Crash Nitro Kart

The visuals are brightly colored and smoothly animated, though the Xbox?s more powerful hardware offers slightly cleaner graphics over the PS2 version's. Otherwise, the gameplay and control mechanics are identical. Both games also include clear and entertaining character chatter with star appearances from such voice actors as Debi Derryberry (the voice of Jimmy Neutron) and Billy West (Futurama, Ren & Stimpy).

This is a game that plays well, and looks great. The three dimensional worlds are lush and richly textured. The game is easily one that sate that weekend rental urge, but also would make a nice diversionary title on the library game shelves of Crash fans. This is not a game with extreme depth, but it does sport solid entertainment value.

If you don’t care for the entire “kart-racing” genre, this game will not make you feel differently. The best way for me to describe it is the same of everything you love about kart games rolled into one. There is nothing shockingly new here, and it’s an iffy $50 purchase if you are the fence on this one, but nevertheless, I believe that I got my money’s worth in the end.

As we already know, the Nintendo Gamecube has and always will reign supreme as a party gamers' console, but slowly, party games have been released on other consoles, something that I have been eagerly awaiting on the PS2. Off the top of my head, there are only a handful of PS2 games that can be considered party games: "Pac-man Fever," an extremely fun board game and "Cookies and Cream," a co-op game where two players work together to finish puzzles. To add to the list and appease the PS2 audience, Vicarious Visions has created a Mario Kart clone using Sony's failed mascot, Crash Bandicoot to bring us Crash Nitro Kart.

Crash Nitro Kart is probably one of the better games in the N-Gage library, and a great title to launch alongside the QD upgrade. If you're looking to pick up a chip with your QD purchase, this one is a solid choice. With all eighteen racers, a slew of tracks, and several gameplay modes, you're going to get some serious mileage out of the game. If the QD was looking to put a good foot to put forward, Crash Nitro Kart is the kind of socks it needs to wear. Bless stretched metaphors.

Just like Crash Team Racing, Crash Nitro Kart is a great cart racing game. However, if you already have Crash Team Racing, don’t expect anything new or exciting beyond the updated graphics – Crash Nitro Kart is basically the same game in a pretty new package. Is it worth your hard-earned dollar? Well, if you like cart racers and you don’t already have a GameCube, Crash Nitro Kart is really your only option. This isn’t a bad thing, because Crash Nitro Kart is chock full of fun, and you really can’t go wrong picking it up. If you do have a GameCube…well, I think you know the answer to that already.

In Vivendis Fun-Racer braust ihr ganz Mario Kart-like über Fantasie-Strecken und sammelt durch Fragezeichen Extras ein. Austoben dürft ihr euch nicht nur in einem netten Story-Modus, sondern auch beim Zeitfahren, bei Einzelrennen und beim Cup-Fahren. Grafisch wäre das Spiel eine echte Wonne, wenn es nicht so viele Slowdowns geben würde. Auch der Sound hat seine Schwächen. Spielerisch nicht ganz so ausgefeilt wie Mario Kart, hätte Crash Nitro Kart locker die 80er-Marke übersprungen, wenn die Technik mitspielen würde.

It's a real shame about the slowdown in Crash Nitro Kart for the Game Boy Advance. Without these patches of sluggish action, the game would be a close contender for best kart racer on the handheld. It has it all: tons of characters and unlockables, great track design, excellent variety in the mission objectives, wonderful handling, multiplayer support, GameCube connectivity, Internet rankings, and, most importantly, an original and fun racing game mechanic. But it's just too much for the engine to handle, and the gameplay suffers because of it. If you're able to see through these patches, though, there's a lot of fun in Crash Nitro Kart.

Crash Nitro Kart is VU Games' answer to Nintendo's Mario Kart: Super Circuit. It's a cute racing game that takes the characters, gems, relics, and item boxes from the Crash Bandicoot platform games and places them on a series of different racecourses. Crash, Coco, Neo Cortex, and the other Crash characters may not have the same star power that Mario and Donkey Kong have, but the game makes up for this shortcoming by improving upon the Mario Kart formula in a number of ways.

Mit diesem Spiel stellt Crash eindeutig unter Beweis, dass er nicht nur den Jump&Run-Sektor beherrscht, sondern auch noch andere Qualitäten besitzt. Dass man sogar zu acht spielen darf, ist außerdem echt spitze!

