Smurfs Kart

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Do you like Mario Kart? Do you like the Smurfs? Have you ever wished these two magical things got together to make the smurf of your dreams? Well, if you really want to be  technical…such magic already happened back in 2001 with Smurf Racer. That was a lot of smurfs ago, and the world has changed an awful smurf since.

But lucky you! You don’t have to dig out your old PlayStation to get in on the high-speed Smurfy action because you can easily play the new and improved version on your Switch with Smurfs Kart.

via YouTube

Smurfs Kart, in the simplest terms, is a Smurf-themed Mario Kart clone. There are twelve unique tracks to test your skill, and twelve Smurf characters to play as, from the classic Papa Smurf and Smurfette to the more modern Clockwork Smurf. Use power-ups and traps to get ahead of your opponents and win those sweet, sweet bragging rights against your friends in local multiplayer or just race against the AI. Don’t worry; you’ll still get those aforementioned bragging rights.

The gameplay will be familiar to racing game fans. You can choose from three different modes of play: Grand Prix, time challenge, and free race. In Grand Prix, you’ll choose from any of the twelve characters available and you’ll choose from one of the three track sets. Each set has four tracks, and each Grand Prix has four races with three laps each. These races can be played in either fun or hyper speed (though these modes don’t honestly feel all that different), and there are plenty of objects that can be picked up and used. These are found in boxes around the tracks and include acorns that spin forward to trip up opponents, bees that find the closest opponent and sting them, and mounds with sharp spines that slow other racers down.

Then there’s the time challenge mode, which allows you to choose a character and a specific track. Each track has a character attached to it; the name of the game is to beat their best time. There are no power-ups or traps in this mode. It’s just you trying to do your laps as quickly as possible. This mode also has fun and hyper speed options. The only real difference between them is the times you need to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals. Playing in hyper speed usually shortens the time needed to win by up to a minute.

Last is free race, which allows you to hold a series of races – either four or six – on tracks you choose or that are chosen at random. Just like the Grand Prix mode, you’ll be able to use power-ups and traps, and choose between fun and hyper speed. The big difference is that you can choose any tracks you’d like. If you’re like me, you’ll play six straight races of the Forest Rollercoaster track, and you’ll enjoy every minute.

As you play, you’ll earn medals for wins and stickers for achievements such as crashing a certain number of times, picking up a large amount of berries, or driving off-road for a certain amount of time. There’s over a hundred of these stickers to collect, so if you’re someone who needs to collect everything, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy! You can see your sticker at any time by viewing the album, and you can scroll over missing stickers to see their requirements.

However, those hoping for an intense multiplayer experience might be disappointed. There’s no online play set up for this title, so if you have a Smurf fanatic in your life in a different place, you won’t be able to play with them. The local split-screen multiplayer can accommodate up to four people, and it runs well enough, minus a few frame rate drops. These drops are seen throughout the game, particularly during moments where you fall off the track or take a turn and reposition the camera a little too quickly. It’s not anything too terrible, but it can definitely be a little annoying.

All in all, Smurfs Kart is a fun little racing game that does more than a little “borrowing” from the bigger names of the kart racing genre. This isn’t a bad thing, though, it’s impossible to forget there are other kart racers on the platform. Still, this is definitely a game made for younger players, and Smurf fans in particular, so it’s an easy recommendation for racing game fans the whole family can enjoy with its fun and diverse array of tracks. It’s a smurfy good time!