Crash and the gang are back at it, racing around in go karts and shooting missiles at each other in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. Does the nostalgia hold up in 2019? Yes and no.
It is immediately obvious when playing Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled that great care and effort has gone into making the remaster shine. Each of the three levels I had the opportunity to demo felt alive with beautiful graphics, crisp animations and cool effects. The levels are detailed enough that you’ll want to take one race to go as slow as possible to make sure you see all the tiny hidden secrets.
Crash Team Racing can be played solo, with a friend via the old-school split-screen approach, or online. Online play is new to Crash Team Racing, as it wasn’t possible on the PS1 when the game originally launched back in 1999. I didn’t have the opportunity to test online play during my preview event, but I can say split-screen play is just fine with another friend.
Gameplay worked well, and after a race or two of adjusting to the controls I found myself taking first place with regularity. The boost mechanic takes some time to adjust to, especially if you’re more familiar with the Mario Kart franchise, but by the end of my hour or two with Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled I was starting to find my groove with it. I also enjoyed the weapon upgrades players unlock after picking up 10 Wumpa fruit, a mechanic found in the original Crash Team Racing.
The big issue with Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is the dilemma of appealing to nostalgia versus moving into the future. This is most noticeable with gameplay. In 2019, the kart racing genre is dominated by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch. This game features multiple racers, tons of different karts and bikes and even more customization options in the form of wheels, gliders and other parts to create the perfect vehicle to match your play style. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled only features a character selection, with each character tied to a specific kart.
This is true to the original Crash Team Racing, and many fans will love the dedication to keeping the spirit of the original release alive. That said, speaking as someone who didn’t grow up playing Crash Team Racing, the experience felt a little bare-bones. There weren’t even different skins to dress up the karts as something different. In an ideal world, this remaster will rejuvenate the franchise and bring in new gamers that didn’t play (or weren’t even alive) for the original release. This success would encourage the development team to make a new Crash Team Racing game, complete with new tracks and more modern gameplay features.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled looks amazing and plays really well. It will definitely appeal to the nostalgic gamer looking to relive their memories on modern consoles. The added online play also helps bring the game into the 21st century, but there aren’t enough gameplay changes for this to feel like a modern competitor in the kart-racing genre. If you want a nostalgia trip, this is exactly the game you are looking for. If you want a new kart-racing game to keep you going until the next Mario Kart entry, you might find Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled a little lacking.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled releases for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on June 21.
So what do you think? Are you excited to try the remastered Crash Team Racing for yourself? Did you grow up playing Crash Team Racing on the PS1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
