A blue shell in the final corner, and all your friendships go up in smoke. You know the one.

On gut feeling, the community likes it, ahead of more than eight games out of ten, no doubt for those frantic sessions with friends. But the detail draws a contrasted profile. As a desert island pick, it holds up very well, and its soundtrack stays solid. On the other hand, attachment, fun, and controller feel fall back around average, and two areas dive sharply: the wish to rediscover it lands at the very bottom, and its art style stays low too. Consistent with what it is: a party game you relaunch again and again, not an adventure to rediscover nor a visual peak.

Next to other racing games, it remains the benchmark of the friendly arcade genre, built for the couch and shared controllers.

So, who is it for? For you if you want instant multiplayer fun, sharp and chaotic races. Much less if you mostly play solo or if you are after narrative content.