Crash Nitro Kart

More than a decade ago Nintendo released a racing game that would forever change the genre: Mario Kart.  Different from arcade racers and console simulators, Mario Kart set a new path for racing games to follow.

And follow they did.  Super Mario Bros. is the reason for why we used to have so many mascot games, and since Mario Kart was a mascot racer, no developer could resist putting their own mascot behind the wheel.

Crash Nitro Kart is the first of what will likely be a long list of kart racing games for the N-Gage.  It's got polygons, rendered backgrounds, and three-dimensional detail.  But is it worth taking it for a spin?

Rarely do racing games give you as much as Crash Nitro Kart does without having to work for it.  A dozen tracks, four cup races, time trial and the adventure mode are ready to go.  This means that beginners can check out what this game has to offer right away, while hardcore fans can try to beat the best racing times immediately.

No need to work your way up to check out the racers – most of them are unlocked.  You won't necessarily care about the bonus characters; other than Crash, his sister and his nemesis, the racer lineup leaves a lot to be desired.  Statistically each racer has a clone, making the change in appearance the only reason to select a different one.

Personally this doesn't bother me very much.  I always feel that if a racing game has a wide variety of tracks, who cares about the number of cars?  Cars can only differ so much, but it's the variety in tracks that adds replay value.

Crash Nitro Kart's tracks are based on the courses featured in the console version.  If you've played it you know what to expect; if not, I can tell you that this is one of the most efficiently structured games designed for the N-Gage.  Every track feels different.  They range from short and tough to long and confusing, with varying environments to keep things interesting (a jungle, an ice world, etc.).  Chances are if you've seen it in a recent Crash game, especially the ones developed by Vivendi Universal, it's likely to appear in Crash Nitro Kart. 

Based solely on track design, Crash Nitro Kart could easily garner an 8 or an 8.5.  When you take into account the rest of the content, the game gets knocked down a bit.  It's not so much a particular feature as it is the lack of stability: Crash Nitro Kart's camera is very jerky.  I felt a little nauseous after playing it for the first time, a feeling that a video game should never induce.  The camera seems to be most unwieldy in the jungle courses, but it's never perfect.  You could say a lot of things about the console versions of the game, but this isn't one of them.

Not wanting to quit on the game over a vomit risk, I took a break and came back after resting.  The jungle levels were still dizzying.  Instead of following the racer with smooth, fluid motions, the camera swiftly jerks in the direction you turn.  I don't get car sick, but I am certain that this will seriously bother anyone who does.

Part of the problem is the N-Gage's super-small screen.  It's bright and beautiful and works fine for most games.  But racing games need a wider picture, or they need to be redesigned to correspond with the N-Gage's limit.  By not being able to "see" all that's in front of you, you get a false feeling for where things are.  You're likely to turn more because of this, run into walls more frequently, and lose in races that you should have won.

Also, the lack of an analog stick makes it difficult to judge your turning radius.  We can't blame the game for that though – the developers couldn't make one appear out of thin air.

One might wonder why I bothered to continue playing a game even after it was proven that the dizzying effects would not go away.  To be honest I'm really not sure.  I guess I always hoped that this flaw would dwindle, and in its place would be the great game lying underneath.  This is a very good racer, but it's not very easy to enjoy.

Gameplay: 6.9
Close, but no Bandicoot.  Crash Nitro Kart has a number of things going for it: good looks, great courses, several different game modes, etc.  What it doesn't have is the one thing that all games need: a camera that works for the player.  Instead the player is forced to work for the camera, a device that has the power to churn stomachs.

Graphics: 8.3
Not on par with the GameCube version, but still appealing to the eyes.  You haven't seen an N-Gage racing game with this much graphic detail.  PSone-quality visuals that are nearly comparable to Crash Team Racing.

Sound: 5
Repetitive jungle beats gives you something to ponder – like why didn't they include an external off switch for the sound?

Difficulty: Easy Medium Hard
Intermediately challenging.  Wouldn't be as difficult if you had an analog stick to help with those turns.

Concept: 5
A mobile version of the Crash racer released one year ago.  Now featuring a jerky camera.

Multiplayer: 6
If you and three friends have really strong stomachs (and are not affected by jerky onscreen motions), Crash Nitro Kart offers a four-player feature.  Bluetooth-only.

Overall: 6.5
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.