Electronic Arts has revealed NASCAR Kart Racing exclusively for Wii. Which, correct me if I’m wrong, is EA’s first entry in the “kart-racing” genre that was started by Mario Kart and joined by nearly every other mascot character in existence, from Crash Bandicoot to Sonic to LEGO to Bomberman to Konami characters. I’m surprised it took them so long!
NASCAR Kart Racing has been designed from the ground up for Wii and will allow players to “grab the steering wheel as a famed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and speed through treacherous landscapes, wind around rocky cliffs, jump rivers and dodge falling boulders.”
Multiplayer offers up to four-player head-to-head play via split-screen and lots of licensed, named drivers in addition to original characters created just for the game.
Real NASCAR drivers include: Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Tony Stewart.
New EA characters include: Billy Backfire, Bobby Backfire, Kelly Kates, Linda Leadbetter, Maurice L’Eclair, “Shakes” McDaniel, “Thriller” Tadwell, Monica Torres, Luke Trigger, Terri Windsome.
Like all cart racers, you can collect power-ups as you race along the tracks either solo or with a teammate. Power-Ups include: Boomstick, Gas Can, Oil Slick, Bottle Rocket, Shockwave, Free Pass, Yellow Flag, Ad. Nothing out of the ordinary there, as the power-ups do what you’d expect. The Bottle Rocket seeks someone out like a Red Shell from Mario Kart, the ad covers an opponents screen so they can’t see, the shockwave spins out drivers near you, the Yellow Flag gives you a speed boost to the front of the pack, etc. No word yet on whether or not the game supports the “Wii Racing Wheel” but I’d imagine that it will.
NASCAR Kart Racing has a release date of February in the U.S. for the Wii. It does not yet have a release date for Europe.
Key Features of NASCAR Kart Racing include:
* Fun, Competitive Kart Racing For Everyone
Race as your favorite NASCAR driver and compete against friends and family with four-player split-screen action.
* Stay “In The Zone”
Fill your boost meter to trigger a speed burst or slingshot around the track with the help of your teammate in a race for the checkered flag.
* Power-Up To Make The Pass
Yellow-flag the competition, throw an oil slick, launch a rocket, and more as you work your way past the field.
* Set Your Sights On The Championship
The competition has taken control of all tracks – now it’s up to you and a teammate to beat each duo and take ’em back.
Check out the trailer above to see the game in action. Looks pretty much like a standard cart racing game to me . . . does anyone else spot anything unique about this? Either way though, cart racers ARE fun and this game looks like it could be a fun, multiplayer racing game just like every cart racer is.