Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 -- Licensed to Drive GameCube

Commemorating the real-life 16th birthday of fraternal twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Sweet 16 lets up to four players partake in the festivities by competing in a themed board game. Mary-Kate and Ashley have received their driver's licenses and want to celebrate in style, but first they need to see who can invite the most guests. Players take turns moving their female alter ego, who sits behind the wheel of a convertible, along a beach or mountain course. Each animated locale is filled with shops, landmarks, friends, and spaces. After each character takes a turn, a mini-game is played for coins. These coins are then factored in the total number of points earned during the game. The player with the most points after finishing a predetermined number of laps or rounds is declared the winner.

Over 30 different mini-games are available, which are broken down into one-on-one battles, three-on-one battles, team-based challenges, elimination battles, and free-for-alls. Each mini-game covers a variety of outdoor activities and popular teen pastimes. Players experience events based on rock climbing, surfing, jet skiing, ATV racing, and fashion as they celebrate the magic of turning 16. The majority of games are racing events, but other categories include matching, trivia, and even tag. Performing well at each activity earns players more coins, and keys can also be collected within the mini-game for further bonuses. Adjustable options include the number of laps, rounds, and whether or not the board is shuffled after the leader completes a lap.

Items can be purchased at various shops to influence play. PDAs let players make purchases anywhere on the board, wheels add two extra spaces to a player's turn, gas cans double spins, and spare tires protect players from experiencing a flat on the road. Spaces players land on include meters that add or subtract coins, mystery or random spaces, reverse spaces (changes direction), shuffle (mixes spaces), friend (automatically picks up a passenger), challenge (one-on-one battle), player events (breakdown, lose a turn), and board events. In addition to the main board game, players are free to compete in a specific mini-game against the computer or a friend, or set up a challenge where the object is to win a set number of games. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide