Summary
Crash Team Racingis not only one of thePlayStation’smost seminal titles, but it is also one of thebest kart racers to ever exist. Whenit released in 1999, it was a smash hit, selling over a million copies and earning high praise from fans and critics alike. A remaster of the game, titledCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, arrived in 2019 and brought the racer into the modern age, including online multiplayer functionality.
Still, there’s nothing quite like the original, with its circa 2000 graphics and character models. A group of modders felt the same way, andso they spent the past five years disassembling Naughty Dog’s original PS1 titleand building it back up. The end result is the original Crash Team Racing with online functionality, better polygons and higher frame rates. It is as glorious as it sounds, andit’s now available to download.
Check it out:
Race Like Its 1999
According to OnlineCTR, the group behind the mod, this mod features multiple dedicated servers across the globe, including servers in the United States, Brazil, Spain and Australia. Additionally, all characters and tracks have been unlocked from the get-go, allowing players to dive right in without needing to complete any outstanding objectives. Finally, and perhaps best of all, it’s free to download.
Provided that you have an original copy of Crash Team Racing for thePS1lying around, you can rip it to your PC, then download the patch. Thefull source code is available on GitHub, so no need to fear any rogue viruses or code. In fact, the team encourages users to fork and edit the code to provide new fixes or improvements.
Much like the remaster for modern hardware, the online mod for the original Crash Team Racing helps bring the kart racer into the present. Along with online functionality, 60 frames per second is also an option, as is the ability to partake in full screen racing. And there should be no fear of desynching because the code was built from scratch.
Over 650,000 lines of code were used to help make this project a reality, and it appears that the team is not done yet. According toits official website, an Online Adventure Mode is currently being worked on. Other features are also apparently planned, perthe release trailer.
While we have no clue whenthe next Crash Bandicoot game will come out, this should tide everyone over in the interim. And, well, if CTR is not your speed,then the Bloodborne-themed kart racer called Nightmare Kart is also out.
