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Game Information

Release Date: September 30, 1999
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform(s): PlayStation
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2

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Snyopsis

All of the characters from CRASH BANDICOOT are getting their go-karts ready to race. Suddenly, an alien named Nitrous Oxide appears and challenges the characters to a race. If Nitrous wins, he gets to take over the planet. Crash and his friends must win at all costs to avoid falling under the rule of Nitrous. Pick from classic CRASH BANDICOOT characters like Crash, Coco, and Dr. Cortex, each with custom carts, and hit one of the 25 tracks. Jump, power slide, and turbo your way to missiles and bombs you can use to get rid of the opposition. Blast opponents in the arcade and story modes, or form teams and blast the other guys in the battle modes. When you friends start talking trash about your racing style, make up to three of them put up or shut up with versus mode. Play CTR: CRASH TEAM RACING and try to save the world from Nitrous Oxide.

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Gameplay

In Crash Team Racing the player is given the opportunity to drive a go-kart with the choice between a dozen unique characters. Each character has it's own specialties that are unique to the character and they each get their own customized vehicle with certain qualities such as better agility, great accelerations and so forth. There are also about a dozen fairly large tracks that greatly differ from one another and each having their own obstacles such as traps, enemies, walls, and an environment that reacts accordingly. The object of the game is to just win every race you can and get the gold trophies. The more gold trophies that are unlocked, more tracks, vehicles, and characters can be unlocked.

There are several different game modes to choose from that allow up to two players to compete against as well. These modes include your standard race, a timed race, a loop race where you have to hit every loop you can, and a tournament mode where the both of the players can compete against each other with very tough AIs on the side.

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Graphics

At first glance, the game may be unappealing due to it's very blocky look. The characters, vehicles, and background all have this issue making it not the best thing to look at. The tracks themselves are the only sharp looking object along with the sidelines where the environment is. Each track has a lot of detail in them with debris flying around, skid marks that look great, random explosions that also look decent, and a sky that looks like it is supposed to. The several weather conditions available also have a lot of detail that effect the gameplay. The framerate also runs very smooth even when a lot of action is occuring

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Controls

Being a racing game, the controls were obviously designed to be as simple as can be, and it shows. The analogs, or D-pad if you prefer that, will control the steering wheel in the go-kart and the buttons will controls the breaks, reverse, boost, and will activate the weapons and/or objects that are picked up in each race.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 7.5/10
Controls: 9.5/10
Overall: 9/10