Nicely, that is awkward. I really like Mario Kart. I additionally love Nickelodeon’s exhibits, particularly SpongeBob Squarepants. A mix of the 2 needs to be an ideal match. Though there’s enjoyable to have in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway, it doesn’t fairly hit the mark.
Let’s begin with the positives. The roster has expanded on this third outing, with 40 characters spanning from throughout the Nickelodeon universe. I used to be impressed to search out the likes of extra obscure characters like Rocko the wallaby from Rocko’s Trendy Life and Zim the alien from Invader Zim. Different notable representations embody exhibits like Ren and Stimpy, Hey Arnold!, Spongebob Squarepants (naturally), and Rugrats (although Tommy and Angelica appear to be suspiciously absent). It needs to be famous that almost all characters are unavailable from the outset, solely obtainable by finishing programs and buying by way of rewards.
One other spotlight is that the characters are absolutely voiced this time round. This can be a big enchancment, and one thing we seen as missing within the earlier entry. Much more spectacular is that the voices belong to the real actors from the cartoons, together with Billy West of Futurama fame returning as each Ren and Stimpy. Having mentioned that, some voices work higher than others. Whereas it’s nice to have these returning legends, my solely subject is their occasional overuse. They will change into barely grating and repetitive, with little variation in some characters’ traces.
Graphically, the sport does an OK job. It’s colourful sufficient, with 36 tracks spanning all kinds of wierd terrain based mostly on the exhibits. But the backgrounds really feel flat, and somewhat muddy, like Plankton is concerned in a nefarious plot to suck the life out of Bikini Backside, or one thing.
As an alternative, there’s no plot. After all, a kart racer doesn’t want one – Mario Kart by no means has – however why are these characters randomly gathered collectively to race? Since when do TMNT and Garfield co-exist? Seeing the likes of those distinctive cartoons mashed collectively needs to be genuinely superior, making it extra of a disgrace that it doesn’t work. And that’s largely due to efficiency points.
The dealing with of the karts is subpar. I’ve been enjoying Mario Kart since .. effectively, endlessly .. and relatively, the Nickelodeon autos deal with like procuring carts. Certain, you’ll be able to customise them to your coronary heart’s content material with unlockable types and even bikes. However all of them deal with the identical method, with turns coming a smidge too late, and steering that appears off. Briefly, they’re not straightforward to manage. The body charge doesn’t assist, which drops out quite a bit. This can be a actual disgrace in 2022. I do know the Change isn’t probably the most highly effective system on the market, however Mario Kart can do it. Heck, even Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 can do it. Hopefully, a future patch can repair a few of these points, too.
I used to be shocked that the sport weighs in at a hefty 5.8 GB, so make room in your Change should you’re going for the digital model. It additionally prices a fairly penny at $49.99, which is steep for a B-grade model of Mario Kart. On sale, this is able to be significantly better worth.
Total, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 is a second-rate model of Mario Kart. Whereas it tries to maintain issues recent, and there have been just a few smiles alongside the way in which, the presentation and gameplay merely aren’t as much as scratch. Nickelodeon followers who aren’t fussy about sloppy body charges might discover some enjoyment.
