Crash Tag Team Racing

Crash Tag Team Racing
Developer(s)	Radical Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment Vivendi Universal Games
Producer(s)	Vlad Ceraldi Tim Bennison
Writer(s)	Chris Mitchell
Composer(s)	Spiralmouth Marc Baril
Series	Crash Bandicoot
Engine	Titanium Engine
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 & Xbox NA October 19, 2005 EU November 4, 2005 JP December 1, 2005 Nintendo GameCube NA October 19, 2005 EU November 11, 2005 JP December 1, 2005 PlayStation Portable NA November 10, 2005 EU November 25, 2005 JP December 1, 2005
Genre(s)	Racing Platforming Vehicular Combat
Mode(s)	Single-player, LAN, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: A (All Ages) ESRB: E10+ (Everyone10+) OFLC: PG PEGI: 7+
Media/distribution	DVD, Nintendo optical disc, UMD
System requirements 2+ memory card blocks (GameCube) System version 2.00 (PSP)

Crash Tag Team Racing is a racing video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. A Nintendo DS version, which was to be developed by Sensory Sweep Studios rather than Radical Entertainment, was also to be released, but was eventually cancelled.^[1] The reason for this is unknown. The game was released in North America on October 19, 2005 and in Europe on November 4, 2005.

Crash Tag Team Racing is the twelfth installment in the Crash Bandicoot series. It is the first Crash game to have a rating higher than E in North America or a 3+ in Europe, due to the game featuring "cartoon violence and crude humor". It is also the third Crash Bandicoot title in the racing genre, the first and second titles being Crash Team Racing and Crash Nitro Kart, respectively. The game's story centers on the exploits of the main protagonist, Crash Bandicoot, who must win the ownership of a dilapidated theme park by finding its missing Power Gems before his nemesis, Doctor Neo Cortex, can.

Gameplay

Crash and Crunch Bandicoot in a "clashed vehicle" (two cars merged into one), with Crunch at the wheel and Crash in a rotatable turret

The player takes control of Crash Bandicoot, who must retrieve the Black Power Gem of Ebenezer Von Clutch, along with the missing Power Gems in each of the five themed areas of the park.^[2] The player will compete in races and minigames to earn Wumpa Coins, the park's currency, and Power Crystals, find the Power Gem needed to open up the five areas of the park, and ultimately unveil the mystery of the Power Gem thief's identity.^[2]

As the player explores the park, race gates can be entered to unlock new racetracks, battle arenas, stunt tracks, and driving minigames.^[2] Extra Wumpa Coins and Power Crystals can be earned by playing driving minigames, some of which involve driving for the best lap time, crashing into as many obstacles as possible, shooting at trackside objects, and shooting at moving cars.^[2] Characters with an icon over their heads can be talked to unlock cars, weapon upgrades, clothing, or to play minigames.^[2] The player can smash crates and collect Wumpa Coins in order to buy rewards such as new clothing; drinking Wumpa Whip gives the player a temporary coin multiplier that earns extra money from Wumpa Coins and crates.^[2] Collecting Power Crystals is required to unlock the Power Gem at the end of a themed area, which unlocks an additional area of the theme park.^[2] Mini-cartoons, called "Die-O-Ramas", can also be unlocked; these cutscenes display Crash being killed off in various, and largely humorous ways. Unlocking all 34 Die-O-Ramas unlocks another costume for Crash.^[2] The Die-O-Ramas can be viewed at any time under the Extras section in the main menu.^[2]

The main hook of Crash Tag Team Racing is the "clashing" feature found during the racing sections of the game. The player can "clash" with another vehicle by pressing a certain button depending on the gaming platform.^[2] The player's vehicle will merge with a nearby opponent's vehicle, and the player will then take control of a powerful turret weapon to shoot at other vehicles.^[2] The turret can not only be used to shoot at enemy cars, but also to take out incoming attacks.^[2]

LAN Mode

There is a LAN mode option for connecting up to 8 PlayStation 2 console for LAN races, which put to use the Network Adapter.

Plot

Characters

Main article: Characters of Crash Bandicoot

The returning characters of Crash Tag Team Racing from left to right: Doctor N. Gin, Crunch Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot, Coco Bandicoot, Nina Cortex and Doctor Neo Cortex

Six returning characters from previous Crash titles star in Crash Tag Team Racing,^[3] along with five original characters. The player character and protagonist of the game, Crash Bandicoot, is an evolved bandicoot who must win each of the races in Von Clutch's MotorWorld and win the deed to the park before Cortex can. Allies of Crash include Coco Bandicoot, his genius sister, and Crunch Bandicoot, his muscle-bound friend. The main antagonist of the series, Doctor Neo Cortex, is a mad scientist who attempts to win the deed to the park and use it for his own evil purposes. Other enemies include Doctor N. Gin, Cortex's psychotic and very effeminate right-hand man, and Nina Cortex, Neo's gothic niece.

