CTR: Crash Team Racing

Crash Team Racing has all the marks of the kart-racing genre, including big-headed characters driving diminutive go-karts, power-ups to increase speed and slow down opponents, and thematic tracks with multiple paths for exploration. What CTR adds to the mix is fairness: tighter-turning cars are rewarded for precision driving, skillful jumping, and strategic placement of booby traps. Sure, the playing field is level, but the better the driver, the better chance he or she has of winning consistently without any annoying "catch-up code."

The one-player game is wonderfully presented as an exploratory adventure, while the multiplayer mode is a split-screen must-play for anyone with a PlayStation (and, of course, friends). Twenty-five tracks, 12 characters, and responsive control make CTR the gotta-have racing game. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• Excellent kart control, including power slides, hops, and wheelies
• Wide tracks encourage passing
• High replayability, especially in multiplayer mode

• Characters aren't as cute as those in Mario Kart