Tearing it up
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- doodles (closely followed by zombies) are the closest thing iPhone gaming has to a mascot. And from Mario to Crash Bandicoot every mascot worth their salt has gotten behind the wheel for a spin-off series of madcap racing titles. So really it was only a matter of time before doodles took to the race track.
While doodle games are ten a penny on the Appstore and resultantly have lost some of their charm, Doodle Kart tries hard to differientiate itself from the oodles of similarly themed titles by putting a fresh spin on this hand-drawn style with some fun, Micro Machines-esque vehicular action.
Taking place on a table top and viewed from a top-down perspective (in a nod to Codemasters’ classic series), races have you battling it out against rivals on fiendish tracks littered with obstacles like pencils, rulers and set squares.
This being a kart racer, we also get the usual array of power-ups and weaponry for good measure. Brilliantly these munitions are, for the best part, in keeping with the doodle theme, and include hilarious abilities such as firing pencils at your opponents and poking (black) holes in the page.
A well devised and easy to use set of onscreen controls (accelerate, brake, left, right and weapon buttons) mean traversing the topsy-turvy tracks and knocking seven shades of doodle out of other cars is hugely enjoyable.
The game is truly a visual treat, with fast-paced races taking place on winding tracks scrawled on graph-paper; these black and white circuits brought to stunning life by splashes of crayola colour depicting lakes, deserts and other track-side scenery, not to mention cameo appearances by some other doodle characters!
With 25 levels, 5 worlds and a selection of gameplay modes on offer, Doodle Kart has more than enough content to keep you coming back for more. However the exclusion of multiplayer options might sully the experience for some, and honestly does seem like a strange ommission given how well suited the game seems to online and/or bluetooth play.
All in all, Doodle Kart is an unmissable addition to both the doodle and kart racing genres, and comes highly recommended for fans of either. My suggestion for a sequel? Zombie Doodle Kart of course!
iFanzine Verdict: Doodle Kart combines two of iDevice’s best loved genres, doodles and racing, to great effect. A great looking game that offers plenty of addictive karting fun.
Score: 8 out of 10
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