Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

"Crash is back in the driver's seat! Get ready to go fur-throttle with Crash™ Team Racing Nitro Fueled. It's the authentic CTR experience plus a whole lot more, now fully remastered and revved up to the max!"

- Official description

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (クラッシュ・バンディクー レーシング - ブッとびニトロ！, Kurasshu Bandikū Rēshingu - Buttobi Nitoro!; lit. "Crash Bandicoot Racing: Soaring Nitro!") is a racing game published by Activision and developed by Beenox for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch, released on June 21st, 2019. It is a remake of the original Crash Team Racing (1999) and features content from Crash Nitro Kart (2003) and Crash Tag Team Racing (2005), as well as references to games in the Crash Bandicoot series, such as Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998), Crash Twinsanity (2004), and Crash: Mind Over Mutant (2008).

The game comes with two separate editions: The regular edition, and a Nitros Oxide Edition, which comes with everything from the regular edition, plus Nitros Oxide, Crunch Bandicoot, Zam, Zem and Oxide's hovercraft being immediately unlocked for use in the game, as well as alternate skins for certain characters.

Adventure
The Adventure Mode from the original game returns with some adjustments. There are now two modes to play; Classic, which recreates the original experience, and Nitro-Fueled, which has three difficulty settings and allows the player to change their character and customize their kart during gameplay. Additionally, the boss characters are now unlocked automatically after beating them, instead of winning a Gem Cup.

As of the Neon Circus Grand Prix update, five Golden Eggs have been scattered in the Adventure mode areas, located in tricky places. Should the player collect all of them, then they can unlock a new character by taking the eggs to a fresco in The Lost Ruins.

Local Arcade
Local Arcade is where the rest of the local modes are. All the modes from the original Crash Team Racing return, as well as some additional content. Multiplayer can also be accessed in this mode.
 * Single Race allows players to race on any track they like in any setting.
 * Cup Race lets the player race on a selection of four tracks. The Wumpa Cup, Nitro Cup, Crystal Cup and Crash Cup all return from Crash Team Racing, but also adds the Velo Cup, Aku Cup and Uka Cup, which includes tracks from Crash Nitro Kart. As of the Spooky Grand Prix, the Lost Cup is added, which includes two of the remaining base game tracks and two Bonus tracks from previous Grand Prixes. Similarly, the Winter Festival Grand Prix introduces the Bonus Cup, which houses more Bonus tracks. The Gasmoxia Grand Prix introduces the Desert Cup and Space Cup, which includes the remaining Bonus tracks from the last Grand Prixes and an assortment of previous tracks with the same themes.
 * Battle allows players to duke it out on any battle track from Crash Team Racing and Crash Nitro Kart. All battle modes from Crash Nitro Kart are available.
 * In Time Trial, players can race on any track against the clock and set a new record of their fastest time. Like in Crash Team Racing, Dr. N. Tropy's ghost can be unlocked for each track, and N. Tropy himself can be unlocked as a playable driver when his ghost is beaten on all of the non-bonus tracks. Nitros Oxide's ghosts are made available for each track after beating N. Tropy's. As of the Gasmoxia Grand Prix, Emperor Velo XXVII ghosts were added to each track and are available after beating the corresponding Oxide ghost. More challenging developer times were also confirmed to be added at a later date.
 * As of the Neon Circus Grand Prix update, Ring Rally is available as a new mode. Players will have to drive through as many rings as possible before the timer reaches zero.
 * In Relic Race, players will have to race on a track as quickly as possible, like Time Trial, but they will have to finish within a certain time in order to win a Relic. Hitting as many Time Crates as possible is key.
 * In CTR Challenge, players will have to finish 1st against opponents as in a Single Race, but are required to find the letters C, T and R in order to succeed. Some of the letters are hidden out of plain sight.
 * In Crystal Challenge, players have to catch all twenty Crystals within a strict time limit on any of the battle tracks.

