It’s time rev up your engines and join the Smurfs in their own kart racing escapade to see who’s the fastest Smurf in town, as Smurfs Kart has made it onto new platforms! Developed by Eden Games and published by Microids, it brings the iconic blue characters onto the racetrack, offering a family-friendly experience that’s both enjoyable and accessible for all ages without doing anything too drastically different. We checked it out on a PlayStation 5.
Set in the whimsical universe of the Smurfs, the premise of Smurfs Kart revolves around kart racing competitions where you get to select one of twelve adorable Smurf characters, each with their own unique kart and special power. But while the character selection offers aesthetic variety, especially if you’re familiar with the source IP, the karts share similar stats and the real distinction in terms of gameplay comes from their exclusive power-ups. From Smurfette to Papa Smurf, the roster features familiar faces, sure to please fans – young and old.
The gameplay mechanics of Smurfs Kart are tailored with younger players in mind, much like some of Outright’s kart racers. The default setting features auto-acceleration, along with optional steering assist. The controls are simple and intuitive, utilizing a single button for acceleration. While it might feel unusual for veteran racing gamers accustomed to using the right trigger for acceleration, it’s a kid-friendly approach that certainly works for the target audience.
As with many kart racers, drifting plays a pivotal role in mastering the tracks and coming out on top. Successful drifts grant speed boosts, providing players with a chance to pass by opponents. The array of power-ups introduces a mix of strategies and chaos to the races. From homing bees to disorienting sirens, these items offer ways to hinder the competition and turn the tide of the race in your favor. However, the randomness of power-up distribution (and respawn times) can lead to surprising twists in races, keeping players on their toes or briefly frustrating them.
While Smurfs Kart is designed for accessibility towards younger players, races can still offer surprising challenges. The combination of power-up items and karting/drifting mechanics can lead to dramatic shifts in positions, from first to last and vice versa, adding excitement and tension to every race. The tracks are dotted with environmental features like ramps, shortcuts, and destructible boxes, providing opportunities for skilled players to showcase their racing prowess and explore a bit.
The game offers twelve tracks inspired by various locales in the Smurfs’ universe, including the village, the forest, the dam, and even Gargamel’s house. But while the track design showcases creativity and verticality in almost all levels, we wish the locations had more color variety to them to match the vibrant nature of the cartoons we grew up with – some locations are a tad on the dark side.
Smurfs Kart also stumbles a bit when it comes to content variety. The absence of online modes might be expected for a family-focused game, but even single-player offerings are sparse. The modes include single races, time trials, and grand prix events, and just having twelve tracks in total isn’t a whole lot when you compare it to other kart racers either. The absence of a robust single-player campaign – maybe even a story-driven one – or a compelling progression/unlockables system might leave players longing for more substance and long-term engagement.
In conclusion, Smurfs Kart captures the essence of the beloved Smurfs universe with its lighthearted karting experience. The accessible controls and charming characters make it a great option for family play sessions. However, the game falls a little short in terms of content and depth, leaving a sense of unfulfilled potential. While the tracks are creatively designed, the recurring visual monotony in some locations and lack of online modes limit the game’s overall appeal for wider audiences. But despite its shortcomings, Smurfs Kart manages to deliver a fun and engaging karting adventure that will particularly resonate with (younger) fans of the Smurfs franchise. So, if you’re ready to embrace the world of the Smurfs and hit the racetracks with these lovable characters, Smurfs Kart might just be what you’re looking for.
Score: 6.8/10
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