Kart Racing Games, Have They Gone Too Far?
Kart racing games have had a lifespan almost as long as the One on One fighting game craze that is still going strong (just not as many copycats- most of those moved to kart racing games apparently). When Nintendo first released Super Mario Kart, one has to wonder if they realized the way the gaming world was going to react? Every game company hopes that their next title will be a hit, no company looks to release a failure but to start a phenomenon is almost impossible to foretell. Kart racing has become the action platform title of the last 20 years or so (and the genre is not getting better as a whole).
If you can think of a popular license or even non racing game (well, there is one racing game featured in kart form below) then there is probably a kart game based on it. From Shrek to Jak and Daxter to, why in the world, NASCAR, there are kart games for just about any popular (or weird, see M&M’s Kart Racing on the Wii) license. Kart racing hasn’t been just for plumbers for years now (though thankfully, it is still in the running with Mario Kart 7 on 3DS).
Let’s look at the “Why” section first starting with M&M’s Kart Racing for the Nintendo Wii
What in the world made DSI Games think this would be a good license? Were they hurting for a character to put in a kart game that bad that they went outside of all possible means of commons sense to grab the first thing that popped up?
Wrestling games are a decent cash in for gaming companies, make one with a decent grappling system or is just fun and it will probably sell enough to turn a small profit. Take wrestling and remove the ring and replace it with open arena style areas and put the athletes in karts and give them weapons (they probably feel a lot like Jimmy Johnson did in my other article). Why in the world would you take WWE Superstars and put them in karts though? It makes no sense other than to be a cash run (a rather small one as there hasn’t been another WWE kart game since).
Another “why” kart title coming soon, this time in the indie, unlicensed, fan arena is the tentatively titled, PonyKart. Yes folks, someone is making a My Little Pony’s kart racing title, currently for PC only. Horses, that are known for RUNNING, are put in karts and run around tracks (are the karts really that important to the point where physical abilities of the participants are ignored?).
I was going to mention the NASCAR Kart Racing title again in this article but mentioning it once already is more than enough (though the M&M’s Kart Racing title warranted more words just out sheer “why” factor). All in all, I believe kart racing has gone too far, it is time to move onto another genre for licensing titles that shouldn’t be crammed into, may I suggest puzzle titles?
Could we get someone working on a WWE puzzle game in the style of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo? Or an actual M&M’s Puyo Puyo style title? While we are at it, how about matching the game with the license (horse racing for stuff like My Little Pony, sticking to simulation racing games for the NASCAR license and for goodness sake, WWE should be wrestling in some form or another!).
I was surprised M&M's didn't go the 7-Up route and do side-scrolling platformers with their candies. Either that or mimic the Othello-like Spot from the NES era, which is one of the best, most off-beat, and enjoyable licensed games from the 8-bit generation.
Nothing about the M&M's candy screams 'cars' though. Nothing. I don't get it.
Then again, nothing about WWE screamed 'we need a car combat game', at least not enough to justify Crush Hour either. I dunno.
I could have understood a Connect Four style puzzle game for M&M's too, or a Bejeweled clone (there are enough colors of M&M's for it to work). Even the Othello idea you had there.
Anything other than a freaking cart racing game. Seriously. It wasn't even any good to boot.
Good grief. M&Ms and ponies - how much more marketing do we need to absorb?
I will admit to relaxing with a bit of Tux Cart on my Linux computers on occasion. Good clean fun and at least it's open-source. And my buddy built an arcade console in his basement with some good party-carting games.
But who wants to feel like they're playing an advertisement?
I have no problem with a licensed cart game. I do have to scratch my head at some of these. A NASCAR Cart game? A My Little Pony one? M&M's? Couldn't the developers and publishers have come up with better genres for these licenses?
My Little Pony would have made a racing game just fine without the carts. They are simply added so the license can fit the genre better. Much like how Sega did with Sonic R and then subsequent racing games on mobile that featured Sonic.
Like I mentioned in the article, M&M's would have made more sense in a falling block puzzle game like Puyo Puyo, I would have applauded it more than likely actually. Lol Anything but a cart racing game.