N-Gage Review – Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is an arcade kart racer type game thats been compared to Mario Kart, by many reviewers. This is the second Crash Bandicoot game to hit N-Gage, the first one being in the last generation of N-Gage, while this is the first Crash Bandicoot game in this new generation of N-Gage.

Is this version better than the last generation version? Worth buying ? Read the review to find out !

Gameplay :

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D can best be described as a Mario Kart type of game. The gameplay is basically very similar. You control Crash Bandicoot or can choose from one of the other 5 characters available (unlocked as you go through the game). Each character has his/her own type of “kart” with its own characteristics. Races are held in 12 different tracks in 4 different worlds.

As is usual with Crash Bandicoot games, there is a wacky storyline involved. The storyline’s just to give you a reason, but basically the task is very simple : try to win every race and eventually win the grand trophy at the end of the tournament.

Driving is pretty fun in this game, the “karts” control fine and you’re encouraged to drift around corners, to increase your speed. There are also numerous power-ups plotted along the racing track, to help you beat your rivals. Theres heat sinking missiles,shields, teleports, rockets, oil slicks and a whole bunch of other powerups, all hidden in crates around the track that you must drive through to get.

There’s also another different powerup : “Wumpa Fruit“, which you collect to increase your speed.

There are also rainbow-colored “boost pads” on the racing course, which give you a boost when you drive over them.

And to unlock characters in the game, you’re required to collect the floating alphabeits in the game level to form the word C-R-A-S-H.

You’re not the only one who can use powerups though. Your rivals pick them up and use them too, mostly on you, so thats another factor that just adds to the fun gameplay of Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3d.

There are also various obstacles positioned around the track to hurdle you.

To ease you into this type of “racing” there’s a short tutorial that teaches you the basics when you begin the game.

Game Modes :

There are four game modes in Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, unfortunately all of them are single player. The game modes are Cup, Story, Time Trial and Quick Race.

- Quick Race:

Loads a quick race around a random track selected by the game, with a random character. Fun for a quick round.

- Cup mode:

Cup mode is basically the “tournament” mode of the game. You race around 4 tracks, trying to win each and come first. The more races you win, the more points you have in the end to win a trophy. Most of the unlockable NGP (N-Gage Points) are also in this mode.

- Story mode:

Basically gives you a story and a mission for each race. Pretty fun addition.

- Time Trial:

You try to race and track, getting the best (lowest) time possible.

Orientation :

The game can be played in both portrait and landscape modes, according to which, the controls can be flipped to be on the other side of the phone. Because it’s a racing game it felt more comfortable to play in landscape mode.

Keep in mind, some phones like the Nokia N82, may not support orientation changing in games. This review was done on a Nokia N85 though.

Controls :

The controls are pretty much your standard kart racing game controls. You control the kart with the Dpad (Auto-acceleration is on by default but can be turned off in the options). And game button A is used to either drift or jump. Game button B is used to fire off your powerup.

You can also use your numeric keypad as an alternative.

Graphics :

The graphics are very bright and crisp as you can notice from the screenshots. They are good enough for this genre of games. Each vehicle and item on the track is easily distinguishable. The gameplay is pretty fast, so I was glad that the framerate copes up pretty well.

Music :

Your standard Kart-Racing type music here. Nothing much else to say really.

Multiplayer and N-Gage Arena :

Unfortunately Crash bandicoot Nitro Kart 3d doesnt feature any real time multiplayer at all, be it via bluetooth or online. Missed oppurtunity there.

There is however, your standard score uploading affair.

And lots of unlockable NGP (N-Gage Points).

Conclusion :

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is basically a pick-up and play game aimed at the “Casual Gamer” market. This means, you wont be playing it for hours on end, but you will enjoy occasionally starting up the game and getting into a race or two.

The inclusion of an online mode or bluetooth for multiplayer would have greatly benefited this game, it goes without saying.

However, the bottom line is that this game is indeed fun and enjoyable, which is what it aims to be. Its a whole lot better than the game in the previous generation of N-Gage. The price might be a little steep for what it offers, but it isnt that bad a deal.

I’d give it a 3 out of 5 overall.

You can find out more about the game over on its Official Game page or if you need tips or help with the game, head on over to the Official Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D N-Gage forum.

-Teh Cj