On paper, Crash Team Racing was nothing more than a Mario Kart rip-off, given that it took an assortment of characters from the Crash series, put them in karts, added in a healthy dose of weapons to make things interesting and tasked players to race around an array of circuits. The game was so enjoyable, however, that any similarities were irrelevant. Gameplay was fluid, the majority of tracks were well-designed and the content was immersive - players were tasked not only with playing through a story mode, but a gruellingly challenging time trial mode and a diverse multiplayer experience that allowed them and their friends (remember when we went to other people's houses to play games split screen rather than over the net?) to compete in tournaments and use the game's zany weaponry to compete in party-game style battles (because who doesn't want to play as a polar bear and blow up a giant tiger with a missile?). Today, the game remains a wondrous experience, despite its age. It's just a shame that, unlike the Mario Kart franchise, which continues to evolve and improve, there has never been a true follow-up (Jak X and the average (and non Naughty Dog) Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Tag Team Racing notwithstanding) capable of competing with Nintendo's juggernaut.
