Crash Team Racing, also known as CTR, proves that Mario isn't the only franchise who can put together a good cart racing game. Originally released on the PlayStation 1, CTR has been dramatically updated for current gen hardware. Of course the core mechanics and gameplay that made the original game great is still intact. Visually however the game has come leaps and bounds to stand with best of similar modern titles. I was excited and nervous to jump into this remaster. I remember I loved the original yet I also struggled back then to get past some of the tougher challenges. I get to see things through a new perspective since now that I'm older and I am quite pleased I returned to this clever title.
The racing in CTR Nitro-fueled is just as fun as it was 20 years ago when the game was originally released. You'll race through a variety of different environments from the beach, to snow-covered hills, and industrial sewers. As you race you can get a boost from jumping at the peak of a hill or by drifting. Drifting is a bit tricky to get used to as you have to first hop in the other direction then watch as your boost gauge starts to fill up. You can boost up to three time in one drift and the longer you wait the better the boost you'll get each time. There are crates scatter around each track that give you access to power-ups. Some power ups lay traps like TNT and beakers, others like the shield and mask protect you, while bombs and missiles help you go on the offensive.
Kart racing games are always obvious multiplayer picks; that said most of my memories of this game are from the surprising deep campaign mode. When you start a new campaign you might as well choose the modern version as this lets you switch characters any time between races as well as give you a chance to trick out your vehicles. One of the biggest changes in Nitro-Fueled is the tremendous amount of characters and customization available. You'll get coins after every race which to can used to unlock all the additional content. There really isn't much of a story but the progression is pretty straight forward. You have four different zones, each with four distinct tracks, and a boss race at the end of each zone. The boss battles are a one on one race and each character you face features a different weapon in which the have infinite ammo to bombard you with.
Should you complete your races and defeat the boss you'll unlock new trails for that zone. One trail on each track is the CTR challenge. In this mode you'll have to find and collect the letters C T R as well as finish the race in first place. Additionally, each course offers a relic challenge. In this mode you need to complete three laps under a set amount of time. In order to help you achieve this there are yellow crates scattered all over the course which when hit will freeze your timer for a number of seconds. If you can manager to collect all the boxes you'll even get an addition ten seconds cut off your time which may help get it low enough to be reward a better relic.
Although Crash may not have been first to the cart racing genre CTR offers one of the better single player campaigns. There is a variety of races and challenges that will fully test your abilities. I do think the drifting, while it can be rewarding, is very hard to master. Overall, the game can appear quite difficult but I never found a challenge that I couldn't overcome. The updated visuals and the great roster of racers brings new life to this classic title. Of course the addition of online multiplayer is a wonderful feature that wasn't possible 20 years ago. This is an arcade racer through and through; fans of the genre are sure to find themselves right at home.