This Crash Bandicoot-Mario Kart ripoff for the PSone was touted by Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers as the only kart-racing game "better than Mario Kart 64". Although at the time Mario Kart 64 was one of the
hottest games of my N64 collection (yes, in early 2001), I had jumped on the Sony bandwagon after getting my PS2, and I kept trying to convince myself that this game was going to be better than Mario Kart 64. After all, you've got to trust the big-name magazines, don't you?
This game is reviewed on a 0-4 star
scale. For those of you who care, yes, I do own this game, and I didn't
only rent it (though I have played
several rented games more than this one). Plus, I will use the classic
+, -, = scale, comparing the game to Mario Kart 64 as I go (+ is better
than MK64, - is worse, and = is the same).
Graphics: ***
The graphics to this game are nice.
The characters don't look like sprites, even if they are. They look
three-dimensional, maybe as high quality
as the SMRPG sprites (those are sprites, aren't they?). The tracks
look pretty nice, though not perfect.
Overall, the graphics are awfully good for a 32-bit system (they
probably do look a little bit better
to me because I'm using a PS2). (+)
Sound: 1/2
Ouch. The music in this game is so poor
that one has to ask the now-famous question in my Reviews, "What
music?" You can't hear it very well
(it's kind of quiet and dull), and I don't like it whether it's loud or
quiet. The sound effects are good enough for me to be nice enough to give
this category half a star. (-)
Difficulty: ***
This game is pretty difficult. It's
got a lot of stuff that can hurt you due to the darker surroundings of
most tracks, and there are jumps and sudden turns that will give you a
hard time. While I haven't spent that much time going up against the computer,
you'll get a challenge from them, since you'll be against both the
computers and the track itself. It's
not impossible, though, just pretty difficult. (+) (It's harder than Mario
Kart 64, not necessarily better, in this category.)
Characters: ***
I've always liked Crash Bandicoot, and I probably always will. Okay, so I didn't like him when he made fun of Nintendo, until I realized that Nintendo deserved a lot more jokes on them than Crash made. I like his sister, too, and that Dr. Neo Cortex guy. As for the rest of the characters, I don't know them as well, but they do look pretty funny. (=)
Controls: ***
How hard can it be to control a kart? It does get a little confusing when it comes to using items, since I'm used to the Mario Kart 64 button layout, and the ever-helpful Z button. However, it's not a real problem, as I was able to use the new buttons without much difficulty. (-)
Items: ***
The items are pretty nice to use, though not great. I like the Nitro and TNT items, and a few others as well. I also like the fruit system, which is similar to Diddy Kong Racing's banana system. There are a few I don't like that much, but the good outweigh the bad here. (-)
Tracks: *
Ugh. The courses are dark, which is
good and bad, but more bad than good. The good is that they have more tricks
and traps in them, but the bad is that they don't have the vastness or
variety of Mario Kart 64's
tracks, not to mention that the tricks,
traps, jumps, and other surprises can't usually be seen until after
they've messed you up, and that's always
annoying. (-)
Battle Courses: *1/2
These battle courses are more advanced than Mario Kart 64's, believe me. That is precisely what is wrong with them. Although it's nicer to have more wide-open area, there is less chance of you hitting your opponent, in turn making the battles longer, more boring, and less surprising (where are all the tricks and traps to the courses when you need them?). I like having more variety to the courses, but overall, they just don't make the cut. (-)
Multiplayer Races: 1/2
The fun is missing. The excitement is
not there. You really just don't have the tantalizing finishes or the
thrill of nailing someone else with
something that often, as would happen often in Mario Kart 64. It's really
a shame. I would have enjoyed having some more excitement, but this game
offers much less fun than what was even found in third-party kart-racers
like Lego Racers. (-)
Battle Mode: **
There is a little more excitement found
in this mode than the races. Although battles can be long and drawn
out, which is annoying, they can have
a little more excitement than just the normal races, which I don't like
that much. Still, you're not getting the enthrallment found in MK64's awesome
battle mode. (-)
Replayability: **1/2
There is stuff in this game you'll want to come back for. There is also a lot of stuff in this game you won't want to see again. Unfortunately, some of the boredom stops me from really getting back into this game again. It's too bad, because the game is pretty big. If you don't get that bored by it, you'll be able to enjoy it well, due to its size. It still doesn't contain as many tracks as Mario Kart 64, at least at first. (-)
Fun Factor!: *
The fun is noticeably absent from this
game. Although it's got a good selection of tracks, as well as
interesting characters and items, the
game doesn't have the fun, the intangible feeling that keeps you
playing. Ultimately, that ruins a lot
of good things this game does have, when it comes to the overall
experience. (-)
OVERALL: *1/2
You weren't surprised, I know. From my opening paragraph, it gives it away that this game didn't live up to my expectations, nor could it even earn a positive rating. It's too bad, because it could have been great, with maybe some better track design and more excitement added. My decision isn't affected by the others' great ratings of this game (as in giving a poor score just to play the devil's advocate). Actually, I'm quite baffled at the perfect ratings this game received. I know a few of the magazines had a Sony bias, but still, it doesn't make sense to me. The game is below-average at best, and the lack of fun makes me throw all the technical ratings (like graphics, characters, and controls) out the window. If you have a PSone or PS2, you may want to rent it, but that's the most I recommend.
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