Much like Mario Kart: Double Dash, which is being called a fun game but just not a particularly different game, Crash Nitro Kart does what it needs to do to get the job done... but it doesn't put in any overtime. As I said earlier this is essentially Crash Team Racing 2003 — it would have been nice to see something new, considering they've had years to come up with new concepts. With that said the gameplay style wasn't exactly broken, therefore it needs no real fixing — it would have been nice if they modified more things, but it certainly isn't a necessity. Crash Nitro Kart is an enjoyable kart game that will appeal to the younger crowd mostly, but older gamers will have a good time too. The single-player mode isn't particularly hard, but players will likely come back for more every now and then. It has great pick up and play potential and a bunch of fairly solid multi-playing experiences. If you're a fan, or just curious a rental is recommended — take it from there.

The release of Crash Nitro Kart less than a week before Mario Kart Double Dash!! lands on the GameCube doesn't seem like a coincidence. Crash Nitro Kart may not be biggest kart-racing game for the GameCube, but if you're a kart-racing fan with an Xbox or PlayStation 2, Crash Nitro Kart is the best option to come along in a long while. It's a totally respectable kart-racing game on its own, regardless of how derivative it may be.

If any kart-racing game has managed to rival the quality of the famed Mario Kart franchise, it would be Naughty Dog's Crash Team Racing for the PlayStation. Though it did little to change the kart-racing formula defined by Super Mario Kart, it set itself apart from other Mario Kart clones with some unique modes, excellent track designs, and solid, responsive gameplay. Now, Crash Bandicoot, the PlayStation's former quasi-mascot, gets back into the kart-racing business with Crash Nitro Kart, though this time he's hitting all the major consoles. Though the developer and publisher of Crash Nitro Kart are different from those responsible for Crash Team Racing, CNK plays more like a juiced-up remake of CTR than an out-and-out sequel. This may be a touch disappointing to hardcore fans of CTR, but anyone looking for a solid kart racer should be quite pleased.

If any kart-racing game has managed to rival the quality of the famed Mario Kart franchise, it would be Naughty Dog's Crash Team Racing for the PlayStation. Though it did little to change the kart-racing formula defined by Super Mario Kart, it set itself apart from other Mario Kart clones with some unique modes, excellent track designs, and solid, responsive gameplay. Now, Crash Bandicoot, the PlayStation's former quasi-mascot, gets back into the kart-racing business with Crash Nitro Kart, though this time he's hitting all the major consoles. Though the developer and publisher of Crash Nitro Kart are different from those responsible for Crash Team Racing, CNK plays more like a juiced-up remake of CTR than an out-and-out sequel. This may be a touch disappointing to hardcore fans of CTR, but anyone looking for a solid kart racer should be quite pleased.

CNK is a solid adaptation of a PSOne game. The problem is that the same exact game has been made dozens of times and CNK does very little to further the cause. It's a kart racing game like any other.

With new generations of game consoles eventually come new versions of the older games. Just like the beautiful cycles of life in nature, older hits relive their previous lives with better graphics. Crash Nitro Kart takes this process to its PS one predecessor, Crash Team Racing, giving the older racer a spit shine and a couple new tricks. Other than that, there is nothing groundbreaking here and if you're a fan of the genre you know just what to expect since it's almost exactly the same as most of the rest.

With new generations of game consoles eventually come new versions of the older games. Just like the beautiful cycles of life in nature, older hits relive their previous lives with better graphics. Crash Nitro Kart takes this process to its PS one predecessor, Crash Team Racing, giving the older racer a spit shine and a couple new tricks. Other than that, there is nothing groundbreaking here and if you're a fan of the genre you know just what to expect since it's almost exactly the same as most of the rest.

Wäre nur alles so einfach: Um die Welt vor Imperator Velo zu retten, muss Crash Bandicoot den Unhold auf der Rennpiste besiegen. Der Weg dorthin ist beschwerlich und mit Extras wie Raketen und Geschwindigkeits-Boostern gepflastert. Sie dürfen auch den böswilligen Dr. Neo Cortex steuern und Ihren Renngegnern ab und zu kopfüber ein Schnippchen schlagen. Im Mehrspielermodus konkurrieren bis zu vier Spieler. Geschwindigkeitstechnisch hätte der überdurchschnittliche Party-Renner allerdings noch einen Zahn zulegen können.

Crash Nitro Kart has solid gameplay and is a lengthy affair but the combination of the narrow screen, close-up perspective and control issues bring the game down a few notches.

Recently, I’ve been seeing the phrase "meh" pop up on the Internet. Usually it’s used to express a lack of interest or ambivalence towards something. For example, you might say, "I’m kinda ‘meh’ about the new Brendan Fraser movie." I only bring this up because "meh" perfectly sums up my feelings about Crash Nitro Kart. It’s certainly a competent rehash of Crash Team Racing, but it’s probably one of the least exciting racing titles I’ve played recently. Most of this is due to the game’s slow pace and its failure to really expand on a gameplay formula Naughty Dog perfected years ago.

