Smurfs Kart is an exhilarating game in a small universe filled with lovable characters.
Smurfs Kart is a racing game brought to you by Eden Games and Microids. This action-packed game came out on 15 November. Many may look at images or videos of this game and immediately think about Mario Kart. This is all for good reason because they are quite similar. However, there are a few differences as well. One major clear difference is that races take place in Smurfs’ world.
The bottom line here is if you are one of those gamers whose weakness is racing games, this should be in your collection. This is because when the affinity for racing runs deep, it is a strong force, and you probably grew up playing every arcade game that involves racing and continued that theme with your video games at home.
Smurfs Kart can be played both single-player or multiplayer, and you have the ability to choose the various difficulties. There is the time challenge, grand prix, and the free race game options. The time challenge is a great way for players to put their skills to the test. They can set records and then work to get better on all of the courses.
The grand prix in Smurf Kart is exactly what it sounds like where players choose between different Cup options: Village Cup, Forest Cup, and Gargemel Cup. Each of these Cups has four select courses that players must complete. If you consider yourself a seasoned racer, you will slip into this game flawlessly and find yourself in the top rankings right away. With that in mind, set your difficulty levels accordingly. Free racing is where players simply pick any random course they want to play.
On each course, the players do three laps while dodging obstacles, hugging turns, and being the target of various arsenal (or battle weapons). The battle weapons are a random roll that comes out of a mystery box picked up while racing. There are also berries that can be collected, and these can be used to alleviate damage when hit with various attacks.
At the end of each race, there are special nominations as well as stickers. Players can be nominated as “unstoppable,” “frenzy smurf,” “berry eater,” “jumpy smurf,” as well as many other nominations. This is based on how many hits are taken, how many jumps are made, the number of berries eaten, and the number of items used.
There are 12 Smurf characters to choose from in Smurfs Kart, and you are rewarded stickers for completing a certain number of races with each Smurf. There are many stickers that can be earned and are great for setting goals. There are plenty of people that are very guilty of picking a character or two and then never branching out. The sticker system is a great way to encourage exploration throughout the game and is an interesting twist when comparing to other similar games.
Other goals that come from stickers include collecting berries, finishing cups with hyper speed or fun speed, and racing in mirror mode. The number of berries collected builds over time and unlocks privileges. Hyper speed mode could be a little more challenging than it is. The difference in speed is not very noticeable, but the music speed is noticeably faster. Attacks seem more frequent making the race more challenging. Just when it comes to how fast you go and having to maneuver turns does not feel very different.
In the Smurfs Kart mirror mode, it is very much what is expected. Players in mirror mode are able to do any race, but those familiar courses are flipped to their symmetrical reflection just how it would look if you went into a mirror universe. Depending on who you are as a player, you may prefer the mirror world for some of the races.
In Smurfs Kart, something that was unexpected was there being a push in certain directions while racing. For example, if there are three options of paths at a fork, you sometimes go which path you want, but sometimes you are pushed by some invisible force. There is the hype about different superpowers for different Smurfs. This could be a result of that.
Each Smurf has a different superpower, and this can vary from putting racers to sleep, pushing racers out of the way, and bewitching opponents. There are paths that you will get pushed into that you maybe not have seen before, or you may watch opponents take those paths while you bounce off an invisible wall that blocks you from it. This part of the game is a little confusing.
In Smurfs Kart there are also obvious privileges that come with consistently being in the first place, such as getting extra berries, having more opportunities to take trick shots, and being guided off the path for a jump and a mystery box. There is also the major privilege of being envied by your opponents of course.
Smurfs Kart is a fun game, but it is truly a small universe to play in, and players could easily complete all tasks and see the whole game within a few days of consistent play. Perhaps this is just the beginning and the creators plan to build on this world. It feels familiar and it is a comfortable way to branch out into a new game without straying too far from other favorites. There is a lot of online concern about this game being too similar to Mario Kart.
Yes, they are very similar. However, if you truly enjoy this type of racing game, you will enjoy this. It is like taking on new courses, different characters, and changing up the weapons as well as taking advantage of unique superpowers. It is a safe choice that you will enjoy if you know you like racing games similar to this one.
Smurfs Kart is a decent and fun game to play, while it may be awfully similar to the ever-so-popular Mario Kart. It is still enjoyable and a safe choice for those who do like games like this. Smurfs Kart is fun, brings its own unique twist, and has lovable characters that complement many ages of players through the generations.
Platforms that Smurfs Kart is available on include Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. You can read more about the game on the Microids website.
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