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Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 Grand Prix review

October 12, 2020

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Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2

Developed by Bamtang Games, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is the sequel to 2018’s Nickelodeon Kart Racers. This time around, it has improved visuals, new gameplay elements, an online multiplayer mode and allows you to race as 1 of 30 of your favourite Nickelodeon characters.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC
Reviewed on: Xbox One X
Developer: Bamtang Games
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Genre: Racing
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2

All your favourite Nickelodeon characters in one race

One of the best additions to Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is the cast of characters. Whereas in the previous game you had a choice between 12 characters, you now can race as one of 30 iconic Nickelodeon characters. For example, you can race as characters from key franchises such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Danny Phantom, CatDog, and more.

Just like its predecessor, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is geared towards players growing up in the early 90s to the early 2000s. Without a doubt, Bamtang Games is trying to invoke the nostalgia and love for these characters in the game and does a great job at doing so.

At the same time, the gameplay mechanics are simple enough that even younger players can pick up and play. It’s quite possible this was done on purpose so that parents can relive their childhood and enjoy it with their children today.

Classic kart racing

Gameplay wise, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 retains the same great features that made the first game so fun. Before each racing on one of the 28 tracks in the game, you select your character and set up your team from a selection of 20 chiefs and 50 other crew. Then, you can customize various aspects of your vehicle, such as your wheels and engine. Each and every part of your vehicle has a direct impact on one of 5 characteristics: speed, acceleration, traction, handling, and slime.

By competing in various races, you can use in-game money to purchase new and upgraded parts for your vehicle. In true Nickelodeon fashion, slime plays a big role in Nickelodeon Kart Racers. In each of the game’s tracks, you’ll encounter puddles of slime. The puddles of slime fill a gauge that allows you to use a chief skill such as increasing earned slime or getting additional power-ups.

Of course you still have several items at your disposal to help gain the advantage over your racing opponent. Among other things, you can throw boomerangs, gnomes that block your opponents behind you and balls that roll into opponents.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2

Bright colourful Nickelodeon themed graphics

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is full of bright and colourful graphics just like the cartoon shows and has more detailed textures than the first game. Each of the 30 characters look like their TV counterparts and the game’s 28 tracks offer plenty of fun and excitement to race around. One of my personal favourites is the Double Dare obstacle course!

The game’s sound track is a vast improvement over the first game. Though, the characters are not voiced and the soundtrack doesn’t include music from any of the licensed properties.

Four-player local multiplayer and 8 player online modes

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 offers a Grand Prix mode and free race mode, which allows you to race on the track of your choice. However, the most fun I had with this game was the multiplayer mode. Here you can race up to a maximum of 4 players locally in either team based or solo play and up to 8 players online.

Overall, I had a blast racing against my son and daughter. Although they are in their late teens, they still enjoyed racing as their favourite Nickelodeon character. For those looking to play online, you might be a little disappointed. Over the period of several days, I only found a handful of matches. Hopefully the online community picks up for the holidays.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is a worthy sequel that is fun for the whole family

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is a great game that any family can sit down, play and get lost in the fun. Its gameplay mechanics are never overly complex, and there are 30 of your favourite Nickelodeon characters to choose from and race across 28 courses. It’s a little disappointing that the characters are not voiced and there is no licensed music in the game

All things considered, if you are a fan of Nickelodeon, and looking for an easy-to-pickup and play game that the whole family will enjoy, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is perfect for you.

+ Colourful graphics
+ Lots of characters to choose from
+ Easy to pick up controls
+ 4 player local multiplayer modes are fun to play

– Characters are not voiced
– No licensed music
– Sparse online community