The ruthless Emperor Velo as bandicoot-napped Crash and forced him to race against enemies old and new. The stakes couldn't be higher: if Crash fails, he can say good-bye to planet earth.

The tracks are well-designed, with lots of big jumps, branches, hazards and sharp turns. The backgrounds and racer sprites look great, but the tracks themselves tend to be pixelated. Success depends on catching as many of the plentiful zippers as possible.

12 tracks

Four unique worlds, including jungles, volcanoes and space stations

19 characters, including Crash, Crunch, Coco and Dr. Cortex

Each racer rated for speed, acceleration and turn

Three difficulty levels

Mode 7 graphics

Two- to four-player multi-Pak action via Game Boy Advance Game Link Cables

GCN connectivity

Solo players can advance through tracks in Adventure mode, compete for cups in Arcade mode or race against the clock in Time Trial mode

Turbo boosts, TNT, homing missiles, invisibility and more power-ups

Soundtrack features bouncy music and comical comments from rivals