Summary
While Mario has certainly had his fair share of exhilarating racing games, another popular video game mascot who’s taken to the tracks on more than a few occasions isCrash Bandicoot. While the firstCrashracing game came out back in 1999, since then, multiple developers have tried their hand at crafting a fun and chaotic racing game set in theCrashuniverse, and while not all of them stuck the landing, there are still a handful of titles that have gone down as iconic in the eyes of many fans.
Having a wide selection of characters and some exciting tracks is definitely essential when it comes to creating a memorable racing game, but because the world ofCrash Bandicootis so weird and wacky, it also allows for a few unique gimmicks to also be thrown into the mix. With that being said, it’s time to take a closer look at Crash’s history with racing games to see which stands as the very best of them all.
6Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
Metacritic User Score: 7.3
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3Dis a fairly nichemobile racing gamethat doesn’t do too much out of the ordinary to stand out from other kart racers, but it does still have some colorful visuals, a large roster of racers, and a staggering 20 tracks to race on. By far the biggest downside to the game though is the unresponsive touch controls, which can become very annoying extremely quickly, making the cars feel like they’re constantly gliding across ice for an entire race.
The story mode is also comically bad, and the lack of modes also doesn’t help the replay value. Still, it can be a great pastime to play in short bursts, if even just to explore the many tracks that the game has to offer, all of which are references and callbacks to the series' past.
5Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
Metascore: 77
While mobile racing games can often feel a little clunky and rough around the edges,Nitro Kart 2is surprisingly very fun, and actually pretty competitive thanks to its difficulty. The game isabsolutely packed with game modes, from a brutal Elimination Mode which becomes a fight for survival, to a Skill Mode which rewards players for pulling off flashy tricks and techniques, there’s something here for every type of racing fan to enjoy. The game’s visuals are also slightly improved fromNitro Kart 3D, with everyone now having their more recognizable appearances fromTag Team Racing,which is a lot easier on the eyes compared to the rougher edges of theMind Over Mutantdesigns.
The game has also been praised for its accessibility, leaving behind a lot of the harder mechanics in order to create a fast and fun experience that never demands too much out of the player. There’s unfortunately only a handful of characters to choose from, some of which are absurdly difficult to unlock, but this is a small blip on an otherwise great mobile racing title.
4Crash Tag Team Racing
Metascore: 66
Crash Tag Team Racingis admittedlya pretty divisive game, and a big reason for this is because of how much it embraces the weirdness of the series. From the level design to the ridiculous story, all the way to the soundtrack, everything in the game feels like it’s trying to get a laugh out of the player, and while the series has never been known for its seriousness, the constant jokes in and outside of races can still be a turn-off for many people.
The core racing gameplay however is still incredibly fast-paced and fun, with players now being able to merge their kart with an opponent to create a tag team where one character drives, and the other fires a turret from above. This gimmick is incredibly overpowered in practice, but it’s also a ton of fun to use, especially when a hero teams up with a villain to create an unlikely combo. The story mode is split up into several different areas of the amusement park, and while they’re all a little too short to get truly invested in, the stylized graphics still make each of them very memorable and a joy to look at.
After the immense popularity ofCrash Team Racingby Naughty Dog, Vicarious Visions tried to maintain this momentum with the release ofCrash Nitro Kart, and while it didn’t make quite the impact as its predecessor, there’s still a lot of fun to be had here. There’s no denying though just how much of a blast the racing in this game is, especially with the boost feature, which made it very easy to catch back up to the other racers after making a mistake. The power slide, while incredibly difficult to pull off effectively, also helped to raise the skill ceiling of the game, encouraging players to get some practice in to become the very best.
One downside is the lackluster roster of characters, especially since there are several brand-new bosses designed for the game that can’t even be unlocked. Speaking of unlocks, it also takes an incredibly long time to acquire every character in the game, but with some amazing tracks featured and fantastic core gameplay, fans of the racing genre will still have a great time withCrash Nitro Kart.
Crash Team Racingis one of themost innovative kart racers of its time, combining tight and focused racing gameplay with a fairly lengthy Adventure Mode to create a truly fun and engaging experience from start to finish. Alongside grabbing as many items and weapons as possible during a race, players will also need to keep a close eye on their Turbo Boost Meter which can only be filled up by performing successful slide maneuvers. If the player acts it when it’s in the red zone, their kart will travel at lightning speed, allowing them to keep up with their competition without needing to waste any time.
Alongside the regular Arcade and Versus modes, there’s also the aforementionedAdventure Mode, which essentially acts as the story, along with intense Time Trials which will test the players' knowledge of a specific track. Because each character also has their own unique personal stats, it allows players to experiment with different play styles, while also encouraging them to pick a “main” character if they like the feel of them on the track.Crash Team Racingis undoubtedly one of the most iconic kart racing games ever made, and while it has since been remastered, there’s still always a time and place to return to the old classic.
After the commercial and critical success ofCrash N. Sane Trilogy, it seemed inevitable thatCrash Team Racingwould also receivethe remake treatment, but nobody could have expected just how amazing it would turn out. While the game carries over all the content from the 1999 original, it also adds a ton of new characters, including the new characters, customizable karts, a fully functional online mode, and even a few tracks fromCrash Nitro Kart. The Adventure Mode, which was already loved by fans in the original, has also been improved, with there being plenty of brand-new cutscenes to expand the story, along with some extra difficulty settings so that players can adjust the experience to their liking.
The tracks may seem familiar to longtime fans, but they’ve all received a massive visual upgrade, with some of the brighter areas like Dingo Canyon benefiting a lot from the enhanced lighting and flashier color schemes. The power-ups and power slides have all been kept more or less the same, but the game does feel much more difficult, especially when it comes to the bosses, and while the obnoxious micro-transactions harmed the game’s reception upon its release, these have luckily been toned down a lot over time.Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueledis a shining example of a remaster that goes above and beyond to improve on its original counterpart in nearly every way imaginable.
