Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a 2019 kart racing game created by Beenox and released by Activision for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It is an updated version of Crash Team Racing (1999), which was first made by Naughty Dog and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game was redesigned with improved graphics and sound, along with changes to gameplay, such as kart customization, two versions of the single-player story, and a shop for in-game items. The game also includes extra content from Crash Nitro Kart (2003), which was originally developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Universal Interactive.
Reviewers generally praised the game for its accurate remake, bright visuals, and large amount of content. However, some noted problems with the difficulty level and online features. The addition of microtransactions after release was criticized. After launch, the game received free seasonal content for eight months, with each season adding new tracks, characters, karts, and customization items. By June 2025, the game had sold 10 million copies.
Gameplay
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is an updated version of the 1999 racing game Crash Team Racing. When it was first released, the game had 34 tracks, including 18 from the original Crash Team Racing, 13 from the 2003 game Crash Nitro Kart, and special tracks like Retro Stadium. At first, players could choose from 26 characters, but more characters were added later through free events called "Grand Prix" season passes, bringing the total to 56. Players can customize their karts with items like body designs, paint, skins, wheels, and stickers. These customizations are unlocked using Wumpa Coins, which players earn by winning races and trading them at the Pit Stop.
The game has seven different ways to play. The main single-player mode, Adventure Mode, is a story-driven campaign where players complete races, challenges, and battles to defeat the alien Nitros Oxide, who wants to turn Earth into a parking lot and control its people. This mode has two versions: Classic, which plays like the original game with no difficulty choices, and Nitro-Fueled, which allows players to switch characters, customize karts, and choose difficulty levels. Each of the five hub worlds in Adventure Mode includes races that lead to a final race against a boss character with unlimited power-ups. Beating a boss unlocks the next world and challenges for earlier races. Other modes include CTR Challenges, where players collect letters (C, T, and R) by finishing first; Relic Races, which are time trials where players destroy time crates to improve their scores; and Crystal Challenges, where players gather 20 crystals in a limited time.
Arcade Mode includes single races, race series, and time trials, and supports local multiplayer with up to four players on split-screen. Battle Mode has arena-based games like "Capture the Flag" and "Last Kart Driving." Online Multiplayer lets players compete against others worldwide. Online races support up to eight players on all tracks and offer more Wumpa Coins than offline races. Online battle modes are the same as local Battle Mode, with the same arenas and game types.
Development
After the release of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a collection of remastered versions of the first three Crash Bandicoot games, video game reporters guessed that Crash Team Racing might also be remastered. In an interview, Kara Massie, a producer at Vicarious Visions, said it was possible that Crash Team Racing could be remastered for the PlayStation 4. She mentioned that fans often asked her about this idea.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled was created by Beenox, with Thomas Wilson and Philippe Turcotte as directors. Activision’s Lou Studdert produced the game. Mathieu Mercier was the lead game designer, and Etienne Beaulieu and Jason Godbout were the art directors. Alexandre Gratton was the lead programmer. Nicolas Tremblay arranged the game’s soundtrack and composed new music. Josh Mancell and Mark Mothersbaugh, who originally worked on the music for Crash Team Racing, helped as music consultants.
The remastered game was built from the beginning, with updated graphics and sound but keeping all original content, including characters, tracks, arenas, and game modes like Adventure, Arcade Single and Cup Race, Time Trials, and Battle. The game’s visual style was inspired by Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy from Vicarious Visions. Beenox focused on making the game feel true to the original, improving the soundtrack and controls to appeal to both longtime players and new ones. Extra features included the ability to play as the villain Nitros Oxide, who can be unlocked through challenges in Adventure Mode, and new ways to customize characters and karts. The game also included remastered content from Crash Nitro Kart, such as 13 tracks, karts, battle arenas, and modes, which were changed to match the original Crash Team Racing experience. Anti-gravity parts from Crash Nitro Kart were not included because they would have taken too much time to develop and to avoid comparisons with Mario Kart.
Marketing, release, and updates
On December 4, 2018, IGN received promotional materials, such as orange fuzzy dice and a note that suggested the game would be revealed at The Game Awards on December 6, 2018. One die had only the number six, while the other showed numbers one through six. This hinted that the game would be released on June 21, 2019. At The Game Awards, Activision officially announced Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, confirming its release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on the hinted date. Players who pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 version received exclusive retro-themed items, such as character skins, retro karts, and a retro track, along with a PlayStation-themed sticker pack. Pre-order bonuses across platforms included the Electron Skins Pack for Crash, Coco, and Cortex, with additional retailer-specific incentives such as avatars, themes, and kart sticker packs. A digital deluxe Nitros Oxide Edition offered immediate access to Nitros Oxide, his Hovercraft kart, and exclusive skins, alongside content unlockable in the standard edition through gameplay.
After the game launched, some players had problems with online features, such as disconnections and issues with multiplayer races. Beenox acknowledged these issues and promised an "immediate fix."