All told, CNK is one of those easy to produce games that Vivendi must be delighted to have on its roster. It'll sell for years for its beautiful simplicity, addictive, formulaic gameplay and easy on the eye brand recognition, especially when it goes down in price. At full price it's hard to justify a purchase in our view as it's simply not all that essential or different from anything that's gone before, but if you ever fancy a quality party game that you can slip out when the time is right for some multiplayer action and see this game knocking around for a more realistic price then you won't be disappointed. With online multiplayer action this could have been essential, but as it is CNK qualifies for being a solid, unrepentantly generic karting title that will sate anyone hungering for some mindless fun.

Crash Nitro Kart is a very bittersweet affair. The gameplay is fundamentally solid, the graphics are sharp and run smoothly, and there's just plenty of stuff to do, both in the single-player and multiplayer modes. But the narrow field of vision has a dramatically negative effect on the whole experience, cross-canceling many of the game's positive traits. You can tell that there's a really good game inside Crash Nitro Kart, but it's a shame that you can't quite see it.

Overall, Crash Nitro Kart is a solid game that kids will certainly love, and parents won't mind spending a bit of time with the kids to race against them. For the hardcore game though the limited AI, average physics engine and lack of options may be disappointing. One for the kids.

Crash Nitro Kart races past the finish line...then, without having the ability to break, it hits the gutter like a bowling ball being hurled down the alley. What could have and should have been a great racer turned out to be a game that's all but ruined by a major technical issue. The variety of courses, power-ups, and the decent sense of speed are not enough to make up for a camera, which literally makes you feel sick.

Considering that Mario Kart is already out and about, it's would be impossible to recommend Crash Nitro Kart over Nintendo's own kart racer. However, some might be turned off by Mario Kart's relatively high difficulty, so something as easy to beat as CNK might be nice to play through if you've been frustrated by one too many turtle shells. There's only room for one kart racing title on the GameCube, and unfortunately for Crash Bandicoot, his game isn't it, even if you can get some enjoyment out of it.

Crash Nitro Kart has a lot here and if it wasn't for the poor, restricted racing view, I would be very much inclined to give it a higher score. However, as it stands now, the game will only be enjoyed by hardcore genre fans and people who can put up with the major flaws in the cornering. If you can pick this game up on the cheap then you probably won't be too disappointed, but like every corner in the game, Crash Nitro Kart should be approached with caution.

Overall Crash Nitro Kart is a game perfect for killing short time intervals, especially for people who get bored easily. It’s not really an essential purchase however, and although I didn’t get to sample the multiplayer, I think that this game is one to get on the cheap.

Nitro Kart features colorful, clean graphics and bouncy music. Play control is also very responsive. The tracks are unique and include places where you can drive up walls and around upside down corkscrew loops. You can also compete in multiplayer races and battle modes. If you liked Crash Team Racing, or silly racing games in general, then you'll enjoy Crash Nitro Kart.

Well a bandicoot in real life is a little rat thing that lives in Australia. The popular video game character, Crash Bandicoot, on the other hand, looks more like Looney Tunes' Tasmanian Devil's ugly second cousin twice removed. Like most popular video game mascots, Crash has expanded into other game genres as well. This time, Crash and friends take another stab at Mario Kart-style racing.

Encore une désillusion. Ces temps-ci, de plus en plus d'adaptations de titres alléchants se révèlent au final peu convaincantes et surtout dénuées d'innovations majeures. Cette dernière digression de l'univers coloré de Crash Bandicoot n'échappe pas à cette triste mode. Si encore un réel plaisir de jeu s'était fait ressentir,... mais il n'en est rien. Un jeu pouvant attirer les mordus de la série, ainsi que les grands fans de karting. Ils trouveront un titre assez conforme à leurs attentes, mais ludiquement difficilement passionnant. Les animaux seront toujours mieux dans leur milieu naturel.

Alors voilà, j'imagine bien les mails d'insultes de lecteurs. T'y connais rien (fréquent), loser (très fréquent), pauvre naze va rejouer à Pong (moins fréquent ceci dit). Crash Nitro Kart, y déchire tout et puis de toute façon y a rien d'autre sur le support donc c'est le must (logique hein !), il mérite minimum 18/20 (voire 19/20 je pense). Les graphismes y sont trop de la balle, y a plein de modes de jeu supra cool de la mort qui tuent un peu et puis c'est Crash, moi je lui aurais mis minimum 19/20 (ha ben vous voyez, je le disais bien !!). En plus on peut jouer avec l'équipe de Crash ou de Cortex, de la bombe ce titre, ma note générale : 20/20 (ha oui quand même). Note : Toute ressemblance avec un futur mail de lecteur ne serait donc pas fortuite. Pour ma part, je ne vous dirais qu'une chose, sortez Crash Team Racing et comparez avec Crash Nitro Kart. Franchement, Vicarious Visions nous a sorti là un sublime jeu des 7 erreurs.

