We got the news back during the Game Awards that Crash Team Racing is getting a revamp in the form of Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of Crash Bandicoot, but when it comes to CTR, I’m all in.
And I’m not the only one, either! Ever since Activision’s reboot of the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon trilogies, Crash Team Racing was the one game that fans made an outcry for. Oh, man… I don’t think I’ve ever been this stoked about a racing game in my life.
I mean, just look at this trailer. The changes they’ve made make the worlds and characters feel so much more alive (Polar is still the best). It’s just such a stunning game to look at.
(Naughty Dog)
From Coco Park to Polar Pass, all 17 of the game’s race tracks and all 7 battle arenas make a come back with new aesthetic. On top of that, almost every character from the original game has been confirmed to return, the outliers (so far) being N. Tropy and Penta Penguin. I’m pretty confident in N. Tropy’s return, but Penta has me concerned! He was the only character in CTR that was only unlockable via cheat code (plus all of his stats were maxed out in the JP/EU versions).
I have super fond memories of CTR. My sister and I would play together all the time at my grandparents’ house. At the time, I didn’t have a memory card for my PS1, but you bet your bottom dollar that I had those cheat codes memorized to unlock all the characters! What? You can’t expect me to unlock them all over again every time a turned the game on!
(Activision)
Putting the “Nitro” in “Nitro Fueled”
This is the part that has me going nuts-o for this game. During PlayStation’s Stay Of Play Presentation last week, it was confirmed that Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled will feature content from Crash Nitro Kart, which was CTR‘s spiritual successor for the PS2. All 13 tracks from the game are being revamped to match the mechanics of CTR (since a lot of them featured anti-gravity areas), AND the four different team karts will be available in the new game. Lastly, Crunch Bandicoot (a character that was playable in CNK), was confirmed (but not showed off) in a recent interview with the game’s co-director.
I’m a huge Crash Team Racing fan, but Crash Nitro Kart holds a special place in my heart. I don’t mean to get a little off course here, but I had major back surgery when I was teen, and my parents bought me a PS2 and Crash Nitro Kart for me to play while I was in recovery and physical therapy. Being bed-ridden is not fun, and this game kept me sane.
(Activision)
