The game is based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races and features Muttley and Dick Dastardly as the main characters.

The player controls Muttley through three different areas (Hip Hop, Splish Splash and Go Go America) which can be selected from a map screen, and all three must be completed to reach the game's ending.

According to the reviewers at Nintendo Power, Wacky Races is just another run-and-jump game that could appeal to those who fondly remember the cartoon and its characters.

[6] GamePro's Feline Groove perceived the game as a "fun" adventure that echoes the cartoon, with a difficulty level suitable for the average gamer.

[5] Meanwhile, Famicom Tsūshin's reviewers found the gameplay of チキチキマシン猛レース to be standard, claiming that it provided them with only a fifth of the enjoyment they had when playing Super Mario.