Overall, as you can guess, I did not like this game very much. I would only recommend this game to die-hard fans of the Crash franchise or to fans of the kart racing genre who do not own a Nintendo GameCube. The idea is a good one, even if it is not very original. But as I stated before, the PS2 is capable of so much more. Crash NitroKart failed miserably in execution and you will not find me playing this game again because I just don’t think it is very fun to play.

Well, I don’t want to do it, but it must be done. At the end of the day, this game is really just a Mario Kart clone with a hub system, and so we must compare it to Mario Kart: Super Circuit. From the go-cart theme, right down to the item boxes and item chucking, this is really just Mario Kart in Crash clothing. If that’s all it was, I would be thrilled. I love Mario Kart, and I love Crash, but its problems can’t help but shine through. The boss fights, while attempting to stick to the Crash formula, really aren’t very fun. The invented items lack character, and just seem to mimic the different colored shells from Mario Kart. The ten fruit and ten coin thing? Come on. But the biggest problem with the game for me is the awful point of view the camera offers. I had to play almost the entire game on my TV just so I wouldn’t chuck my GBA SP at the wall at fifty mph. I really wanted Crash: Nitro Cart to be more fun than it was.

In the end the fact that Crash Nitro Kart hit the GameCube only a week before Double Dash!! Killed its chances to be a hit. As long as you own a Cube I see no point of playing CNK when Mario & Co. is out there. Fact is CNK is a good game that suffers from the lack of a sense of speed, hell any speed for that matter! The fact that the racing is so slow kills any possible tension while ripping through tracks. And therefore kills all the fun in the game. Crash Nitro Kart could just as well be called Mario Kart For Dummies. Playing makes you miss the good ol’days when Naughty Dog was in charge of Crash. Oh well maybe Jak Kart will come along one day.

Déjà fort peu convaincant sur GBA, Crash Nitro Kart perd encore des plumes sur N-Gage et ce malgré l'absence de concurrence dans le genre. Avec de sérieux ennuis de jouabilité causés par une maniabilité sèche et une visibilité nulle, le titre n'est pas aussi fun qu'on le souhaiterait. Loin s'en faut.

Whenever I picture the relationship between Crash Bandicoot and Mario the plumber, I can only think of the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. There's an undeniable rivalry and competition between the two, but for the most part Mario is just playing his own game (he invented it, after all) while Crash wears the red sox, trying to simultaneously catch up and carve his own niche. He's succeeded, but largely on Mario's terms. Take a couple of platform games with similar gameplay, add cute characters, and throw in a kart game when the air turns stale. Now you can make that two, as Crash Nitro Kart picks up where Crash Team Racing left off, though it's not as successful.

Nitro retains the same basic gameplay as its popular predecessor Crash Team Racing (CTR) on the Playstation, but what happened to all the fun?! Like the last Crash offering, Wrath of Cortex, new developers have managed to capture the look of the original game but failed to replicate the exciting, addictive action. The graphics look nice, but the new "features" stink, and the racing is incomprehensibly slow and laborious. There are really no innovations over the original CTR, and some of the tracks look almost exactly the same!

Naughty Dogs gamla Crash Team Racing framstår fortfarande som ett bättre val om man absolut måste åka gokart med hela pungdjursfamiljen. Crash Nitro Kart är alltså ett dåligt spel. Men vad värre är, Vivendi Universal fortsätter att slakta gamla spelhjältar de köpt för dyra dollars. Crash Bandicoot och Spyro The Dragon är idag spillror av sina forna jag, utskrattade och bortglömda.

I'm far from out of things to complain about, but hopefully my overall message has sunk in: If the N-Gage library was a classroom, then Crash Nitro Kart would be the cross-eyed kid who eats paste and thinks the answer to every math problem is "cat." Don't waste a moment of your life playing it, as my job as a reviewer has made me a martyr for us all.

Boy, I knew Crash Nitro Kart wouldn't be the party that Crash Team Racing was when I played it so many months ago, but I had no idea it would be released like this, being a minus in so many areas it should have been a plus. All of this from Vicarious Visions, no less... one of my favorite developers. Ah well, they'll be back. They'll find themselves another handheld project that will allow them to shine again, be it the Nintendo DS, the PSP, the N-Gage or wherever they're headed. They have a future, and I'm pretty sure that this poor edition of Crash Nitro Kart will be left in the dust.