Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Review

The last few years have seen an explosion in remasters and remakes of classic games. Following the success of 2017’s Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, it became clear that more Crash Bandicoot remasters would follow. Released in June 2019, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a remaster of 1999’s Crash Team Racing. Developed by Beenox, it is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. But just how does the remaster hold up 20 years after the game originally debuted?

Racing

The first thing that people who played the original game will notice is that the karts handle differently. This time around they feel lighter and require much more of a caring touch. What is important, though, is that it works well. Despite the delicate nature of the handling, the controls feel tight and responsive. You get a good feel for the kart underneath you and will soon have no trouble taking turns.

On the other hand, getting to grips with the Power Slide is no simple matter. If you are familiar with Mario Kart you’ll be aware of the Power Slide. Yet, in this racer, it doesn’t work in quite the same way. There seems to be less precision when it comes to sliding around turns but also more of a boost from getting it right. It’s a trade-off that I think works, as it rewards skill more. After all, most people can pull off a successful Power Slide in Mario Kart, where it therefore offers little advantage.

The various power-ups and weapons that you get from crates are exactly what you would expect from a kart racer. For example, the Aku Aku Mask is like the star in Mario Kart, giving you a temporary boost and invincibility. TNT boxes can blow up opponents and collectible Wumpa fruit lets you upgrade the powers.

The main area of concern in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is the singleplayer adventure. There is a huge difficulty spike that means beating many of the bosses and later stages requires you to master the racing. In particular, you need to be comfortable using the Power Slide and boost mechanics. Fail to do that and races can quickly become frustrating.