Nicktoons Racing

Nicktoons Racing
A fun game with a good roster!
Genre(s): Racing Platform(s): Arcade, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, Microsoft Windows, Playstation Release Date: 2000 (GBC, Windows) 2001 (PS1) 2002 (GBA) 2003 (Arcade) Developer(s): Pipe Dream (GBC) Software Creations (PS1, PC) Crawfish Interactive (GBA) Publisher(s): Infogrames Country: United States Series: Nicktoons Successor: Nicktoons Winner's Cup Racing

Nicktoons Racing is a Nickelodeon crossover racing video game. The game was first developed by Pipe Dream and released for the Game Boy Color, while versions for different platforms were released in subsequent years. Most versions were developed by Software Creations with the exception of the Game Boy Advance version, which was developed by Crawfish Interactive, and the arcade version, which was developed by Chicago Gaming.

It features characters from Rugrats, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, The Wild Thornberrys, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Why It Wins The Krusty Krab Big Bun Award

1. 13 awesome characters to choose from across 8 popular Nicktoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Arnold Shortman, Helga Pataki, Tommy Pickles, Eliza Thornberry, Darwin Thornberry, CatDog, Ickis, Daggett and Norbert, Stimpy, and Mystery Rider.
2. Awesome music in the game, such as "Bikini Bottom Blowout", "Rancid Raceway", "Race Madness", and "Gritty City Circuit".
   • Not to mention, a hidden detail with the "Reptar Raceway" theme is that it's a remix of the mini golf themes in Rugrats: Search for Reptar.
3. A unique feature, instead of drifting like in Mario Kart games, orbs are found throughout the map that the player can use to charge up a boost that can be used anywhere. Super orbs also exist that instantly fully charge a boost.
4. A good selection of items to use to stop other opponents. Not to mention they make references to their respective Nicktoons:
   • Gritty Kitty cat litter from Ren & Stimpy and baby powder will spin opponents out.
   • The camera can be used to blind racers temporarily and cause them to slow down, similar to what would be the blooper starting in Mario Kart DS.
   • Stump from The Angry Beavers works similar to the lightning in Mario Kart games, only it comes with a few seconds warning. It stuns all the racers unless anyone uses the shield.
   • The trash also will temporarily blind and slow down the racer in a stronger way than the camera.
   • Slime can stick the player for a few seconds.
   • Coconuts work like the green shells in Mario Kart and can knock opponents in front of the player with just the right luck and aim.
   • Bubbles work like the red shells in Mario Kart where they lock in on a player and trap them afloat for a brief second.
   • The portal allows the player to teleport further ahead in the race, not to mention CPU's cannot use this item.
5. Lots of hidden shortcuts are found throughout the maps, most of which the CPU's do not take.
6. Great track designs that capture the style of the Nicktoons they are based from. Not to mention Gritty City Circuit has the ability to change from day to night during gameplay.
7. Tolerable controls.
8. The mystery rider is an interesting unlockable.
9. A fun bonus game requiring the player to collect gift boxes around Hillwood.
10. The GBA version of the game is also fairly good, too.

Losing Qualities

1. The Gameboy Color version was not well received and is extremely bad.
2. There's unfortunately only one bonus feature in the entire "bonus" menu.
3. There's no varying stats between the characters, leaving out strategic decisions.
4. The maps can take a bit too long to finish, for example it can take over 5 minutes to finish Gritty City Circuit.
5. The stuns when getting hit can go on for too long.
6. The CPU's aren't friendly to new players, and even the "easy" difficulty can be a pain to beat.
7. Repetitive voice clips. They are simply recycled from the shows and some voice clips aren't even for the correct characters. Arnold uses Harold's laugh and Tommy uses Chuckie's scream.
   • Not to mention the clip of Angelica's crying can really get you on your last nerve once you hear it about 5 times.
   • Listening to the sound Angelica laughing in an evil tone gets used too much in the PC and PSX versions which can get on everybody's nerves especially because Angelica was the most hated character in Nickelodeon history.
8. Characters from Rocko's Modern Life and Rocket Power do not appear in this game at all, and it's unknown why. Same with Doug, but this is because Doug was tranferred to Disney in 1996, which ended up ruining the series in 1999 thanks to "Doug's 1st Movie" when it should be called "Doug's Last Chapter: THE MOVIE".
9. Stimpy was removed from the Arcade cabinet, likely due to the atrocious Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon".
10. The name of the Hey Arnold! track, "Gritty City Circuit", is incorrectly sourced. It was likely mixed up with Stimpy's "Gritty Kitty" litter, and as such it should have been called "Hillwood Circuit".

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