The GBA's first kart racer is a lickety-split romp bristling with candy-colored courses, wacky weapons and manic multiplayer modes.

While none of the eight competitors are household names - Castlevania's Dracula might be the most recognizable to U.S. gamers - they've all been given that cartoony look you'd expect in a lighthearted racer like this. Each has been rated for top speed, acceleration and grip, but since their ratings don't appear in the game you'll have to experiment to get a feel for each racer.

The 16 fairly short tracks wind through meadows and beaches and soar over stars and lava lakes, but only a dozen are open at game's beginning. You can practice on a track with other racers in Free Run Mode or with no other racers in Time Attack Mode. There are three difficulty levels.

Krazy Grand Prix mode takes you through four circuits (Krazy Cup, Hyper Cup, Premium Cup and Championship Cup) of four tracks each. Once you finish a circuit, you must pass a licensing test before advancing to the next. These tests feature such challenges as completing a solo race within a time limit.

You launch one of the numerous power-ups with the L Button. The R Button, which makes your kart hop, will get major use as you cruise down a track littered with holes and other hazards.

Multiplayer play requires two GBAs, a GBA Game Link Cable and two Game Paks. You can race a track or enter one of Konami Krazy Racer's two Mini-Battle games.

Taking full advantage of the GBA's wide screen, support for detailed graphics and shoulder buttons, developer Konami hand-delivers lots of hand-held fun.