Five original characters make their appearance in the game, two of which are playable characters. Ebenezer Von Clutch, a deranged German cyborg, is the owner of MotorWorld, and must retrieve his Black Power Gem before he automatically turns off. Aiding him and the Bandicoots is Pasadena O'Possum, a Texan racecar driver who seems to take a liking to Crash. Another notable figure is the mysterious Willie Wumpa Cheeks, the park's excessively jolly mascot and source of Wumpa Whip. Serving as the comic relief are the two chicken commentators Chick Gizzard Lips and Stew, who serve as Crash's tutors during the game.

Roaming around the park are numerous Park Drones, a group of miserable employees who will take a certain amount of money to give Crash what he needs. Also in the park is a diverse set of pedestrians, who seem just as disgruntled with the park as the Park Drones.

Story

The game opens with a pair of chicken sports commentators named Chick Gizzard Lips and his hip co-worker Stew, announcing the farewell race of Von Clutch's MotorWorld.^[4] Long ago, Ebeneezer Von Clutch, the deranged German cyborg genius fabricated the ultimate auto-racing theme park. For years, the park's racetracks have wreaked terror on its participants in ways too gruesome to describe on regulated television.^[5] But now the park's Power Gems, as well as Von Clutch's own power source, the Black Power Gem, which have kept the park, and himself alive and active, have been stolen, giving Von Clutch only a few hours to get them back.^[6] In the process of finding more racers to help him, meanwhile, Crash Bandicoot, Coco Bandicoot and Crunch Bandicoot are escaping from Doctor Neo Cortex, Doctor N. Gin, and Nina Cortex through a road, they literally crash in, resulting in Von Clutch recruiting them for assistance. At first, Cortex is unwilling to help Von Clutch, but then it is explained that whoever finds and returns all the missing Power Gems will win the ownership of the park. Even Von Clutch's beloved Black Power Gem, which is his life source, is gone. Without it, Von Clutch will die in a matter of hours. N. Gin informs Cortex that this strange theme park is fertile grounds for them to "plant their new seed of evil", with Cortex believing this would lead to the park becoming their new base of operations, meaning they have an unlimited supply of churros and eliminate the Bandicoots.^[7] From there, the gang is introduced to Pasadena O'Possum, a professional racer hired by Von Clutch to ensure his continued ownership of the park, and Willie Wumpa Cheeks, the "jolly park mascot" of Von Clutch's MotorWorld and the producer of "Wumpa Whip", the parks most popular beverage.

After Crash finds and returns all the missing Power Gems and officially wins himself the ownership of the park, a bandaged Cortex suspects some unsavoury person is upstaging his efforts to make the park his own. This is confirmed when Coco deduces that whoever stole the Power Gems in the first place had some connection to Wumpa Whip,^[8] due to, according to Pasadena, the presence of a trail of Wumpa Whip at the scene of every stolen Power Gem in the park.^[9] Crash is suspected of stealing the Gems due to his heavy consumption of the drink, but Willie Wumpa Cheeks admits that he stole the Power Gems and the Black Power Gem, though without any given motive as to why he stole them.^[10] Von Clutch is struck with disbelief.^[11] With the Black Power Gem in his possession, Willie flees to Astro Land, saying that they can "look for [him] in the sky".^[12] He prepares to blast off into outer space through Astro Land's largest rocket. Crash Bandicoot decides to stop Willie Wumpa Cheeks, retrieve the Black Power Gem, and save the weakened Ebeneezer Von Clutch. In Astro Land, Crash sees Willie entering the rocket, preparing for liftoff. But when Crash pulls a nearby lever, the launch is aborted. Crunch opens up the rocket door and grabs Willie by the nose. Just when they're about to interrogate Willie about the location of the Black Power Gem, somebody shoots him from afar, resulting in a liquefied Willie. The culprit is Doctor Neo Cortex, N. Gin, and Nina inside a battleship. Cortex is prepared to obliterate the Bandicoots for ruining his plans for using Von Clutch's amusement enterprise as the ideal strategic cover.^[13] After Cortex attempts to destroy the Bandicoots with a machine gun mounted on his ship, Crash tosses a chicken into the ship's main rotor, causing the ship to behave erratically and unpredictably. Cortex promises Crash they'll meet again as he flies off in his malfunctioning ship.

