I'm doing everyone's job now.

My Humongous Summer 2025 block continues with Putt-Putt Enters the Race! I was never familiar with the character Putt-Putt but I guess he's a car who is always happy all the time. Why wouldn't he be?

Putt-Putt gets invited to the Car Town 500. So he and his pet... uh... pet... set off to the race. Not before moving a opossum out of the way first. Now we can get to the track and sign up and race! Uh... no... no we can't. We need Hi-Powered Hi-Octane Gas, Super Speedy Radial Racing Tires, a Safety Helmet, and a Triangular Flag. So now it's a scavenger hunt. Cool. After watching an... honestly catchy little musical, I set off. I find myself in a plaza type area with several businesses in the area. Starting with a carwash. But I need 2 cents... which I do not have. Next is a gas station! Perfect! I can get my Hi-Octane gas here. And boy is it powerful. It's like a seriously high energy drink because Putt-Putt be zooming! Too bad though it only lasts like 10 seconds. Well that sucks. I guess it's on to Baldini's Grocery Store. Where I meet... well... Baldini! And he wants me to pick for him up an orange, zucchini, and a head of lettuce. So now I have to get equipment for the race and produce now. It's only 2 quests. It won't get worse.

Next is a toy shop. And yeah it does contain toys in it... well... mostly. There's a couple free batteries for grabs. But those aren't toys. Don't play with batteries kids. There's also this... Pinball Plinko minigame to play. I guess you have to get your car to the end first before your opponent does. I don't think the minigame helps you in your journey. It's literally just a minigame. After wasting my time, there's a Cartown Color business where I can change the color of my car... for 3 cents. Which... I still don't have. I head to the fire station where I meet Smokey the fire truck. He roots for me in my quest to collect the items I need to participate! Which is nice! I also find an empty bottle to which Smokey needs me to recycle. So much for hoping this dude doesn't give me a side quest. So now that's 3 quests I need to take on. Heading onward, I meet up with Chuck. Who has had better days. His poor tire is deflated and needs me to pick up a tire patch kit... okay? So now that's 4 side quests... And I just started the fucking game.

Next up is Mr. Fender Bender. And I guess his cat found itself under a hole and needs me to get it out. What the little cat can't get itself out? That makes sense. Not. But now that's 5 fucking side quests. COME ON! I JUST WANT TO RACE! I meet with the Australian Outback Owl and shows me his baby emu as a part of his... 2 animal zoo. Oh there's another empty bottle for me to collect. I guess that's the collectable in this game. The empty bottles. I head on over to the library where an animals of the alphabet book is presented. And I tell you... there are some weird ass animals featured here. B for Bat? No. B for Bush Baby. D for Dog? No. D for Dugong. L for Llama? No. L for Lemur. P for Pig? No. P for Polecat. Z for Zebra? Absolutely not. Z for Zorilla. I'm sorry but who the fuck is that book trying to appeal to? Not me. So I meet with Mrs. Airbag... what... a good name? Oh yeah she also has an empty bottle for me to recycle. Also she has a Poodle... which... has clearly seen better days. Fucking thing looks traumatized. I head on over to a construction site and meet with Pete. He lost his hook earlier in the morning. And without it, he can't lift his pipe. Hopefully someone else will f-he needs me to find it. Fuck.

Further into the site, there are some free bricks for grabs. So I grab one. I talk with Betsy Bulldozer and talk to her about the Cartown 500. She needs me to hammer down some nails. Which is like my 6th fucking side quest. At least I can do this one instantly. Yeah it's a minigame where I hammer down nails. If one gets crooked in the process, I can pull it back up and redo the nail. This game goes on for an unreasonably long time and I eventually determine the minigame is endless. And a waste of time too. But apparently I also finished it? And Betsy gives me a safety helmet. Hey at least that's what I need to participate in the race! Moving forward, I collect a couple more bottles. Yeah these things are all over the fucking place. Onward, I come across a tunnel. But can't seem to go through it because right as I'm about to go through, another car comes out. So I head back. I collect more bottles. But now I find myself already in a "where the fuck do I go?" situation. Yep. 46 minutes in and I am now scrambling all over the fucking place.

I do find a coin hidden in the little phone booth about 11 minutes later. Minute progress. But then after that it's back to scrambling. So back to that tunnel... Putt-Putt couldn't go through because other cars were honking their horn to signal they were going through. Guess what? I also have a horn. And when I use it... I can go through the tunnel and make progress. F my life am I right? So next time on Putt-Putt Enters the race, hopefully I will actually get to race. Or I'll probably have 20 more side quests to do.