspective, multiple opponents, power-ups collected from item boxes. Weapons include spiked balls, oil slicks, and speed boosts that can be thrown forward or backward to hinder rivals. The track design ranges from simple ovals to twisting circuits with ramps, jumps, and shortcuts.
Each cup increases in difficulty, with faster opponents and more complex tracks. The battle mode puts racers in enclosed arenas where the last car standing wins — pure chaos with four players.
Why It’s Worth Playing
Wacky Wheels isn’t Mario Kart, but it captures a surprising amount of the same chaotic fun. The animal characters have distinct personalities, the tracks are creative, and the battle mode holds up well as a local multiplayer experience. For DOS gaming historians, it’s a fascinating example of the era’s attempt to translate console experiences to PC.
How to Download Wacky Wheels
New to DOSBox? Our complete DOSBox setup guide walks you through everything you need. Looking for more classics? Browse our top free DOS games list.
Watch Gameplay
How to Run with DOSBox
Our DOSBox guide covers the setup. Run WACKYW.EXE from the mounted folder.
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