As the Bandicoots are handed the deed to the park, Coco decides that the deed should be returned to where it belongs: to Ebeneezer Von Clutch.^[14] But Pasadena informs them that that's an impossibility. Because the Black Power Gem was never recovered, it is apparent that Von Clutch will remain deactivated.^[15] As everyone mourns the loss of their dear friend —- all except Crash, who is attempting to find and consume more Wumpa Whip from Willie's nose —- Crash starts choking on something. He coughs up Von Clutch's Black Power Gem, which jettisons into the slot, reviving Von Clutch. He thanks Crash for all he's done, and gives free lifetime passes to Von Clutch's MotorWorld to all the Bandicoots.^[16] Unfortunately, Crash inadvertently ejects the Black Power Gem, thus deactivating Von Clutch, after giving Von Clutch a friendly slap on the back. Before anyone has a chance to react, Crash jumps into the orange car he was seen driving at the beginning and drives off, leaving Coco, Crunch and Pasadena behind.

Audio

Music

The game's music is composed by three entities in total. The music heard during the game's platforming segments is composed, performed and edited by a cappella band Spiralmouth. The music heard during the races is co-performed by Spiralmouth and features instrumental music composed by Radical Entertainment's in-house composer Marc Baril. The minigames' music is made by Michael Neilson.

Like in Crash Twinsanity, Spiralmouth covers numerous pieces of classical music for the game's soundtrack, such as:

• "Night on Bald Mountain" ("Evilocity", if the player is from 3rd to 5th place during the final lap)
• "The Carnival of the Animals", most precisely the Aquarium movement ("Once Upon a Tire", if the player is from 6th to 8th place during the final lap)
• "The Rite of Spring"
• "Hungarian Dances no. 5" (a segment of "Tire & Ice")
• "Kalinka" (a segment of "Tire & Ice")
• "Korobeiniki" ("Tire & Ice", if the player is from 1st to 2nd place during the final lap)

A fifteen-track soundtrack was released on March 6, 2007, and is available in the iTunes Music Store.^[17]

Voice cast

A number of the voice actors who appear in the game are new additions to the Crash Bandicoot cast taking over for previous actors, such as Chris Williams as Crunch Bandicoot, Nolan North as Doctor N. Gin and Amy Gross as Nina Cortex. Their voice talent in the Japanese dub of the game has been changed accordingly, with Masafumi Kimura taking over as Crunch, Mitsuru Ogata taking over as Doctor N. Gin, and Chihiro Kusaka taking over as Nina Cortex. Some Crash Bandicoot regulars return in the game as different characters, with Jess Harnell voicing Crash Bandicoot and Quinton Flynn voicing Chick Gizzard Lips, while a few actors reprise their roles, with Lex Lang returning as Doctor Neo Cortex and Debi Derryberry returning as Coco Bandicoot. Danny Mann, Shanelle Workman, Roger L. Jackson and Duane Shepard voice the original characters Ebenezer Von Clutch, Pasadena O'Possum, Willie Wumpa Cheeks and Stew, respectively. The game's pedestrians and Park Drones are also voiced by newcoming cast members, including Bill Farmer, Chris Coppola, Charles Dennis and Vanessa Marshall.

Reception

Scores
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	Xbox 68.5% [18] PSP: 68.1% [19] PS2: 68% [20] GC 66.6% [21]
Metacritic	Xbox 69 / 100 [22] PSP: 68 / 100 [23] PS2: 66 / 100 [24] GC: 66 / 100 [25]
Review scores
Publication	Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly	4.5 / 10 [citation needed]
Eurogamer	PS2: 7 / 10 [26] PSP: 5 / 10 [27]
GameSpot	7.3 / 10 [28][29][30] PSP: 7.0 / 10 [31]
Nintendo Power	7.0 / 10 [25]
Nintendo World Report	4.0 / 10 [32]

Crash Tag Team Racing received mixed to average reviews since its release. GameSpot concluded that "the racing isn't exactly the star of the show, but Crash Tag Team Racing's supplemental elements pull the whole thing together into a unique and mostly enjoyable experience"; on the subject of the PSP version, GameSpot added that the handheld version's loading times were "painful".^[31] Nintendo Power decided that "the game's not too much to look at, and most of the track designs are pretty uninspired",^[25] while Nintendo World Report condemned the game as "unworthy of its namesake", and expressed its wish that "the developer had taken its time to study what was great about the original game before starting work on the sequel — the lack of finesse present in CTTR really shows."^[32] Eurogamer was critical of Crash Tag Team Racing's difficulty, citing that "it's very easy to win races, even on the Hard difficulty setting, the platforming sections offer no real challenge and the fun to be had from blowing up opponents when you've clashed your kart wears thin after a while."^[26]