Online
The Online Feature allows up to 8 players to play single races or battles together over the internet. The online play feature requires a stable peer-to-peer internet connection and a subscription to Playstation Plus, (for PlayStation 4 users) Xbox Live Gold, (Xbox One users) or Nintendo Switch Online (Switch users).
 * Matchmaking mode automatically connects the player to a room containing up to 8 total players based on their skill and the strength of their connection. After the track/arena is decided by a vote, the race/battle will begin automatically. If there are fewer than 8 human players, easy-difficulty AI will be added to the game to ensure that there are 8 participants. Three tracks are selected at random, and players in the waiting room vote from those choices on the track to play (with a fourth option at the bottom for a random track, which selects one of the above three randomly). In the event of a tie in the vote, the track listed highest among those tied is the track that wins.
 * In Private Match, a player can set up the rules as they please. Other players must be invited manually, or they can join by themselves from the in-game "friends" menu if they are friends with the match's host.

Pit Stop
The Pit Stop is an in-game shop that allows players to purchase extra content with the Wumpa Coins they earned from races (such as new racers and karts). Internet connection is required to visit the Pit Stop and to earn Wumpa Coins.

During a Grand Prix, brand new items are available until the Grand Prix is over. These items will reappear in the Pit Stop permanently after two more Grand Prixes.

The Pit Stop features three menus that can be accessed using the shoulder buttons on the controller.
 * Featured lists a daily, randomized selection of items that can be purchased. By default, the selection includes a character, a skin, a kart decal, a paint job, a wheel set, a sticker pack, a kart set, and a bundle, depending on what the player already has. The Pit Stop's selection changes at 12:00 AM UTC.
 * The Wumpa Coins menu allows players to purchase more Wumpa Coins through the Playstation Store, Xbox Live Arcade or Nintendo eShop.
 * When a Grand Prix is over, Nitro Fill Up appears, which allows players to purchase all the remaining items they don't have on the Nitro Gauge with Wumpa Coins before the next Grand Prix begins.

The Pit Stop can also be accessed in the Online mode menu.

Grand Prix
From July 3rd, 2019 to March 22nd, 2020, month-long Grand Prix events took place, which introduced more playable characters such as Tawna, Spyro the Dragon and Nina Cortex, as well as brand new skins, karts, and race tracks. During a Grand Prix, players could earn Nitro in order to fill up the Nitro Gauge and unlock new content, by partaking in challenges in any mode. New content was also temporarily available in the Pit Stop.

Grand Prix also required an internet connection in order to participate.

During each Grand Prix, specific characters and kart parts would have a Nitro Canister bonus, which when equipped would add a certain percentage to the amount of Nitro a player earned by completing a challenge. These Canisters could be stacked for bigger percentages, and were usually given to the Grand Prix's new content.

Accessing Grand Prix via the main menu or the Online menu would show the player their current progress on the Nitro Gauge, as well as five categories for the challenges they could do:
 * Quick Challenges were the same five challenges that would reset daily, and, hence the name, could be accomplished very quickly for 200 Nitro per challenge.
 * Daily Challenges changed every 24 hours and took a few more requirements in order to accomplish, but could also be done fairly quickly.
 * Weekly Challenges changed every seven days. While these challenges were simple, they took a fair bit longer to accomplish. In turn, more Nitro could be earned with these than with the Daily Challenges.
 * Themed Challenges remained available until the end of the Grand Prix, and were themed after the current Grand Prix and its newly introduced content.
 * Pro Challenges were also available during the remainder of the Grand Prix. These challenges were fairly difficult to accomplish, but a lot of Nitro could be earned with them in turn.

Skilled players could also earn a Champion kart set with a unique decal if they were listed within the 5% of either of the two Grand Prix Learderboards, which can be accessed using the shoulder buttons:
 * The Championship Leaderboard ranked players based on how many Trophies they earned during Online matches. During a Grand Prix, players could earn a varying amount of Trophies based on their ranking in an Online Single Race or Battle.
 * The Nitro Leaderboard ranked players based on how much Nitro they earned in total. Even after filling up the Nitro Gauge, players could still earn more Nitro for this reason.