Post-launch, Beenox added free seasonal content through Grand Prix events starting July 3, 2019. The first event, Nitro Tour Grand Prix, included a new track and unlockable characters like Spyro and Tawna. Subsequent events included Back N. Time (August 2–25, 2019), which introduced the Prehistoric Playground track, Baby Crash, Baby Coco, and Baby Tyrannosaurus from Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The Neon Circus Grand Prix (November 9, 2019) featured the Koala Carnival track, new characters like Koala Kong, and a Ring Rally mode. The Winter Festival Grand Prix (December 12, 2019) added the Gingerbread Joyride track, characters like Hasty, Rilla Roo, and Yaya Panda, and holiday-themed cosmetics. Each Grand Prix offered new tracks, characters, karts, and customization items, unlockable via Nitro Points earned in-game.
In August 2019, Beenox added microtransactions, allowing players to buy Wumpa Coins to purchase items in the Pit Stop store. Players could also earn coins by playing the game. Promotional partnerships included working with Sour Patch Kids and Trident Vibes, which gave players codes for kart customization items. The Call of Duty Endowment partnership helped support veteran job programs through sales of the Firehawk kart. Xfinity customers could get a special Xfinity Flash Kart in February 2020.
In February 2020, Beenox said the eighth Grand Prix, starting in March 2020, would be the last one, ending eight months of seasonal content. The Beenox Pack, released in March 2020, added new characters like Geary and Crunch, along with special items and a Wumpa Challenge system for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. Developer time trials and a leaderboard reset were introduced to keep players engaged. New characters, including Baby Cortex and Baby N. Tropy, and karts like the Neon Hawk were also added. In September 2020, Beenox said there would be no more
Reception
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled received mostly positive reviews on all platforms, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. The game was praised as a tribute to the original, with improvements by Beenox making it feel modern while keeping its original spirit. It was widely recommended as one of the best kart racing games, especially for fans and those looking for a more challenging experience than Mario Kart.
The game’s visuals were updated with better graphics, bright colors, and detailed environments. Critics praised the new look, with some noting fun details like dancing penguins in one track and a boater in another. Character designs and animations were described as true to the original but improved with modern quality. Some critics liked specific tracks like Coco Park and Papu’s Pyramid for their appearance, though others thought tracks like Mystery Caves and Tiny Arena looked less special. The soundtrack was praised for staying true to the original while adding modern touches, and players could choose to hear the original PlayStation audio for nostalgia. A common criticism was that the game ran at 30 frames per second on all platforms, which some said was slower than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s 60 frames per second. The Nintendo Switch version had slightly lower visuals in handheld mode, but overall, the graphics were still well-received.
The racing mechanics were a strong point. The power-sliding feature, which requires timing button presses to boost, was praised for being deep and responsive. Critics said the game felt more skill-based than luck-based, unlike Mario Kart. Some found the controls tricky to adjust to compared to modern kart racers. The lack of catch-up items, like Mario Kart’s blue shells, made races harder but also more rewarding for skilled players. Track designs were creative and varied, though some layouts with sharp turns or narrow paths were seen as outdated. The AI was criticized for being too aggressive and unfair, especially in Adventure Mode.
Reviewers praised the game’s large amount of content, including many tracks and characters. Adventure Mode, similar to Diddy Kong Racing, was highlighted for its hub-based structure and variety of challenges, though some said it was too short and hard. Customization options and in-game rewards like Wumpa Coins were appreciated, though earning coins was seen as time-consuming. Battle Mode was functional but not as exciting as racing. Other modes like Relic Races and CTR Challenges were praised for their strategy. Microtransactions added later were criticized, as early interviews had promised no such features.
Adventure Mode’s mix of exploration, races, and boss battles was seen as unique in kart racing. Players could choose between classic and modern styles, which appealed to both old and new fans. Boss races were criticized for unfair mechanics, like bosses with endless power-ups. The mode was short, taking about 3–5 hours to complete, but extra challenges helped with replayability.
Local multiplayer was praised for being fun and flexible. Online multiplayer had issues like lag, glitchy opponents, and poor matchmaking, though updates later improved stability. Some players missed split-screen online play. Free events with new content were seen as a positive for keeping the game fresh.
Many critics said the game was more challenging and deep than Mario Kart due to its mechanics and lack of catch-up items. However, Mario Kart was seen as easier and more accessible for casual or younger players. Some said Crash Team Racing didn’t match Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s polish, especially in online play and frame rate.
After E3 2019, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled was the tenth most pre-ordered game at GameStop. In its first week, it was the top-selling game in the UK. Sales reports showed it was the second-best launch in the franchise, behind Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and the third-best debut of 2019. In its second week, it was the top-selling game in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the US, it was the second-best-selling game in June 2019, behind Super Mario Maker 2. It returned to the top of the UK charts in July and August 2019. As of June 2025, the game has sold over 10 million copies.
The game won the “Best Racing Game” award at the 2019 Game Critics Awards and the “Best Sports/Racing Game” at The Game Awards 2019. IGN named it the best racing game of 2019. It was also nominated for “Racing Game of the Year” at the D.I.C.E. Awards and for “Game, Classic Revival” at the NAVGTR Awards.