Crash Team Racing

"Eat this Mario Kart!"

One word: WOW!! Naughty Dog sure did a great job with this one. Beatiful graphics, addictive gameplay, and tons of replay value will have you sitting on your couch for hours.

Graphics: 12/10
Stunning, N64 quality ( in my opinion ) enviornments, and fully polygonal characters. The tracks are fully explorable, and many obstacles are strewn about. Even when you think something is just eye-candy, you'll probably have to use it in at least one of the many modes of play. In short, the best graphics on the PlayStation.

Music: 7/10
Nice and high quality, catchy too, but after a few days it kinda gets repetetive. Of course, almost any music gets repetetive after that long. Also, occasionaly, the invincibilty music doesn't stop playing after it wears off.

Sound Effects: 10/10
Great, high-quality voice-overs, and good timing makes for an exelent audio experience. Even if you can't watch Cortex get hit with a missile, you can still hear his cries of dismay. You'll laugh out loud when you hear Ripper Roo, talk about insanity!

Story: 8/10
The evil alien Nitrous Oxide, fastest racer in the galaxy, has come to this planet. If your fastest racer can't beat him, you entire planet gets turned into a parking lot. If you win, he'll leave you alone, for the time being (insert low budget sequel here, heh). Slightly confusing since all the baddies and bosses you race are actually on your side. Enough to justify all of the races and extra side quests.

Gameplay: 20/10
The real meat (or tofu, if you're a vegetarian) of the game. Tight controls, and excellent weapons make this one a winner. The controls are really easy to get used to if you've played Mario Kart (and who hasn't?) Even if you're a total newbie to kart racing, you'll be racing with the best in no time. Unlike in Mario Kart, power sliding actually does something for you , and you won't slide off the edge of the track while trying to get a turbo. Also, while totally optional, the relic, and CTR token races in adventure mode, are fun and interesting.

There are several modes of gameplay, including adventure mode, where you race to beat Nitrous Oxide. Time trial, where you race against the clock to try to get a better time. Arcade, where one or two players race through either cups or single tracks against the computer. Versus, where up to four players(with multitap) race. And finally, my personal favorite, BATTLE! A two to four player deathmatch on wheels in one of seven battle arenas. You can customize the scoring system, the teams ( wonder why it's Crash TEAM Racing? ), and even the weapons.

There are basically 4 types of racers, the good all-round racers, the racers that accelerate quickly, turn well, or go really, really fast. Plus, through dilligent adventure mode play, you can unlock four (six?) new racers.

Characters: 10/10
Really amazing characters, that you can actually get to know. From their catch phrases, to their tone of voice, to their performance in the races, you can formulate your own opinion about each of the racers.

Replay: 15/10
You'll play this for many sleepless nights, and still not get tired of it. After a while, it all becomes reflex, and you can basically watch an entertaining movie of yourself whooping a bunch of other carts through zany courses. The computer AI is tough, but not impossible, just on that thin line, where you are challenged, but not frustrated. But where it really shines is multiplayer. Find a few friends and play 'till your thumbs get sore. So many different weapon combos in batlle mode will have you devising new and fun ways to play. Another nice touch, is that, with a dex-drive, you can send your ghost files over the internet, and have others try to beat you.

Rent or buy: BUY IT NOW!!!! Renting will give you but a small taste of the entire game, which may take at least a month to completely beat. I suppose that you could rent it just for a party or two, and hold a mini-tournament, but this is one game that you want in your collection forever.

Overall: 10/10
If I could give it a higher rating, I would. This is the most amazingly addictive game ever made. This game alone is worth having a PlayStation. Get in your car, drive to the store, and buy it now!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/22/99, Updated 11/22/99