Konami Krazy Racers

"Konami holds their own"

It's too bad that Krazy Racers will always be compared to Mario Kart Advance, because it's a great game in its own right and doesn't deserve to be written off as a simple Mario Kart clone. Other prominent companies have tried to tackle the racing genre and not been very successful (*cough* Chocobo Racing *cough*), but Krazy Racers shows that Konami is definitely up to the challenge.

In Krazy Racers you get to race as a variety of popular Konami characters, and each track is themed after a different game. (The Metal Gear Solid track is especially cool.) There is a licensing system, and passing short ''driving tests'' will unlock the next Cup. Actually some of the tests are quite challenging.

Gameplay
The karts handle very nicely and control is intuitive and not awkward at all. There is the usual array of power-ups and items to torment your opponents with. Konami adds a new twist in that you can purchase items beforehand and begin the race with them already equipped on your kart.

Tracks are very well designed with a variety of different themes. One thing that I do like about Krazy Racers over Mario Kart s that there are more big jumps on the courses, and sailing through the air in a kart is so much fun!

Audio
The title theme is quirky to say the least, and catchy in its own way. The level music matches the theme of the track, for example in the Pop n' Music level you hear a Pop n' Music song. This was a nice touch and just added to the trip down Konami memory lane. In terms of actual sound quality, the game suffers slightly. It didn't help that Castlevania: Circle of the Moon came out around the same time because the sound quality of Krazy Racers simply doesn't compare to that. Castlevania was a game that took full advantage of the GBA's sound capabilities, and it's obvious that Krazy Racers didn't. The quality is ok, but we know that the GBA is capable of a lot more.

Video
The graphics are clear and very detailed and, thankfully, aren't too dark. A few of the tracks are darker than others, but can still be made out with a bit of overhead lighting.

Challenge & Replayability
The game isn't frustratingly hard, and most people would probably find it on the short side. However there are some hidden characters to unlock, and a couple of mini-games. And let's face it, you never just play through a racing game once. The fun factor of Krazy Racers is very high and should keep people coming back to race again.

Buy or Rent
This one's pretty rare nowadays, so buy it if you see it!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/02, Updated 05/06/03