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CRASH NITRO KART
Written by: Angela Corry
You know a game is good when your eleven year old nephew can give you a full profile of every character. You know it's even better when a popular TV show makes it their game of choice.
While I'm sure my nephew CJ will grow up to design video games, I was surprised to see Crash Bandicoots mentioned on the WB11's series "Angel." While the show's supernatural character's found the game to have no purpose and be quite annoying, I must say my recent experience with Universal Interactive's latest Bandicoot hit, Crash Nitro Kart, was stellar.
Kidnapped from Earth by the evil Emperor Velo, the Bandicoot team, made up of Crash, Coco and Crunch, fights for freedom by racing Velo's best drivers in his galactic coliseum.
In adventure mode there are four levels to beat, each with four races to win and a big baddy at the end of each of them. Each course is impressive in its own right with awesome graphics and a designer's healthy imagination. Loaded with twists and loops, jumps and portals each course gets harder than the next.
Character choice is crucial since you can best the race by speed or accuracy, depending on who you pick. My personal favorite is Coco, the younger sister of Crash, who takes turns the best. I found Crunch the hardest to manage since his bulk is not aerodynamic.
On top of your driver's abilities there are power-ups to boost you through each race. With a selection of Turbo Boosts, TNT, Immunity Masks and more you can knock out your opponents even if you can't out-race them! But watch out – they get the same goodies. If you collect and keep 10 apples from around the board you get a boost to the power-up you're holding. For example immunity only goes away if you get hit, protecting you much longer.
On top of winning the trophy for each raceway, each individual race has two other components – the CNK race where you not only have to find the letters C, N and K around the course, but win the race to the Relic Race where you have to place in the top three for speed in the course. Watch for trick jumps and special shortcuts to become the champion of these races.
If you have company, there are two multiplayer modes to choose from. The basic race that pits up to four players against each other is great fun for the competitive spirit, while the battle emphasizes skill and of course explosions.
So whether you're a novice or expert gamer, alone or with friends, Crash Nitro Karts is the game to play.
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