Some Grand Prix events included extra challenges that were exclusive to them. The Spooky Grand Prix sometimes hid Ghosts in a ? Crate, which the player needed to catch for certain Challenges. The Rustland Grand Prix included an evolution on this challenge, in which it sometimes hid a Golden Wumpa Fruit for players to catch, which also earned them 200 Wumpa Coins.

Characters
The game currently has 56 playable characters. All characters present in the original Crash Team Racing are playable in the game. Nitros Oxide is also playable, having only been a boss character in the original game, and was only playable via cheat devices. All playable characters from Crash Nitro Kart, including all of its boss characters, are also available. The playable characters featured in the Crash Tag Team Racing cast can also be played as, with the non-playable Chick Gizzard Lips and Stew making their playable debut. Yaya Panda, who was a playable character in Crash Nitro Kart 2, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D and Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 is also playable.

Players can equip characters with skins, some of which have exclusive animations for the winner's podium. Skins from Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash Tag Team Racing and Crash: Mind Over Mutant are included as well. Currently there are three sets of skins for Crash, Coco and Cortex that are exclusive for download.

The Invincibility Mask item changes depending on the character. Without counting Penta Penguin, King Chicken and Iron Checkpoint Crate who can randomly use Aku Aku, Uka Uka, Velo Mask, Sparx or Apo Apo, there are currently nineteen drivers affiliated with Aku Aku, twenty with Uka Uka, eleven with the Velo Mask (introduced as of the Nitro Tour Grand Prix), and three with Sparx (introduced as of the Spyro N. Friends Grand Prix).

The Rustland Grand Prix introduces a new mask named Apo Apo, which affiliates itself with ten characters that use a Rustland skin, regardless of which Invincibility Mask they originally use.

In Adventure Mode, characters affiliated with Velo Mask receive instructions from Uka Uka and characters affiliated with Sparx receive instructions from Aku Aku. All characters will use Sparx when playing on Spyro Circuit, while all use Apo Apo in Megamix Mania.

New characters could at first be unlocked in the Grand Prix, such as Spyro the Dragon, Baby T, Doctor Nitrus Brio, Komodo Moe, Koala Kong, Rilla Roo, Nina Cortex, Mega-Mix, and the Nitro Squad - consisting of Tawna and the Trophy girls from the original game: Ami, Isabella, Liz, and Megumi. All characters unlockable during the Grand Prix were added to the Pit Stop at later dates.

Since the end of the Grand Prixs, new characters would continue to be added to the game in future updates.

As of the start of the Spooky Grand Prix, players now have the option of applying any Driving Style to any character they desire. In addition, a new Driving Style, Drift (Speed: 6/7, Accel: 2/7, Turn: 3/7) was added to the game.

Although currently not being announced as being playable characters in the future, the game references Madame Amberly, the Evil Twins, Evil Crash and Rusty Walrus.

Kart Customization
"Before any race, you have the choice to pick a random choice of kart and driver. However, in the “Karts” menu you're able to go deep with your selection and cobble together a sleek hovercraft, wobbly jalopy, or rampaging roadster!"

- Official description

The player is able to customize their kart beyond just selecting what playable character to use. Customizable components include the kart body, kart wheels, and extra stickers that can be applied. Components can be bought using Wumpa Coins which can be earned in the game's Adventure Mode, Arcade Mode or Online Mode.

Bodies & Decals
"This offers up a variety of chassis types, which will grow in number as you earn more through the game. For example, pick the “Classic” CTR kart body that you're used to, or ride in the chunky SUV-style “Crikey”, or futuristic “Doom Buggy”."

- Official description

Wheels
"When you're burning rubber, you might want to install a set of wheels that matches your kart's body. Or, you can mix and match; it's entirely up to you! There's a wide variety of wheels to earn; whether you're using the skinny Six-Pipes rims or the super-chunky Trikee tires, you can have a ton of options in your race prepping!"

