Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

In 1999, one of my all-time favorite kart racing video games came out. Developed by Naughty Dog, Crash Team Racing quickly stole my heart the first time I played it.

I remember this video game very well because it was one of the first kart racing games I had ever played. As a child, it introduced me into the world of Crash Bandicoot, a world I hadn’t been a part of before.

I remember the times I played it, racing as Crash and some of the other characters in the game with the goal of making it to first place across the finish line. I remember enjoying it because the controls were so simple.

But I also enjoy playing it for other reasons too. I enjoy hearing the different character’s voices as you race to get into first place. Some of the characters say some of the funniest things and they make me laugh every time I hear them.

Another aspect of Crash Team Racing that I enjoyed as a child and still do now is the power up items you can use. As you race each of the uniquely built tracks, there are these boxes with question marks on them. When you race into one of them, the player is given a random item to use as you race. The item can be anything that will help you against your opponents, such as a speed boost to allow you to go faster, bombs that you can launch at your enemies to knock them down, and even a bubble that protects you from damage. I enjoy that Crash Team Racing has these items because it makes racing much more of a challenge and makes your gaming experience that much more enjoyable.

I also enjoy playing this game because of the different tracks you get to race on. Each track presents a challenge for the player that they have to overcome. These challenges are roadblocks that make the track harder to race on and finish in first place. But they allow the player the chance to figure out what to do to stay on the track and get to the finish line before everyone else. I enjoy racing on these tracks because each track has unique elements that can slow down the player from progress and cause them to lag behind. They make Crash Team Racing a challenging game to play, which makes my whole gaming experience when I complete them even more enjoyable.

As a child, Crash Team Racing was ultimately one of my favorite kart racing video games. And even now as a 22 year-old college graduate, that still remains true for me. Crash Team Racing is a video game I can never get tired of and holds a special place in my heart as one of the first kart racing video games I’ve ever played.