Crash Team Racing (named CTR: Crash Team Racing) is a 1999 kart racing game created by Naughty Dog and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the fourth game in the Crash Bandicoot series and the last one made by Naughty Dog. The story follows Crash Bandicoot, Doctor Neo Cortex, and other characters from the series as they race against the self-centered Nitros Oxide to save Earth from destruction. Players can choose from fifteen characters in the series, though only eight are available at the beginning of the game. During races, players can use power-ups to increase speed or attack opponents.
Crash Team Racing received praise from critics when it was released. It was considered a well-made and fun kart racing game that took ideas from Nintendo’s Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing. Reviewers highlighted its smooth gameplay, advanced features, and enjoyable experience, even though some said it was not very original. A later game called Crash Nitro Kart was released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and N-Gage. A remastered version of the game, developed by Beenox and called Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, was announced in 2018. It was released on June 21, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One by Activision.
Gameplay
Crash Team Racing is a kart racing game where players control characters from the Crash Bandicoot series. Players race on different tracks to finish first. Characters are divided into three categories: large (slow to speed up, fast top speed, hard to control), medium (balanced abilities), and small (quick to speed up, easy to control, slow top speed). Players can accelerate, steer, reverse, brake, jump, and use power-ups. Controls can be done using a joystick or buttons.
Speed boosts can be earned by performing a power slide. To do this, the player holds a shoulder button to jump and turns the kart before landing. During the slide, a "Turbo Boost Meter" in the lower-right corner of the screen fills up and changes from green to red. At the same time, the kart’s exhaust smoke turns black. To get a speed boost, the player presses the opposite shoulder button when the meter is red. Three speed boosts can be used in a row during a power slide, with the third being the strongest. If the player waits too long, the kart backfires, and the chance for a boost is lost. Sliding too long causes the kart to spin out. Speed boosts can also be earned by staying in the air for a long time when jumping over track gaps. The longer the player is in the air, the bigger the boost when landing. Pressing the accelerator before the race starts gives an initial speed boost.
Two types of crates appear in the game: those with question marks and fruit crates. Question mark crates contain power-ups that players can collect by breaking them. When collected, power-ups appear in a box at the top of the screen. Players can use them to help themselves or slow down others. Fruit crates give Wumpa Fruit, which increases kart speed and makes power-ups stronger if ten are collected. Some power-ups can be thrown forward or left behind.
Crash Team Racing has five racing modes: Adventure, Time Trial, Arcade, Versus, and Battle. In each mode, players choose one of eight characters. Adventure mode is a single-player story where players race through tracks and collect trophies, Relics, Boss Keys, CTR Tokens, and Gems. The story involves Nitros Oxide, an angry alien who threatens to turn Earth into a parking lot if he wins a race. Players start with two tracks and unlock more as they win races. In each level, players must win a trophy by finishing first. Collecting four trophies in a world unlocks the "Boss Garage," where players race against a boss. Defeating a boss gives a Boss Key, which unlocks new worlds and a final race against Oxide.
After completing levels, new modes become available. In Relic Race, players race alone and complete three laps as quickly as possible. "Time Crates" freeze the timer when passed. Destroying all Time Crates reduces the final time by ten seconds. Players win a Relic by beating the target time. In CTR Challenge, players collect letters C, T, and R while racing. Collecting all three and finishing first earns a "CTR Token." Tokens come in five colors: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Purple. Purple tokens are earned by collecting 20 crystals quickly. Collecting four tokens of the same color unlocks a Gem Cup in "Gemstone Valley." Gem Cups are races against computer opponents and consist of four tracks. Winning a Gem Cup gives a Gem. To win the game, players must collect all trophies, Boss Keys, Relics, CTR Tokens, and Gems before defeating Oxide in a final race.
In Time Trial, players race against the clock to set personal best times, with ghost data for replays. Arcade and Versus modes allow single or multiplayer races (up to four players) on tracks or cup circuits. Battle mode is a multiplayer arena where players use weapons to eliminate opponents. Settings like time limits, kill limits, weapon choices, and teams can be customized.
Development and release
Crash Team Racing began as a new idea with funny, blocky characters. Naughty Dog proposed the game to Sony, and Sony agreed after seeing Naughty Dog's plan to make it a Crash game. Sony made a deal with Universal Interactive, the copyright owner, to publish the game. If the deal had not worked, the game might have used new characters instead. Development started after completing Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. The game engine for Crash Team Racing was created at the same time as Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The game was developed over eight months with a budget of $2.4 million by a team of 16 to 18 people. The characters were designed by Charles Zembillas and Joe Pearson, who also worked on the last three games in the series. Bob Rafei led concept development, art direction, environment modeling, vertex lighting, cinematic animations, and layouts. Nitros Oxide was originally a mad scientist who wanted to speed up the world forever. However, because other characters had already been used for bosses in previous games, Nitros Oxide was changed to be a character from another world. The original idea about speeding up the world was mentioned in a comic in the Winter 2000 issue of Disney Adventures.
During the early stages of development, the team built a replica of the "Crescent Island" course from Diddy Kong Racing to test if a similar track could be made for the PlayStation. To handle the challenge of showing up to 64 kart tires on a four-player split-screen, programmer Greg Omi created a way to display the tires as two-dimensional images based on the camera's view. A turbo system was added to give players speed boosts during power slides and by collecting hang time, making the game feel more interactive than older kart-racing games. The main villain, Oxide, was never meant to be playable due to the PlayStation's memory limits. These limits also affected the game's list of playable characters. Originally, Polar and Pura were supposed to ride together as one character, but they were separated into two different characters. Both Komodo Brothers were planned to appear, but Komodo Moe was later removed.
