iPhone review of the day: Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 boosts, jumps, drifts into the Mario Kart-inspired past

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The PlayStation's flagship kart racer still burns rubber after all these years

On iPhone
Game: Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
Price: $0.99 / %26pound;0.59
Size: 71.8 MB
Get it now at the iTunes store:US/UK

Crash Bandicoot has fallen off a lot of gamers' radars, and with good reason %26ndash; the marsupial mascot hasn%26rsquo;t had a truly good console game in years. But that doesn%26rsquo;t mean we can%26rsquo;t relive his PlayStation glory days in portable form. Kart racer Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 is the ol' orange Aussie at his most fun. It%26rsquo;s colorful, it's simple, it's goofy and it's fast. The pedal's always to the metal, so you'll always race full-steam-ahead as you drift around icy, arctic mountains, bounce over lava pits and launch through dead dinosaur skeletons.

The 12 themed tracks in Nitro Kart 2 are surprisingly well-designed. They're simple enough that you're always able to blister through 'em without having to worry about taking turns perfectly and falling off a ledge, but they're complicated enough that sharp-eyed players will spot secondary routes with speed boosts or bonus power-ups. These items aren't anything you haven't seen before - missiles, rear-firing sabotage, opponent-slowing pickups, etc. - but that's largely why we dig this racer so much: It's a nostalgic comfort zone we can stash in our pocket.

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Beyond the familiarity, you won't find any particular reason CBNK2 stands out. Yeah, it has online multiplayer, but you won't see any revolutionary, envelope-pushing genre improvements. It really doesn't even take advantage of existing conventions - characters have different stats, sure, but each feels the same as the last when you%26rsquo;re driving. The thing is, you won%26rsquo;t care because it%26rsquo;s just pure, distilled fun. CBNK2 hits directly on whichever nerve it is that also made Mario Kart such a staple in our SNES-lovin' lives.

Kart racing games are a dime-a-dozen on the iPhone - actually, they're closer to a buck apiece, but just roll with it - but Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 is among the best of its breed, and a great diversion on the upper end of the app store.

Feb 22, 2011