Crash Nitro Kart

This is a bit clunkier than its predecessor, however I'd be lying if I said I didn't have as much fun with this direct sequel to ctr as I did with that game due to what this entry has to offer.

The big problem is that it's more of the same as that game, specifically the adventure mode which has the exact same structure of competing in races before facing off against the areas champion for a key. It even has the same rewards for the different modes which really makes you wonder if there was any innovation in this mode, not helped by the fact the courses are very similar to the one's found in ctr, although they do benefit from the game’s new anti-gravity mechanic. Granted it can be unstable at points, resulting in your racer clipping through the track and falling out of bounds, however it works for the most part and leads to some inspired track design including the tracks from tekne which take full advantage of the futuristic setting the overall game has. The graphics are to die for here, character models look amazing as do the environments which are filled with details that most racing games would overlook (such as animals in the distance, cogs rotating in a clocktower, signs changing on billboards etc.) The new powerups are also great, there could've been more but there's enough variety to make these races different from the first game. The different modes are also largely the same, however the new mechanics and powerups make them distinct from the first game, which I feel makes this game overall worthwhile.

It may be a retread of a much better game, but it brings in enough new content and retains enough of the originals quality for it to be a worthy successor.

Arguably better than Wrath of Cortex, it still felt like Universal handing off the Crash license to anyone in an attempt to recreate the glory days. All the pieces are there but some are spectacularly fumbled. The campaign features the same fun challenges and a few new ones, but the hub world is splintered off by long load times, removing the simple joy of testing drift lines on your way to the next race. The game also lacks a general sense of speed even with extra emphasis on chain boosting, and the art design would generally echo the wrong things, even if I think the gravity malarky is genuinely clever. It met my expectations, but I have to wonder how many people it disappointed coming off CTR.

I remember getting this one Christmas, and as a huge fan of the original Crash Team Racing, was expecting this to be a decent follow up. Well lets just say almost 15 years later and I don't remember much about this game, I don't remember the story well, I don't remember the maps, I don't remember the mini games, and I don't remember all the characters. On the other hand I can remember all 16 tracks from the original CTR, all the playable characters and boss races, the mini games, and the story. This just feels generic and unmemorable and like every other kart racing game out there. Even as a kid I didn't care much for this and really stopped playing it after a year.