When you think of kart racers, one mustachioed plumber tends to come to mind. But that game was only playable on Nintendo, what about Playstation? Well, in 1999 Naughty Dog rose to the challenge of making disc-based kart racing a thing with CTR: Crash Team Racing!
A Vibrant Contender
CTR, like its Nintendo rival, had VIBRANT graphics and sound. The controls were tight and intuitive, and the game-play holds up even today. It had a variety of game modes, making it feel like a bigger game than Mario Kart 64. Its roster of characters all come from the Crash universe, and there were several extra racers that could be unlocked with codes or achievements. It even had a story to it! The evil alien Nitros Oxide has come to…wherever Crash is from…and he wants to challenge the fastest racers on the planet to a race for survival!
Tight Controls, Great Graphics
The controls on CTR were so tight that they still hold up quite well today. The X button accelerates, while circle fires your items. The bumper buttons allow you to hop and drift, making turns exciting and fast. The environments were colorful and felt alive. The voice-acting is pretty good, and it does a good job of explaining the game and mechanics to the player. I didn’t read the manual, but Aku Aku explained to me that I should collect wumpa fruits to go faster and get “juiced-up.”
The action is fast-paced and hectic. Much like Mario Kart, the better you do, the better your rivals perform, so the game always feels like it is competing at your level. The tracks are fun and have good variety. CTR is a game packed with playability.
A Lasting Classic
CTR would eventually see a remaster in 2019, proving again that this game is a timeless classic. Developed by Beenox, the remake combined:
- The original CTR content
- Tracks from Crash Nitro Kart
- Online multiplayer
- Seasonal updates
- Expanded customization
The remake maintained the soul and structure of the original while adding modern polish, cementing CTR as a timeless kart racing icon.
