Crash Team Racing is the finest kart racer on PS1 and one of the greatest ever made. Excellent tracks, deep drift system, generous adventure mode and devastating multiplayer. Naughty Dog created a masterpiece that still holds up with flair today.
Your verdict
Category
Racing2 players3+
Split screen
Description
High-flying kart racer set in the Crash Bandicoot universe, designed to challenge Mario Kart. Racing by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment, released in 1999 in the United States and Europe. Fifteen drivers, Adventure mode with central hub, boosted jumps and four-player split-screen multiplayer. European multilingual editions.
CTR - Crash Team Racing review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
All the depth lies in the boost system: chaining drifts to bank accelerations rewards mastery and opens a huge gap between beginners and experts. The tracks, riddled with shortcuts, are a delight to memorise. The presentation shows its age, but this demanding sliding mechanic remains one of the most satisfying in console kart racing.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾0,33 GB📅19/10/1999
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
CTR - Crash Team Racing (PS1) price, value & rarity
The peak of kart racing on PlayStation, often rated level with the genre benchmark despite the competition's head start. Its driving depth and polished adventure mode earn it a still-active competitive community, which sustains interest in complete copies. Carried by Crash as the console's mascot, it keeps solid desirability among fans of the late 32-bit era.
Better with friends
A kart racer as technical as it is joyful, where mastering drift-boosting rewards skilled drivers, up to four on one screen. The competition blends pure skill and prankish items, in a rivalry where talent rules while leaving room for power-up chaos. Deep for those who invest yet accessible to all, it chains tight races and rematches nobody wants to let slide.
Is CTR - Crash Team Racing still worth playing in 2026?
CTR - Crash Team Racing is the PS1's best kart racer and one of the best of all time. Excellent tracks, deep drift system with triple boost, generous adventure mode with RPG-light structure and devastating multiplayer make Naughty Dog's masterpiece before Jak. Miraculous controls, joyful drift feeling, Josh Mancell's catchy score. An absolute must today, right next to Mario Kart 64 in the genre pantheon.
