Another fun blast from the past. I think this was one of the first PS1 games I ever owned, alongside a Monster's Inc. game, but all the same, it's still a load of fun, even with a Nicktoons sticker slapped across it. Sure, you could easily say it's just a less polished version of Mario Kart with Nicktoons characters placed over the Nintendo characters, but I still think it's a solid racer. If nothing else, it's definitely a good dose of that 90's nostalgia for the older Nicktoons cartoons (Though it still kind of upsets me that there's nothing for Rocko's Modern Life in this game, but ah well).
The premise is simple enough. A mysterious person sends invitations to a bunch of characters from Nicktoons cartoons to participate in some races, with the winner receiving a huge batch of Krabby Patties. Off the bat, if the voice didn't already tip you off, the end goal could be cooked up by none other than Plankton from the SpongeBob series, who actually is an unlockable character after you complete the main "story" mode. I put story in quotes because it's not a story-driven game. Just race till you win on each difficulty setting. Of course, if you didn't figure out that it was Plankton based on his quotes or his voice, he reveals himself after you finish the Grand Prix races on the highest difficulties.
But you'll feel the Mario Kart vibes once you start playing. You collect items that benefit you or hinder your opponents. A cool thing I like, though, is a boost gauge that fills up as you collect respawning gems on the track, and as long as one bar is lit up, you can do a boost. When the whole gauge is filled up, you can do a decently long boost and maybe even make up some distance. It's pretty cool. And of course, part of the fun is looking for those elusive shortcuts to help you keep ahead of the crowd. Some of the tracks, however, are just... monstrous, but generally those are the later ones, such as the track later on based on the Wild Thornberries, I still remember how much grief that one caused me way back when.
But all the same, it's still a fun trip down memory - or nostalgia - lane, and it's worth a look at the very least, maybe even watch gameplay or even try it out for yourself if you can. It'll definitely kill some time, that's for sure!
Have a nice day!~
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