- Official description

Paint Jobs
"If you're wanting to change the color of your kart chassis to a green, or an iridescent purple, or even add a carbon fiber inlay, then you're in luck: Choose from a selection of preset colors and spray your vehicle in a hue to match your mood, from the vivid crimson of Team Cortex Red to the cool turquoise of Nitro Aqua."

- Official description

Stickers
"You need a last bit of personalization to finish off your contraption, and this comes courtesy of a sticker that adorns your vehicle. Choose a number, cool icon, character face, or leave the kart sticker-free."

- Official description

Special Karts
Special Karts are non-customizable karts with unique models and paint jobs. They are available only through special promotions outside the game.

Power-Ups
Power-Ups work mostly like they so in the original Crash Team Racing, and these same Power-Ups return from that game. They are items received from ? Crates during a match and can be used to attack opponents or aid the user a little. Collecting ten Wumpa Fruit during a match turns the Power-Ups "Juiced Up", making them more powerful.

Race Tracks
The game has 39 tracks in it, consisting of the eighteen tracks from the original Crash Team Racing, the thirteen tracks from Crash Nitro Kart and eight original tracks which were each added as part of Grand Prix events. The PS4 version of the game has one extra exclusive "Retro Track", Retro Stadium.

From Crash Team Racing

 * Crash Cove
 * Mystery Caves
 * Sewer Speedway
 * Roo's Tubes
 * Slide Coliseum
 * Turbo Track
 * Coco Park
 * Tiger Temple
 * Papu's Pyramid
 * Dingo Canyon
 * Polar Pass
 * Tiny Arena
 * Dragon Mines
 * Blizzard Bluff
 * Hot Air Skyway
 * Cortex Castle
 * N. Gin Labs
 * Oxide Station

From Crash Nitro Kart

 * Inferno Island
 * Jungle Boogie
 * Clockwork Wumpa
 * Android Alley
 * Electron Avenue
 * Deep Sea Driving
 * Thunder Struck
 * Tiny Temple
 * Meteor Gorge
 * Barin Ruins
 * Out of Time
 * Assembly Lane
 * Hyper Spaceway

Bonus Tracks

 * Retro Stadium (PlayStation 4-exclusive)
 * Twilight Tour (Nitro Tour Grand Prix)
 * Prehistoric Playground (Back N. Time Grand Prix)
 * Spyro Circuit (Spyro & Friends Grand Prix)
 * Nina's Nightmare (Spooky Grand Prix)
 * Koala Carnival (Neon Circus Grand Prix)
 * Gingerbread Joyride (Winter Festival Grand Prix)
 * Megamix Mania (Rustland Grand Prix)
 * Drive-thru Danger (Gasmoxia Grand Prix)

Battle Arenas
Twelve battle arenas are included in the game. Seven from the original Crash Team Racing, and five from Crash Nitro Kart. The added Battle modes from CNK, including Crystal Grab, are present, making them playable in CTR's arenas for the first time.

From Crash Team Racing

 * Skull Rock
 * Nitro Court
 * Parking Lot
 * Rocky Road
 * Lab Basement
 * Rampage Ruins
 * The North Bowl

From Crash Nitro Kart

 * Temple Turmoil
 * Frozen Frenzy
 * Desert Storm
 * Magnetic Mayhem
 * Terra Drome

Electron Skin Pack
The Electron Skin Pack is made available to players who either per-ordered Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, or purchased the Nitros Oxide Edition. The following is included:

Nitros Oxide Edition
The special edition of the game automatically unlocks the following:
 * ¹ - Hovercraft Green Paint Job not included

In addition, it includes exclusive content that cannot be found in the regular editions: Xbox One users also obtain an Avatar Mask known as the Crash Head, which was available 7-10 days after the promotion's end, at July 21 2019, 12:00 AM PST.

