Karnaaj Rally

"Almost as cool as "Euphony" by Matthew Good."

Karnaaj Rally is one of the most surprising games I’ve played in quite some time. I came into it with low expections, and came out of it with a game that brought back memories of RC Pro-AM, while adding new memories at the same time. The sheer fun to be had in this game is unparalleled when compared to any other GBA racing game. Paragon 5 did a fantastic job at everything but the most minute of aesthetic details, like the eye-catchingly bad box art and generic character designs. Aside from that though, they hit everything about as perfectly as could be expected. There is a nice array of modes to choose from, a solid assortment of tracks to race on, and a small fleet of vehicles for you to control, including vehicles that look like something out of the Flintstones.

If you’ve ever played RC Pro-AM, Rock n’ Roll Racing, or any of the Micro Machines games, you’ll have a rough idea of what to expect in KR The slick, tight gameplay of RC Pro-AM has been brought to KR, the weapons-based gameplay is reminiscent to that of RnR Racing, and the top-down racing perspective is right out of the MM games. In another nod to RC Pro-Am, there are copious power-ups that appear on the track. These can be anything from turbo boosts, to rockets, to mines. All of them useful, all of them can be used by you, or against you, and the opponents in this game, even at the earliest stages of the career mode, don’t hold back. This amalgamation of racing gameplay styles is nice, and helps set this game apart from the rest. On top of that, you can customize your vehicle quite a bit, you can change the paint job, improve your armor, and make other basic changes to your vehicle. This level of customization is perfect for someone like me who doesn’t want to fiddle with a thousand different settings to get a vehicle the way I want it.

The core game revolves around the career mode, which you can prepare for by using the single race mode as a tool to learn the basics of the gameplay. In this mode, you will go through a set series of races against a set of opponents that gets progressively harder as you get further into the mode. Sounds ordinary, right? Well, this game has an option that most others lack, a betting mode. In this mode, you can increase your cash flow by taking chances and betting on things like opponent eliminations and the order of cars in the finish. It’s not the most complex betting system around, but it gets the job done, and is something I never thought I’d see in a portable game, plus, your sponsor, the guy who places your bets for you and starts your career off, smokes a cigar, which is something I never thought I’d see in a GBA game. Anyways, the career mode also offers you the opportunity to check out the game’s wide array of vehicles, which range from cars that resemble the ones used by the Flintstones and the Rubbles in the Flintstones, to a VW Bug copy, to a nice, sleek sports car. Each vehicle has its own stats that you should pay close attention to if you want to make sure that you use the car that suits your style of racing the best.

KR controls like a dream, the game features a simple control scheme that is not only diverse in what it gives the player, but is easy to use and is responsive as well. I’m amazed that Paragon 5 was able to do so much with the controls while still making them easy to use, and quite responsive. Everything, from a turbo to a rocket launch is easy to execute, and helps make playing the game a joy.

The graphics in KR are the finest I’ve seen yet for a GBA racing game. Everything is bathed in detail, with a multitude of colors featured in nearly every object in the game, barring the cars, oddly enough. The roadside stuff, and the roads themselves, look amazing, with tons of little details on them, like tire tracks and 3D structures that add to the realism of it all. As for the cars, while it is disappointing they lack detail, it does make sense, since the GBA’s screen is too tiny to really showcase details on a small object such as a car in this game. It makes more sense to put the details on things that the player can actually see, like the track. On the upside, the cars do feature a nice smoke trail behind them, which also adds to the realism. I’ve never seen a top-down racer look this good, and never thought I ever would. KR has done a fine job at raising the bar for top-down racing games on the GBA, and racing games in general.

KR’s weakness lies in its’ sound, which, barring the sound effects, is just drivel. The music is horrid, barring a couple of exceptions. It’s a shame, really, since music can be used to really add to a racing game. Just another missed opportunity at greatness. On the sonic upside, the sound effects are good, and have a bit more realism to them than I would have expected.

In terms of replay value, Karnaaj Rally is pretty much unmatched on the GBA. You’ve got a nice amount of cars to unlock, and tracks to race on, plus, the game is just flat-out fun to play, which makes it an enjoyable experience at any time. There are also multi-player modes available for those who want to make use of them. KR gives you plenty to do, it’s just up to you to make use of it all.

In the end, Karnaaj Rally is the best sleeper hit I’ve played on the GBA. The game features fun gameplay, fantastic controls, stunning graphics, with the only blemish on the record lying in the sound. If you’re in the market for a fun racing game with lots of thrills, pick up KR as soon as you can. You should be able to find it for about $10 now. For owners of the GB Player, Karnaaj Rally’s fantastic graphics only get better on the big screen, with the many trackside details only becoming more stunning. Also, changing the color of your vehicle is a lot easier when using the GB Player, since you get a more accurate view of your color choice. The GC’s controller is fantastic for this game, I actually prefer it over using the GBA, the controls seem to suit the GC pad perfectly, which is nice. The game’s sound, however, will have you reaching for the mute button more often than not, which is a shame.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/22/03, Updated 07/22/03