"Nickelodeon Kart Racers" Review

Any go-kart racing game with a goofy, licensed character roster and power-up-filled tracks will seem lacking in comparison to "Mario Kart" games. The best way to appreciate what developer GameMill Entertainment has to offer is to separate such prejudices and take the game on its own merits.

But even after doing that, the racer sputters to reach the finish line. Mediocre visuals, rough controls and milquetoast design make the game average at its best moments, and mediocre at its worst.

With a decent level of polish and a solid base of mechanics, there is nothing inherently broken or unbalanced with the game but as you play you're always stuck with the nagging feeling that the execution doesn't come close to matching the promising concept.

Available on Switch, Xbox One and PS4, the game stocks its slate of racers with slim pickings. SpongeBob SquarePants, Sandy and Patrick are there, as are Angelica, Tommy and, bizarrely, the  Reptar doll from "Rugrats." The "Hey Arnold" crew also makes an appearance, as do all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The array of available racers play in distressingly similar manner, feeling like lackadaisical re-skins of one another rather than diverse competitors designed from the ground up with different strengths and weaknesses.

Best fit for the younger set who are more forgiving of the game's drawbacks and content just to see their animated favorites in action, or with friends who are willing to fill out the four-player multiplayer slate, "Nickelodeon Kart Racers" takes some effort to shift out of neutral.
Publisher provided review code.