Friday, June 08, 2018

Nickelodeon Plans 'Nickelodeon Kart Racers' Video Game For Consoles [Updated]

GameStop has revealed that Nickelodeon is planning to release a brand-new racing-themed video game titled Nickelodeon Kart Racers for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Tuesday 23rd October 2018!

Update (6/8): Nickelodeon Kart Racers will also be released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in addition to the Nintendo Switch.


Nickelodeon Kart Racers is being developed and published by Solutions 2 Go, a Canada-based multinational distributor of video games, accessories and specialty products.

Unfortunately, no more information about the game nor its box art is currently available. However, more information, including art and screenshots, should be released in the coming weeks.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is currently available to pre-order for $39.99 (USD) at GameStop.com.

Although unconfirmed, it is thought that Nickelodeon Kart Racers will be similar to Nickelodeon and Pipe Dream's popular Nicktoons Racing, a Mario Kart-esque Nickelodeon crossover racing video game featuring a variety of popular Nick characters that saw a debut on Gameboy Color in 2000, before being ported to various other platforms, including the PlayStation 1. It received two sequels, one on PC and one in arcades, though the franchise has been dormant since 2009. Nearly all versions were developed by Software Creations with the exception of the Game Boy Advance version, which was developed by Crawfish Interactive, and the arcade version, which was developed by Chicago Gaming.

Nicktoons Racing allowed players to play as and race against their favourite Nicktoon characters from shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, CatDog, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Angry Beavers and The Wild Thornberrys. Each driver drives a vehicle inspired by the show they feature in (SpongeBob drives a pineapple kart, Tommy Pickles drives a Reptar wagon, Eliza Thornberry drives a miniature R.V., etc), with each vehicle having unique handling, speed, power and other attributes.

In the game, various Nickelodeon characters each receive a letter invitation to compete in a Grand Prix for the top prize, the Krusty Krab Big Bun Award. The host of the competition, also the individual who sent the invitations, is an unknown, unseen driver of a sleek, black car with a tinted dome window simply dubbed as the Mystery Rider, which the participating racers are challenged to beat, as well as each other.

The news follows Nickelodeon and THQ Nordic recently announcing that they have partnered to bring back a number of Nick Games from the Nickelodeon catalog starting later this year. THQ Nordic hasn’t revealed which specific games it plans on remastering or re-releasing, but has named the franchises that it plans to revive, including Rugrats, Danny Phantom, SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly OddParents, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Back at the Barnyard and Catscratch.

Below is Nicktoons Racing's official product description:

"Speed past Angelica, steer around SpongeBob SquarePants, and look out for the Angry Beavers. Nicktoons Racing is a fast-paced kart racing game with all your favorite Nicktoons characters. The game features Nick-themed tracks, famous racers, lots of power-ups, crazy hazards, and more."

Below is Amazon.co.uk's review of Nicktoons Racing:


"Now you can give Angelica her comeuppance, help SpongeBob be a winner, or simply see how CatDog manages to drive a race car. Nicktoons Racing will thrill cartoon fans and gamers alike as it spices up a racing program with twists and turns that are pure Nickelodeon.

Only in this program will you find tracks with giant fingers growing out of pink dirt, power-ups that include the "Powdered Toast Man Crouton Launcher" (yes, it enables you to launch huge croutons at your opponents), and prizes such as a wheel of cheese. Players can get behind the wheel with and race against 12 Nickelodeon characters, including Tommy from the Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, or Helga from Hey Arnold. There is also a Mystery Rider in a black car; to uncover his or her (or its!) identity, racers must win on all 12 tracks.

This Windows-only program has three difficulty levels, a feature that allows not-so-great racers to progress towards discovering who or what the Mystery Rider is. Five game modes include an option for two players to race head to head, a relay option and a couple of practice options that won't damage trophy standings. Players must win first place on the easier tracks before they can access the more difficult ones. And if players don't have a game pad or joystick, they must race using the arrow keys.

Everything from talcum powder to "gritty litter" comes into play as racers manoeuvre their cartoon characters around the bends of these twisted tracks. Our one complaint is that we only get to see the backs of our favourite Nick characters as they speed through their surreal world. (Ages 6 and up)"



Which Nick characters would you like to see featured in Nickelodeon Kart Racers? Let me know in the comments below!

More Nick: THQ Nordic And Nickelodeon To Bring Back Selected Video Game Titles From The Past!

Original sources: Nintendo Life, Nintendo Everything, Ubergizmo; Additional sources: Wikipedia, Bloomberg, Amazon.co.uk, Encyclopedia SpongeBobia, ToonZone Forums /@TrueCore.
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