David Baggett created the game's music, and Josh Mancell from Mutato Muzika composed the songs. Sound effects were made by Mike Gollum (who also did some voice acting), Ron Horwitz, and Kevin Spears from Universal Sound Studios. Crash's voice was performed by Chip Chinery, while Clancy Brown voiced Doctor Neo Cortex and Uka Uka. Brendan O'Brien voiced Doctor N. Gin, Tiny Tiger, and Pinstripe Potoroo. Additional voices were provided by David A. Pizzuto, Mel Winkler, Michael Ensign, Hynden Walch, Billy Pope, and Michael Connor.
Crash Team Racing entered the alpha stage of development in August 1999 and the beta stage in September. It was released on October 19, 1999, in North America, and on December 19, 1999, in Europe. NASCAR vehicle No. 98 received a special Crash Bandicoot-themed paint job to promote the game. A playable demo was included on a promotional compilation disc released by Pizza Hut on November 14, 1999.
Reception
Crash Team Racing received mostly good reviews according to Metacritic, a website that collects game ratings. Many reviewers said it was the best kart racer on the PlayStation. Some even thought it was better than Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing because of its good technology and smooth gameplay. Shawn Smith and Chris Johnston of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground said Crash Team Racing was better than Mario Kart, pointing to its better controls, graphics, and track design. Doug Perry of IGN compared it favorably to Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, noting it had less slowdown and more features. Dean Hager of EGM called it the best mascot kart racer on the PlayStation, while Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot said it succeeded where other similar games, like Mega Man and Chocobo Racing, failed.
The controls were described as tight, responsive, and easy to learn. The game was said to be simple for new players but rewarding for those who mastered skills like power sliding, jump boosts, and strategic weapon use. Lucas, Rybicki, and The D-Pad Destroyer of GamePro praised the precise controls and strategic depth, such as turbo boosts from power slides and jumps. Perry and Smith highlighted the game's complex turbo system and realistic physics, like icy patches, which added depth to the racing experience. Johnny Liu of GameRevolution said the controls felt natural, though Rybicki noted a minor issue with the turning radius when moving backward. Joe Ottoson of Allgame mentioned the inability to reconfigure controls as the only drawback in the game's presentation.
The visuals were praised as impressive for a PlayStation title. Reviewers said the graphics were smooth, colorful, and had few technical problems like slowdown, draw-in, or texture warping. The D-Pad Destroyer and Rybicki praised the cartoony look, effective use of textures, and lack of graphical flaws, even during four-player mode. Perry noted the fully 3D characters and environments, comparing the game favorably to Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing for its lack of slowdown. Gerstmann and Ottoson commended the large, well-designed environments that kept a cartoon-like charm without affecting performance.
The tracks were described as cleverly designed, varied, and challenging. Shortcuts, obstacles, and different themes made the game fun to replay. Lucas highlighted tracks like Sewer Speedway and Cortex Castle for their creative design and replay value. Perry praised courses like Tiny Arena and Polar Pass for their obstacles and strategic elements. Gerstmann and EGM's Crispin Boyer noted the tracks' excellent design and surprises, which required players to learn layouts to succeed.
The game's modes, especially Adventure and Battle, were said to offer a lot of content and replay value, making Crash Team Racing stand out in the genre. The Adventure mode, similar to Diddy Kong Racing, was praised by Lucas, Gerstmann, and Smith for its hub-based structure, boss battles, and collectibles. Rybicki and Hager emphasized the engaging single-player experience and the multiplayer modes' excellence, including four-player support via a multitap. Rybicki highlighted Battle mode for its customizable options, like time limits and weapon selection. Liu appreciated the variety of modes, though he found the Adventure mode's ending underwhelming.
The sound design was considered good and fitting for the cartoon style. Reviewers said the music and character voices were enjoyable, though some found the music repetitive. The D-Pad Destroyer praised the whimsical background music and sound effects, while Lucas highlighted the high-quality voice acting and cartoonish sounds. Perry and Liu, however, found the music simple or kitschy, with Perry suggesting lowering the volume. Liu noted some character voices, like Crash's, felt off or effeminate.
Critics said the game was not original, as it was similar to Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing, but praised its strong execution. Perry and Gerstmann called Crash Team Racing a "Mario Kart clone," noting similarities like course structure and power-ups. Lucas and Smith compared it to Nintendo's games but said it was better in polish and technical quality. Rybicki and Boyer said the game's quality made its similarity to other titles unimportant, as it improved the kart racing formula.
The multiplayer modes, especially four-player racing and Battle Mode, were a major strength. Critics said the four-player experience was smooth with no performance issues. Rybicki highlighted Battle Mode's customization options. Perry and Ottoson said the modes were fun for groups, making the game ideal for party play.
Crash Team Racing was nominated for Console Racing Game of the Year at the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
In its first full month of release, Crash Team Racing was the third-highest-selling PlayStation game and the tenth-best-selling home and handheld console game in the United States. It stayed on the best-selling list the following month. Overall, the game sold 1.9 million copies in the United States and over 300,000 in Japan. Because of its success, the game was re-released for the Sony Greatest Hits line in 2000 and for the Platinum Range on January 12, 2001.
Legacy
The success of Crash Team Racing and Mario Kart led to a big increase in kart racing games in the early 2000s. Jason Rubin mentioned that Naughty Dog was offered wrestling-themed kart games twice by different publishers. A later version called Crash Nitro Kart was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and N-Gage. This game was the first in the Crash Bandicoot series to include full motion video.