Cartoon Network Racing
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: The Game Factory Developer: DC Studios Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Racing/ Arcade/ Racing (Arcade)
Graphics & Sound: The graphics in Cartoon Network Racing get the job done. Nothing on the DS is necessarily going to "wow" you, but I was surprised that animated characters couldn't be brought to life on the screen with more detail. If it makes you feel better, there is a lot going on at the same time on screen; this is an action game at heart. Kart racing doesn't have to have graphics that are drop-dead beautiful. The cars are silly, the level design is even sillier. Cartoon Network Racing does a great job of building racetracks in some very creative environments. One minute you are racing through buildings or tropical islands, the next minute you'll be on a Hollywood back-lot or cruising a cornfield. The only time less-than-great graphics affect gameplay is when you are looking for secret paths and can't see enough detail to know what's what. Mostly you take it for what it is and since gameplay really delivers, we can forgive some graphical glitches. Beyond the main game, there are additional features for music and sound effects. Each character from the shows on Cartoon Network will utter little quips during each race. The music is fun, but somewhat repetitive. Special weapons will create funny sounds and visuals, my favorite being the "cloud" drop that causes most of the screen to be obscured in thick smoke. Unlockables include cartoon episodes, which is a really nice bonus considering GBA video carts are being sold separately for about $10 bucks... There are a few cartoons to unlock by winning in Championship mode at increasing levels of difficulty.
Gameplay: The extras I mentioned above make for a nice addition to what would be just another kart racing title otherwise. The licensed characters in Cartoon Network Racing are much loved, so a portion of the population would play any type of game that featured characters like Johnny Bravo, Blossom and Buttercup. For the rest of us gamers - or parents who might be eyeing this as a present for this time of year - Cartoon Network Racing does a nice job of bringing kart racing to the DS. In the beginning, there is only one race to complete in Championship Mode, but you can select any of the available characters to race. I didn't realize at first that there were additional characters you unlock during play. Courses you unlock can be raced in Time Trial Mode, just you against the clock. As you win Championship races, you'll win points, unlock special features and gain new characters for play. The point system is used to buy everything that is above and beyond the basic racing game. The mini-games are great and very engrossing. The first and best game is a sketching exercise that shows you a line drawing of a Cartoon Network character. Using the touch-screen, you'll follow the outline of the character to create a sketch. If you can sketch along the lines and complete most (75%) of the character, you'll be able to move forward. Each mini-game is slightly different and there are unlockables that are just new characters, character upgrades or cartoon episodes. What really shines in Cartoon Network Racing is the multiplayer action. A Versus Mode is available immediately and can be used in "Dash" mode when other players don't have a game cartridge or in "Race" mode when everyone is armed with the cartridge. This is a nice way to promote owning the game without locking people in either way. The power-ups and weapons are very cool and devious. Leaving drops like the oil-slick or cloud in front of speed pads is a sure way to piss off opponents. When four people are in the game, it's a total blast. If the power-ups weren't enough, you'll find stars on each course that can be collected to unleash special, unique attacks.
Difficulty: The CPU is almost a blast to go up against, but not quite. It has a bad habit of taking cheap shots and handling the tracks without virtually no errors. At a certain point, you will find it quite challenging to wing and the final races take some practice and plenty of upgrades. Vehicles are ranked in ways that highlight speed, agility and acceleration. All pretty standard stuff until you factor in the loose physics. The game is already floaty so the lighter cars can almost fly. This makes jumps pretty challenging, but cornering is a breeze. The heavier cars do plenty of sliding around but don't feel as unpredictable. Being able to push people off the road has its upsides, I guess.
Game Mechanics: There are simple controls with the weapons assigned to shoulder buttons. The control, as mentioned above, could use some tweaking if this was being compared to "serious" racing titles. Come at Cartoon Network Racing with an eye toward fun rather than realism and you'll have a great time. I didn't like the way the menus for specials and upgrades were a little buried in the interface. It also would have been nice to see more detail on each item, such as the stats for racing characters. You basically have to buy the characters to find out if they're worth anything rather than seeing their bio or preview ahead of time. Cartoon Network Racing does a good job bringing the characters from TV to gaming life. Who doesn't enjoy a good kart game? There are some good ones available now, but this license is an attraction for a lot of folks. Don't let the license mislead you, though. This is a quality game with some good but silly racing action. As kart racing for DS goes, you could do much worse.
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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