References

1. ^ "Release information for Nintendo DS at GameFAQs". http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/data/927303.html. Retrieved 2007-11-06. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Radical Entertainment (2005). Crash Tag Team Racing Instruction Booklet. Sierra. 
3. ^ "IGN character sheet". 2005-04-07. http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/737/737026/img_2705125.html. Retrieved 2007-10-12. 
4. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Meet the Dummkopfs. "Chick Gizzard Lips: Top o' the mornin' and a cock-a-doodle-doo, sports fans. Chick Gizzard Lips here welcoming you to the farewell race at Von Clutch's MotorWorld."
5. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Meet the Dummkopfs. "Chick Gizzard Lips: Von Clutch, the deranged genius cyborg, has fabricated the ultimate auto-racing theme park. Indeed, the park's tracks have wreaked terror on its participants. Too gruesome for this reporter to describe over the air."
6. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Meet the Dummkopfs. "Stew: But now ol' Von Clutch's Power Gems have been stolen, giving Von Clutch just a few hours to get his Power Gems back, or it's slam dunk, thank you, punk."
7. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Von Clutch Makes a Deal. "Doctor N. Gin: Perhaps this is the answer to our dilemma. This strange theme park is fertile grounds for us to plant a new seed... of evil!! / Doctor Neo Cortex: Yes! A new sinister base, all the churros we can eat, and rid ourselves of the Bandicoots all at the same time!"
8. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Follow the Wumpa Whip. "Coco Bandicoot: Well, the pattern I've concluded from deductive reasoning is that whoever stole the Power Gems has some connection to... Wumpa Whip!"
9. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Follow the Wumpa Whip. "Pasadena O'Possum: That's affirmative, V.C. There's been a trail of Wumpa Whip at the scene of every stolen Power Gem in the park!"
10. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Follow the Wumpa Whip. "Willie Wumpa Cheeks: Oh, that's it! I've had it! You people are dumber than a sack of hammers! It's me! Meee, I tell you!"
11. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Follow the Wumpa Whip. "Ebeneezer Von Clutch: Villie? Mein jolly park mascot? Don't tell me anymore!! I can't hear you! Weißte ich kann nicht hörn diese Lügen!"
12. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: Follow the Wumpa Whip. "Willie Wumpa Cheeks: And now the time is nigh! It's really do or die! This stone in my sack proves Von Clutch is a hack, and you can look for me in the sky! (laughs) So long, suckers!"
13. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: I Hate Chicken. "Doctor Neo Cortex: That wretched bandicoot foiled my plan for this amusement enterprise as the ideal strategic cover!"
14. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: I Hate Chicken. "Chick Gizzard Lips: And to the victors go the spoils. Congratulations, Bandicoots! / Coco Bandicoot: Thank you, Mister... Chicken Man! This is really cool and stuff, but we'd like to return the park ownership where it belongs: to Ebeneezer Von Clutch."
15. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: I Hate Chicken. "Pasadena O'Possum: That there's right darn neighborly of ya, but I don't think that's gonna do him no good. Now that his Black Power Gem is gone, it's time for ol' Ebeneezer to... drive that demolition derby in the sky."
16. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing. (Sierra Entertainment). PlayStation 2. Level/area: I Hate Chicken. "Ebeneezer Von Clutch: Ach du lieber! I'm feeling wonderful, ya! Crash, my boy, I owe it all to you! Danke schön! Free lifetime passes to all ze bandicoots, ya!"
17. ^ "Crash Tag Team Racing (Original Game Music Score) at the iTunes Store". 2007-03-07. http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=217009907&s=143441. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
18. ^ "Aggregate score for Xbox at GameRankings". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927301.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
19. ^ "Aggregate score for PlayStation Portable at Game Rankings". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/929190.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
20. ^ "Aggregate score for PlayStation 2 at GameRankings". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927300.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
21. ^ "Aggregate score for GameCube at Game Rankings". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927302.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
22. ^ "Aggregate score for Xbox at Metacritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/crashtagteamracing. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
23. ^ "Aggregate score for PlayStation Portable at Metacritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/crashtagteamracing. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
24. ^ "Aggregate score for PlayStation 2 at Metacritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/crashtagteamracing. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
25. ^ ^{a b c} "Aggregate score for GameCube at Metacritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/cube/crashtagteamracing. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
26. ^ ^{a b} Rob Purchese (2005-11-05). "PlayStation 2 review at Eurogamer". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61558. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
27. ^ Kristan Reed (2005-12-18). "PlayStation Portable review at Eurogamer". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62184. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
28. ^ Alex Navarro (2005-10-27). "Xbox review at GameSpot". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/driving/crashtagteamracing/review.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
29. ^ "PlayStation 2 review at GameSpot". http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/crashtagteamracing/review.html. 
30. ^ "GameCube review at GameSpot". http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/driving/crashtagteamracing/review.html. 
31. ^ ^{a b} Alex Navarro (2005-11-30). "PlayStation Portable review at GameSpot". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/crashtagteamracing/review.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
32. ^ ^{a b} Karl Castaneda (2005-11-17). "GameCube review at Nintendo World Report". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=4448. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 

External links

• The official Crash Tag Team Racing website
• Crash Tag Team Racing (PSP) | (PS2) | (GC) | (Xbox) | (DS) at GameSpot
• Crash Tag Team Racing at the Internet Movie Database