Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is a 2008 racing video game developed by Polarbit and published by Vivendi Games Mobile for iOS, N-Gage service, and Zeebo. The game is the fifteenth installment in the Crash Bandicoot video game series, and was released on the App Store in Europe on June 9, 2008 and in North America on July 9, 2008.[1] The game's story centers on a racing tournament held by antagonists Nitros Oxide, Doctor Neo Cortex and Ripper Roo in an attempt to banish the titular character, Crash Bandicoot, and his friends from their island home. The game was followed by a sequel, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2, in 2010.
| Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Polarbit |
| Publisher(s) | Vivendi Games Mobile |
| Series | Crash Bandicoot |
| Platform(s) | Symbian, iOS, N-Gage, Zeebo |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editCrash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is a racing game in which the player controls characters from the Crash Bandicoot universe, most of whom race in karts. The game employs tilt-screen controls, allowing the player to steer the kart by tilting the iPhone or iPod Touch in a steering wheel fashion.[2] The karts accelerate automatically. To get around tough turns on a track, the player can initiate a "power slide" by tapping and holding a finger on the screen.[3] The goal in each race is to arrive at finish line in the first place.[4]
The game features a number of racing modes (including a story mode, a quick race mode and a tournament mode) and a total of 20 tracks to race on.[5][6] Scattered throughout the tracks are weapons that can be picked up and used against the other racers in a bid to hinder their performance, such as bombs and oil slicks. Special "speed zippers" can be found on the ground that can, if driven over, boost the player's speed for a short time. The same effect can be achieved by picking up a certain power-up off the track and activating it.[7]
Plot
editNitrous Oxide, the main antagonist of Crash Team Racing, teams up with Doctor Neo Cortex and Ripper Roo and stages a kart-racing tournament to bring Crash Bandicoot and his friends out of hiding. The winners of the tournament will be crowned "Kings Of Kart Racing For All Eternity", while the losers will be banished from N. Sanity Island.[6]
Release
editInitially, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D launched for Symbian on April 29, 2008. The European release was helped by a marketing campaign with contests that had prizes modeled after Australia, and funded wireless application protocol advertising banners across several mobile entertainment sites. Vivendi also organized Crash Bandicoot Grand Prix in certain parts of Europe, where selected fans and key players from the video game industry got a chance to play against each other in kart tournaments.[8]
The game was later released for N-Gage on January 6, 2009, with exclusive tracks included.[9]
Reception
edit| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 7.8/10[7] |
| Pocket Gamer |   [3] |
Often compared to Mario Kart series,[3][4] the game received positive reviews. Levi Buchanan of IGN commended the game as "the best racer in the App Store right now" noting that there is "lots of tracks to unlock".[7] Hardcore Gamer repeated similar remarks, saying it's "easily the best racing on the iPhone".[3]
Many reviewers praised the game's controls. Levi Buchanan thought they were solid and tight,[7] and Hardcore Gamer noted that they are "responsive and accurate", setting up an example for the potential of iPhone.[4]
By April 2009, Nitro Kart 3D was the highest-selling paid application on the App Store.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D for iPhone/iPod - Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D iPhone/iPod Game". GameSpot. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ Chiappara, Damian (July 13, 2009). "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D Review". Appspy. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Spencer, Spanner (July 18, 2008). "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D (iPhone)". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D". Hardcore Gamer. Vol. 4, no. 3. September 2008. p. 34. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Barylick, Chris (July 31, 2009). "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D for IPhone". PCWorld. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D << Polarbit". Polarbit. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Buchanan, Levi (July 21, 2008). "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D Review: The best racer in the App Store?". IGN. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart: Mobile bandikarting in 2D and 3D incarnations". GamesIndustry.biz. April 29, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ "Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D: N-Gage version launches, complete with exclusive tracks". GamesIndustry.biz. January 6, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Cifaldi, Frank (April 14, 2009). "Apple: Crash Bandicoot most downloaded paid app on App Store". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved November 22, 2009.