Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Review Roundup
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled’s release date has finally arrived, meaning fans can once again enjoy the Bandicoot’s kart racing debut. (Is it still a debut if it’s a remaster? Who knows!)
The game is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. While some free Crash Team Racing DLC is on the way, including Spyro the Dragon, you can already get your hands on a multitude of characters, karts, and tracks right now. For more, you can check out our US buying guide for Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
As for the reviews, the reception has been positive. We awarded the game an 8/10 in our Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled review-in-progress, saying it feels as good now as it did 20 years ago. For more scores, check out a selection of verdicts below, or take a look at our sister site, Metacritic.
Game: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Developer / Publisher: Beenox / Activision
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release date: Out now
Price: $40 / £35 / AU $70
GameSpot — 8/10 (Review-In-Progress)
“Simply put: This is a remaster done right. Nitro-Fueled maintains the spirit and rock-solid foundations of a childhood favorite while building on it and modernizing it where necessary–even if the handling might take a bit of getting used to. Adventure mode’s classic variant feels a little tough, but your first race on Roo’s Tubes or Sewer Speedway will bring a nostalgic grin to your face regardless. When the nostalgia fades, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled remains fun and engaging enough to keep you racing on with a smile on your face for much longer yet. It’s good to have Crash back.” — Oscar Dayus [Full review-in-progress]
GamesRadar+ — 5/5
“Beenox has managed to take the original Crash Team Racing, and somehow made it better. 20 years ago, this was the kart racer to play, but Mario Kart gradually usurped it and since the early 2000s, Crash has been laid dormant, waiting for its time to seize the throne and become the king of kart racers once more. That time is now, because Crash is back, baby.” — Ford James [Full review]
IGN — 8.2/10
“Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled’s difficulty, memorable track design, and addictive power slide mechanic make it a kart racer worth playing, especially competitively (though new players should check out a guide or two first). In single-player it’s richer than what the genre normally provides, but at the expense of a cheap and unforgiving Adventure mode design that can become overly frustrating. Overall, a new HUD, cosmetic options, and the ability to swap characters during the campaign mean there’s simply no contest between playing this and the 1999 original.” — Janet Garcia [Full review]
Eurogamer — Essential
“I was worried that revisiting CTR might feel a bit like going back to your old school, where everything’s much smaller than you remembered – and maybe if it were just the base game that might be true. But Nitro-Fueled feels more like seeing and old friend than an old classroom, even if it’s a pretty weird friend who refuses to grow up and still wears jorts in public. It’s just plain, dumb fun, a game completely unashamed of itself even now. I think that’s probably why, even beyond the enormously generous treatment it’s had from Beenox and under the nice, polished-up hood, CTR is still one of the best kart racers ever made.” — Chris Tapsell [Full review]
Video Games Chronicle — 4/5
“Comfortably the best kart racer on PS4 and Xbox One, and earning a creditable second place on Switch, this is a seriously impressive calling card for its unsung makers.” — Chris Schilling [Full review]