Mek
10-30-2005, 08:27 AM
At first glance, it's easy to mistake Crash Tag Team Racing as a Mario Kart: DD clone. I mean, two people riding in the same car /w the back guy throwing weapons... yeah.
But I'm pleased to say that CTTR is anything *but*.
It's actually a pretty good game in its own right. The only similarities I see /w MKDD is the two people in a kart thing and you race. If I recall, MKDD didn't have you wandering around an overworld (where you can beat the tar out of EVERYONE: fellow racers and tourists) or 'clashing'.
The 'clashing' bit? Basically you pick a car to merge with, and then you get a souped up car in return. It's kinda hard to describe in words, but it's a very nifty feature. And everyone has 3 cars which eventually have the same 3 attributes, so no one character really ever does suck.
The voice acting is surprisingly solid for the most part. Crash himself doesn't say a word, but rather makes incoherent noises that everyone seems to understand. Coco's the same from 'Twinsanity' (hello Zacht and Jimmy Neutron!), as is Dr. Cortex. (I tell you, it's VERY hard for me to not think of Captain Harlock when I hear Cortex, considering they share the same voice actor. Holy Cannoli indeed!) The chicken announcers aren't that annoying either (you can disable tutorials if they grate your nerves), plus von Clutch and Pasadena (the new guys) have voices that fit... even if Pasadena's is a cliched southern girl accent. XD And the formerly mute Nina Cortex sounds like Eliza Thornberry, but it works.
The only 'bad' voices are N. Gin and Crunch. Bizzare new appearance aside, N. Gin sounds considerably different than his past incarnations, even if he does get some of the best dialouge in the game. Crunch... well, let's just say if you're a fan of Crunch, stay as far away from him as possible. They pulled a F-Zero: GP Legend here and made him VERY different from his 'Wrath of Cortex' counterpart.
Bad points? Hm. The only ones I can think of are a distinct lack of difficulty, the lack of other unlockables (aside from costumes for Crash, Gag Movies and Die-o-Ramas) like racers and secret tracks and the fact it's very easy. How easy? My brother got the game the day it was out and finished it the next day. With Crash Team Racing, it took him a few good months before he got everything.
All in all, CTTR isn't a *bad* game by any means, nor is it a Mario Kart killer. It DOES have some things that really add to the experience and set it above being a clone. If you're a long-time Crash fan, you might have issue with certain things, but get past 'em and try the game before you bash. XD Newbies can easily get into the game without knowing Crash history beforehand (though it doesn't hurt to play the older games).
That being said, I strongly reccomend this one as a rental. =]
Besides, when have you ever heard of a video game that makes a reference to Something Awful AND say "You shot one past the goalie *wink wink nudge nudge* before? ;)
But I'm pleased to say that CTTR is anything *but*.
It's actually a pretty good game in its own right. The only similarities I see /w MKDD is the two people in a kart thing and you race. If I recall, MKDD didn't have you wandering around an overworld (where you can beat the tar out of EVERYONE: fellow racers and tourists) or 'clashing'.
The 'clashing' bit? Basically you pick a car to merge with, and then you get a souped up car in return. It's kinda hard to describe in words, but it's a very nifty feature. And everyone has 3 cars which eventually have the same 3 attributes, so no one character really ever does suck.
The voice acting is surprisingly solid for the most part. Crash himself doesn't say a word, but rather makes incoherent noises that everyone seems to understand. Coco's the same from 'Twinsanity' (hello Zacht and Jimmy Neutron!), as is Dr. Cortex. (I tell you, it's VERY hard for me to not think of Captain Harlock when I hear Cortex, considering they share the same voice actor. Holy Cannoli indeed!) The chicken announcers aren't that annoying either (you can disable tutorials if they grate your nerves), plus von Clutch and Pasadena (the new guys) have voices that fit... even if Pasadena's is a cliched southern girl accent. XD And the formerly mute Nina Cortex sounds like Eliza Thornberry, but it works.
The only 'bad' voices are N. Gin and Crunch. Bizzare new appearance aside, N. Gin sounds considerably different than his past incarnations, even if he does get some of the best dialouge in the game. Crunch... well, let's just say if you're a fan of Crunch, stay as far away from him as possible. They pulled a F-Zero: GP Legend here and made him VERY different from his 'Wrath of Cortex' counterpart.
Bad points? Hm. The only ones I can think of are a distinct lack of difficulty, the lack of other unlockables (aside from costumes for Crash, Gag Movies and Die-o-Ramas) like racers and secret tracks and the fact it's very easy. How easy? My brother got the game the day it was out and finished it the next day. With Crash Team Racing, it took him a few good months before he got everything.
All in all, CTTR isn't a *bad* game by any means, nor is it a Mario Kart killer. It DOES have some things that really add to the experience and set it above being a clone. If you're a long-time Crash fan, you might have issue with certain things, but get past 'em and try the game before you bash. XD Newbies can easily get into the game without knowing Crash history beforehand (though it doesn't hurt to play the older games).
That being said, I strongly reccomend this one as a rental. =]
Besides, when have you ever heard of a video game that makes a reference to Something Awful AND say "You shot one past the goalie *wink wink nudge nudge* before? ;)