Analysis SMURFS KART – Nintendo Switch. fast and furious

After 21 years since the premiere of Smurf Racer!the Smurfs try again in the world of speed and cars with KAR SMURFSyou, his new adventure on 4 wheels now available on Nintendo Switch and multiple platforms. Although the Smurfs had not completely distanced themselves from the world of video games and last year we had the remarkable “Operation Vilfoja”, it is true that the saga had been quite a duty since the premiere of Smurf Racer! for the first PlayStation.

The original game is fondly remembered by many of us who were toddlers at the time, but technically it fell far, far behind anything else on offer at the time. After two decades, the creatures created by Peyo have a second chance thanks to Eden Games and Microids. Will they be able to take advantage of it to give the little ones in the house a game to feel nostalgic for in a few years? Is it enjoyable without the nostalgia factor? We are going to find out in this, our analysis of KAR SMURFST (Smurfs Kart in Spanish).

He doesn’t want to be a Mario Kart. And that’s great!

Although at first glance it may seem that KAR SMURFSyou is a copy of Mario Kart, the truth is that the game strives to, within what is possible in a genre that is usually quite cloned, have own personalitygiving us the possibility of playing with a total of 12 Smurfs among which we find a mixture of the classics such as Papa Smurf or Smurfette and others that seem a bit more “modern” (I don’t know exactly if they were created for this game or come from of other brand titles) in multiplayer or solo races.

The races are divided into three cups, each one with four unique circuits in which we will find shortcuts to get ahead without anyone expecting it, fruits to enhance our abilities and objects to throw at our rivals to hinder their dreams of winning the title. first place. It is also possible to complete all these circuits in a “mirror mode” style cup, being a good option for when you get tired of facing the AI ​​and choose to face yourself. In favor of the AI, I have to say that it can become quite aggressive and there are more than one trick to play if you are too confident, being able to make it even more aggressive in custom races.

There is love, but some content is missing

Depending on your performance in the races, it is possible to unlock achievements that translate into Smurf medals and stickers. It’s not a “big extra” but it is a rather curious detail that fans of these adorable little blue friends will appreciate. Now, the game also has the option to play custom races in which we can limit the objects to use and establish our own rules, which stands out for good if you want to have a little more challenge in a game that is not especially complicated.

Finally, we have the multiplayer mode, in which we can face split screen with up to four players. It is a mode that works quite well with the console connected to the television, and one of its great strengths if we have fans of The Smurfs at home (regardless of age) or simply those who want to sEsports Extrasup for some fun. Unfortunately there is no online multiplayer mode, so if you don’t have anyone to play with and you feel that the single player mode has become too small for you, there is little else you can do.

Contrary to what prejudices may lead us to think, KAR SMURFSyou it’s a pretty solid and fun game to be a title inspired by a famous brand, being one of the best kart games that have been released on Nintendo Switch. The controls are comfortable, the skills striking and balanced, and the assisted mode that it includes and can be activated or deactivated at any time, although it is not perfect and can sometimes frustrate us a bit, it is a feature that helps no one is left out when playing. Perhaps it can be a bit “simple” for those who are more “hardcore” in the world of driving, but for meetings, fans, casual players or whoever is simply curious, it is an alternative to take into account.

The Smurf experience at full speed

As far as the graphics are concerned, we have a visual section that respects the origins of the Smurfs and has nostalgic references to the television show (fairly known in the 80s and 90s), allowing us to relive scenes like Villa Smurf or the very same Gargamel Castle. The 3D graphics, without being the top graphics of the generation or even of the Nintendo Switch, work quite well and don’t look ugly at all.

game performance has a pass grade, although sometimes I have felt the occasional drop in frames in portable mode, but it is by no means a disaster in terms of optimization, so the overall experience is quite satisfactory. The loading times are quite fast when going from one circuit to another, using videos as a tutorial every time we have to wait “a little more”. Finally, the sound also stands out, with a unique theme for each circuit and some of these being quite good. Unfortunately the “disappointment” side we have in the absence of voices for the Smurfs, which sometimes makes you feel a certain “loss of charisma”. Although there are no voices, the texts and menus reach us translated into spanish (from USA and Latin America), so you can’t miss it in any way.

SMURFS KART – You didn’t have to be that good, but thanks for being

Of all the racing/karting games inspired by famous brands, that we have seen coming to Nintendo Switch (excluding Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing), SMURFS GO-KART is in the top three (perhaps the best) to date.

Eden Games could have chosen to simply launch a generic or clone title based on the fame that the brand still has, but the truth is that they have done their homework and give us a quality title with its own spirit. Yes, it is true that for many experienced players I can err on the simple side and a little more content would have been appreciated, but I can safely say that 21 years later, the Smurfs finally have a racing title that delivers on all the technical fronts and is a lot of fun. Do you want to give it a try? SMURFS GO-KART It is available on Nintendo Switch both in physical format, thanks to Meridiem Games, and digitally through the eShop.

This analysis has been carried out thanks to a digital code provided by Meridiem Games. Analyzed version. 1.01.0

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