Gallery
See: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled/Gallery

Quotes
See: List of quotes in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Cast

 * André Sogliuzzo as Big Norm, Real Velo, Zem, Emperor Velo XXVII
 * Andrew Morgado as Fake Crash, Krunk, Ripper Roo, Zam
 * Cissy Jones as Ami
 * Corey Burton as Doctor N. Gin, Doctor Nefarious Tropy, Nitros Oxide, Baby N. Tropy
 * Debi Derryberry as Coco Bandicoot, Baby Coco, Nina Cortex, Pasadena O'Possum
 * Dwight Schultz as Geary, Nash, Papu Papu
 * Fred Tatasciore as Dingodile, Komodo Brothers, Penta Penguin, Koala Kong
 * Greg Eagles as Aku Aku
 * Gregg Berger as additional voices
 * Ike Amadi as Crunch Bandicoot
 * Jess Harnell as Crash Bandicoot, Baby Crash, Lab Assistant
 * John DiMaggio as Tiny Tiger, Uka Uka
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Stew
 * Lex Lang as Doctor Neo Cortex, Narrator, Mega-Mix, Baby Cortex
 * Melanie Minichino as Isabella
 * Michael Gough as N. Trance, Gnasty Gnorc
 * Misty Lee as Polar, Pura, Tawna
 * Robbie Daymond as Pinstripe Potoroo, Small Norm, Hunter, Hasty
 * Roger Craig Smith as Chick Gizzard Lips
 * Stephanie Sheh as Megumi, Yaya Panda
 * Tom Kenny as Spyro the Dragon, N. Brio
 * Victoria Atkin as Liz

Reception
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled received "generally favorable" reviews on Metacritic getting a metascore of 83/100 on PS4, 84/100 on Xbox One and 80/100 on Nintendo Switch. On whatoplay.com, it receives an aggregate score (playscore) of 8.72 on PS4, 8.57 on Xbox One, and 8.62 on Nintendo Switch.

Trivia

 * All tracks now have their own designated start line, themed around the track itself. This feature was planned for the original Crash Team Racing but scrapped due to technical limitations at the time.
 * If the player presses the "use item" button with nothing equipped, a horn sound will play instead.
 * All of the Crash Nitro Kart karts (including the Team Cortex kart which had steering handles and the Team Trance kart which steered with a mind-controlled antenna) with unconventional steering devices, as well as Oxide's Hovercraft, have now been given steering wheels for animation consistency.
 * All karts with the exception of the retro kart now have a four-speed automatic transmission which is heard when not powersliding or boosting
 * In the original Crash Team Racing, the player could accelerate, brake and reverse by holding Up or Down on the Right Analog Stick if they were playing with an analog controller. This feature has been removed in Nitro-Fueled.
 * Most of the tracks and other levels reuse assets from the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy such as creatures and enemies.
 * The voice actors featured in the N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy return to portray their characters (with the exception of Nitrus Brio, who is now voiced by Tom Kenny, taking up the role from Maurice LaMarche).
 * The game features the very first instance of Tawna, Komodo Moe, Koala Kong (though only in the Neon Circus Grand Prix Intro), Yaya Panda and Megamix having spoken dialogue. Out of these, (possibly) Tawna, Yaya and Megamix previously only had dialogue in text form.
 * The game and its tie-in comic book feature the biggest amount of references to most of the other games in the series to date, featuring multiple references from the original trilogy, Crash Bash, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, Crash Nitro Kart, Crash Twinsanity, Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash Nitro Kart 2, and Crash: Mind Over Mutant in the form of character returns, skins, karts, cameos and easter eggs, something which developer Beenox noted to be intentional by stating they had all previous games to draw content to add on the game.
 * Each of the eight new tracks added in the Grand Prix have a name consisting of two alliterated words beginning with the same sound (not always the same letter). For this fact, we consider the hyphenated word "Drive-Thru" as a single word.
 * After much criticism from fans, Rilla Roo's face was fixed in the 3/26/20 update.