International Super Karts PS2 Review

Racing games are great as long as the vehicles feel good to handle, and they don’t control as if they have a mind of their own. The keywords here are “feeling in control”, and if a developer can’t nail these crucial elements then your ride isn’t going to be a very pleasant one, even with all the practice in the world.

Go Karts aren’t really a staple ingredient of the racing genre, so Midas has decided to fill this void with the release of International Super Karts. On paper it certainly sounds good: three types of Go Kart, with each new one faster than the latter one, an ample amount of tracks and the exhilaration of racing frighteningly close to the tarmac.

Thankfully the handling of each of the Go Karts isn’t too difficult, and the vehicles have a suitable lightweight feel whilst being thrown around the tracks at stupid speeds. Initially we thought that the handling felt a little off, but we later found that we were just holding the brake button for too long, which results in wild spinouts, often taking a wrecking ball to our race position. It’s simple stuff really and basis itself on arcade fun instead of attempting to be another raw simulator.

For a little amount of cash you certainly get plenty in return. The game offers a trio of distinct championships, each presenting you with a new and faster Go Kart. Tracks are also unlocked as you strive for championship glory; they vary from generic racetracks through to an airfield, and are diverse and plentiful enough in number. When all that is done and dusted a two-player mode allows you to race against a full track of AI opponents thus assuring that things are never eerily quiet during races.

If we have any complaints about International Super Karts, it’s that there isn’t really a soul or personality to speak of, which could have been better translated into the vehicle handling or the graphics, taking away some of the overall blandness in the process. We’ve certainly played a lot worse though, and for the cheap price there is nothing overly wrong with it.

6/10