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Rayman Kart Review
Written by Eugene Kim on Monday, May 21, 2007
Entertaining, unpredictable gameplay
Not particularly deep
In Rayman Kart, you pick a character from the Rayman pantheon of characters, all with their own strengths and weaknesses, and then take your kart racer to the track, where you drive around a whimsically drawn and developed environment, collecting power-ups to potentially give you a leg up on your competition. These power-ups, ranging from invincibility to homing projectiles make each race a veritable standings rubber band, and victory is never assured until the very end.
Sound familiar?
If imitation, as the old adage goes, is the sincerest form of flattery, then Rayman Kart flatters the Mario Kart series through every sharp turn, under every icy bridge, and up every speed ramp. It is an unabashed copy of the Mario Kart formula. But does it copy enough to be good?
Sort of. Mario Kart is an addictive, fun game in its own right, and so copying such a substantial amount of it (even up to the guy who "fishes" you out of the water) is bound to get something right. And it is genuinely fun sometimes. The power-ups mean that even if you are in last place going into the last lap, you still have an outside chance of pulling out a victory. The environmental hazards are interesting and creative, and it's always fun seeing a new track for the first time.
There's certainly a lot of personality in the visuals of the tracks (typical of Rayman titles). The control is spotty though, and the animation is a tad choppy. You're definitely going to have to memorize a bit of each course, as the sub-par draw distance will occasionally leave you guessing as to where you need to turn, but considering the limitations of the platform, it's not a scathing indictment. Your progress unlocks new tracks and racers, and it will take you a moderate amount of time to complete the whole game. The sound and music are attractive and fit in well with the overall feel of the game.
Once you get past how blatantly this game grafts Mario Kart onto your phone (and yes, it is that blatant), you will have a good time with this. It is an interesting diversion and will keep you occupied for a while. The gameplay is not particularly deep, though, so once you tire of firing boxing gloves and learning which corners to cut, you may find yourself wishing for something a little more substantive.
