Here at Acegamez we love a good spin off of a classic game and in this case, it's Crash Nitro Kart, which has always been a second runner behind Mario Kart on every platform to date. Obviously Mario Kart won't be coming to the N-Gage anytime soon, but right next to it is the GBA Version of Mario Kart and the sleek promise of the DS version around the next bend.

So, what does Crash Nitro Kart have going for it then? Well, it's another pick up and play game for the N-Gage, which can only contribute towards a thumbs up award. I mean, you can't beat picking up the N-Gage in times of travel or toilet for a good, quick blast. Crash Nitro Kart sees Crash Bandicoot and friends racing fast around plenty of courses, with an Arcade mode that houses single races, cup matches and quick races, the latter of which randomises every choice and launches you quickly into a game. Then we have an Adventure mode, which is for the player with a little more time, something that I was very intrigued to try out. Last on the single player list is the Time Trial, where you can race against your ghost, if that's what you want to do.

A nice long list of modes really gets me going; a large Arcade mode, a plentiful Adventure mode and a Time Trial mode, I'd never be out of things to do! And with the Adventure mode boasting true adventure elements, playing as certain teams such as Crash's good team and Nitro's evil team, this game would surely appeal to everybody. While the Adventure mode promises oodles and clearly delivers the exact promise, the gameplay really has an adverse effect on what could have been.

Just imagine looking through a small hole in the wall, behind that wall, well, I don't know - let's stick a steamy shower and hot chick in there for good measure. So you have a decent view, straight ahead, ahoy there! But wait a minute; she's moving out of view! That's not a problem though, because you can pivot around and peek in from a different angle, right? Wrong, very wrong. You see, because of the restricted nature of a small hole, you can't look right or left; straight ahead is your only option. Take that exact same principle and apply it to Crash Nitro Kart and you'll be in the same boat as me. Driving forward isn't the problem here though; in fact, driving forward is a lot of fun. But as soon as you come to a bend and, believe me, there's lots of those, the camera becomes restricted, as does your view, as does your gaming pleasure. Not only that but it's actually difficult to see the corner before you have to turn. It's clearly something to do with the N-Gage's tall screen and the camera, which is zoomed in a little too much, causing the left and right view to be somewhat diminished. In addition to this, playing the game in a vehicle can be more nauseating than it should be, especially when you just drove off track and can't see where to get back on.

This doesn't alter the fact that there's still plenty here to play with and if you can somehow get over the tough, straightjacket view then there could be some enjoyment here for you! Something I really liked was found while racing; you can jump, which is handy for hopping over obstacles that could potentially blow you off track - and we wouldn't want that! Holding the jump button allows you to pull off short but sweet power slides, something that's always welcome in the kart genre. Along the tracks, you can pick up various power-ups and weapons, ranging from invincibility to a tornado launcher and TNT boxes to power-ups that turn opponents into blocks of ice. In addition to all of this, the AI in this game is quite competitive, which allows for a good game against a good sport. I like how the AI reacts when you hit them with a homing bomb; after that they play dirty and do their best to overtake you once more. Of course, you can gain time by taking corners quickly, which normally puts you ahead of a pack.

The game's graphics are very colourful and most of the 3D aspects are done very well. I like games with lots of colours and Crash Nitro Kart gives you that arcade, over-the-top, colourful feel. Weapon effects only add to the colour in this game, which makes everything, on the whole, pleasing to look at. Some of the 3D doesn't look particularly pleasing though; I put this down to sloppy textures, often found off-track. My only main gripe is that sometimes you feel like the track is moving and not the actual kart. Looking down at the game too much and trying to battle with the horrible view gives you that sickening feeling, which I cannot stand. The best thing to do when this happens is to take a nice, long, welcomed break.

The in-game music sounds just as the graphics look; colourful. We have a whole range of music that suits the genre; bouncy tunes for different levels, all sounding rather good. We then have plenty of effects for plenty of actions such as power sliding about, jumping up and down, firing weapons and revving the engine. You can have full control of the music and sounds in the option menu, but putting the volume on high makes the overall noise sound distorted - it's also lacking some voiceovers, but you can't win them all! There are some multiplayer options over Blue Tooth, battles and races, plus on N-Gage Arena you can download new titbits that aren't too exciting, really.

Crash Nitro Kart has a lot here and if it wasn't for the poor, restricted racing view, I would be very much inclined to give it a higher score. However, as it stands now, the game will only be enjoyed by hardcore genre fans and people who can put up with the major flaws in the cornering. If you can pick this game up on the cheap then you probably won't be too disappointed, but like every corner in the game, Crash Nitro Kart should be approached with caution.

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).