DESCRIPTION

The famous orange marsupial returns for a fourth and final game on the PlayStation, this time from behind the wheel of a go-kart. Crash is joined by his sweetheart Coco, the evil Cortex, and a combination of animal friends and dastardly bosses from previous games, each individually rated in speed, acceleration, and handling. Five game modes include Adventure, Time Trial, Arcade, Vs., and Battle.

The Adventure mode is the main aspect of play, and it involves trying to beat a surly alien named Nitrous Oxide in a tournament spanning 16 races. Players begin the tropical adventure by initially choosing one of eight characters: Crash Bandicoot, Dr. Neo Cortex, Coco Bandicoot, Dr. N. Gin, Pura, Polar and Dingodile.

In addition to acceleration and braking, the go-karts can perform a number of techniques to make each race more competitive for skilled players. Power-slides are used for tight turns, and players can maximize their vehicle's top speed by running over ten pieces of fruit. Also featured on the courses are various ramps to propel go-karts through the air, and players have the added ability to hop over items found along the ground.

A Hang Time Meter also helps players gauge how long their vehicle remains airborne; the longer the kart manages to stay in the air, the bigger the turbo boost when it lands. A go-kart game wouldn't be complete without power-ups, and CTR features 11 different items to use during the course of play, including tracking missiles, explosive crates, bowling bombs, and defensive measures such as Aku Aku masks. Each power-up can also be "juiced" up by collecting fruit.

The overall goal in the Adventure mode is to defeat all opponents on each of the courses. Doing so earns players trophies, which in turn allows them access to new tracks. Players are also free to race each course again for new incentives, including Relics, CTR Tokens, and Gems. Relics are earned by beating certain lap times, three CTR Tokens are hidden on each track, and the special Gems are awarded to the winner of each of the five Gem Cup tournaments. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide