Switch Version Of Crash Team Racing Receives Early Patch To Improve Online Multiplayer

I like that they are going to continue to refine the game over time, hopefully SEGA will do the same with sonic team racing and maybe release some more tracks. I like CTR but it's hard as nails, never played before so finding it tough!

Anything on the 30 second loading screens? It's 2019, people!

@USWITCH64 How do the controls feel compared to Mario kart?

@Deltarogue feels good only thing is to boost you have to hold down R or L button depending on with direction you are drifting, then press the opposite button when the gauge is full, but you get used to it. The game reminds me of diddy Kong racing but a million times harder

@Fazermint more like a minute!

I slated team sonic racing when I first got it but this week IV really got into it and actually prefer it to CTR. What I don't like about CTR is for a casual player I just want to play grand Prix and it doesn't save your cups like mario and sonic which I find strange.

@Fazermint Was surprised to find PS4 version has long ones as well, hopefully they can fix them.

I heard CTR is 30FPS. WTF!

@John_Deacon yeah I didn't realise you could upgrade your kart which makes a huge difference! Plus the music is superb as well as the tracks.

The constant online requirement to earn in-game currency even in single player ruins the experience. I wont buy games that do that on principle. They must be planning to add microstransactions after reviews are out because it makes no sense as is.

If they refine the game a bit more, I may get it. I'm a bit turned off by the 30fps thing. if they can't hit 60fps, I'll stick to my original version. People on Pushsquare are also saying the game has had a bit of a difficulty spike as well, and CTR was already pretty challenging.

Game looks and runs great on Switch. Just tried it out this morning.

I was especially impressed with how good it looks in handheld mode.

Apparently even the PS4 and Xbox versions are 30fps(and their online multiplayer is somehow even WORSE). I don't understand how a remaster/remake of an old ass PS1 kart racer can't hit 60fps, yet Mario Kart 8 can do it no problem. I mean, I don't even care that much that it is 30fps(gaming geeks make way too big a deal over framerate these days), but it's still odd. I'm not sure Activision picked the right developer to do this, but this is Craptivision after all..

@vio I imagine, since Nintendo's own development studios create Mario Kart, they have a much better understanding of the Switch hardware in how to optimise their art assets and game engine to achieve the best visuals.

CTR is a multi-platform release, so they're using up more time and resources to get the game out on more consoles, at the risk of sacrificing overall quality. Plus, the Switch is an underpowered console compared to PS4 and XBOne, which sacrifices more time and visual quality in getting it run consistently well.

@USWITCH64 Your experience with the game worries me quite a bit. I don't need a tough as nails racer on my Nintendo Switch. I think I will get Team Sonic Racing instead for now.

@Dpullam dont get me wrong, the game is very good, looks and plays good and is fun too. Just the adventure mode is very hard on anything but easy setting but it's my first experience with crash

@Onion it's 30fps on all platforms so don't let that put you off, it plays really nicely

My copy hasn't arrive it so I'm hoping all the good things about this game will impress me.

I heard online multiplayer was having issues in all versions

@USWITCH64 I am glad you are looking at it objectively. I bet my experience would be the same for a while until I get used to it. I will still get the game. I just think I am getting Team Sonic Racing first.

Online having issues in all versions, if anything Switch is the least affected though..
The game is great, if you don't want to tough a challenge play the adventure mode on easy. The game is quite tough on harder difficulty..... The graphics are great and fps seem's smooth. Gameplay is very good, drifting however takes some getting used to. Loading sceens are not ideal.... We need a patch for those really.
If Sonic Team Racing got a 7/10, this is worth an 8 in my view. Also, I got around 20 hours out of Sonic Team Racing, so if you are really in to Kart Racers I would recommend both..... Along with Mario Kart obviously.

@BANJO Agree 100%

@USWITCH64

I'm aware of that, doesn't change the fact it kills my interest in the game. Plus as I said, I own the original CTR. If they can't achieve 60fps, I'd rather just play my original copy. With all the graphics-heavy online games having 60fps, I can't excuse a kart racer for not being able to do the same. I have pretty much zero reason to get this as of right now besides kart customization.

I'm not really complaining though. I'll just keep my eye on it and see what happens.

There's lightning issues on some of the levels too

For the people who played it: are the Nitro Kart tracks available in Adventure mode? Expanding the whole mode with challenges? Or just to be played outside adventure?

Im loving it so far. Handles identical to the original and looks gorgeous. Tough as nails but im liking the challenge.
Glad they're doing something about online. It was unplayable for me last night. Hope they do something with load times though. I think the PS1 original has quicker load times.

Still on the fence about this one. Though Spyro getting in makes it that much more appealing to me.

Good to hear, and hopefully they keep to their word with the continuing refinement. I bought the physical edition of this game, but I haven't opened it yet because I wanted to see how the online plays out. Single player portion is obviously important to me but in a game like this, so is online.

Super Bomberman R left a bad taste in my mouth with its terrible launch, and although they eventually improved the online over time and added DLC, it was too late. The online community became a ghost town pretty quickly in my experience.

they should fix difficulty.. normal is too easy for me and hard is basically impossible

I'd like to know whether the PS4 version is much better than Switch. I'd rather get the PS4 version but don't pay for PS Plus online so Switch version may be the better option for me.

This game is the same across all 3 consoles.even the 30fps.besides I don't have any issues with the switch version.plays just fine to me

@Dpullam hes not wrong either. You have to come in first place on each track to get the trophies to unlock more races and the first race I've came 1st on my 8th go and I've not managed 1st on anything else yet. There is always 1 or 2 karts that's seem to be picked at random to drive flawlessly. Very easy to get in to 2nd or 3rd but keeping hold of 1st is a nightmare. What a bloody frustrating game this has turned out be. Anything much less than a perfect race and you wont be getting 1st place.

I was actually online when the patch dropped... it caused the game to close so it could download the update.

@Kidfunkadelic83 maybe you should adjust the difficulty. This game does have a learning curve, but hoo boy, it’s so good when you get it down... seriously, I’ve been gobsmacked at points by just how fast I’ve been going, to the point of finishing races nearly a whole lap ahead of everyone else.

Don't fall for the "30fps is fine" mantra. I bought Sonic Team Racing when it came out, and after playing it once, it's now collecting dust 😣

30fps is sub-standard for any action game, but for racing games it's the absolute pits. It's not just the smoothness of motion that's affected, it also affects how responsive your controls feel. The choppy frame rate makes the controls feel less sharp.
I'm almost tempted to buy the PC version, but it sucks to play games like this on PC.

@Kidfunkadelic83 Wow. Are you playing on the easiest difficulty too?

@Prizm
“I'm almost tempted to buy the PC version, but it sucks to play games like this on PC.”
About that, there is no PC version.

@Fazermint In that 30 seconds I can :

Have a drink,
or Read Nintendolife,
or Talk to a friend,
or Eat a snack,
or Meditate,
or Do 10 pushups,
or Write this comment,
or any other thing that doesn't involve staring at a screen.

It's 2019, so I will choose to talk about it as a way to stop staring at a screen for an extra 30 seconds.

Hi guys. New here. Been lurking before. Reading comments. Signed up because you seem like a cool community. Anyway, regarding the game: it runs very smooth. Both docked and handheld. Online works great. Very skill oriented game. Played around 5-ish hours, then played MK8 Deluxe. MK8 feels easier to control. CTR feels like 200cc from the get go, with "awkward" power slide mechanic(that's how they call it if I'm not mistaken). I played the original on PS, now on the switch. I think both games are great kart racers and deserve to be played. Loading times are... well... longer(around 30-ish secs), but I believe it will be taken care of. I play on easy. Don't wanna get frustrated. But even then, considering I'm reacquainting myself with the game, it was a bit of a challenge. Gotta "git gut". MK8 on the other hand was, comparatevely, a breeze(grand prix, I suck against human players online). Anyway, too much babbling already from me. Enjoy guys/gals.

@Onion The game was probably was able to hit 60fps, but it mostly likely it wasn't able hold 60fps especially on the base Xbox One and PS4. So they probably decided drop the framerate to 30fps to keep visual parity.

@Onion The difficulty in single player is broken, the CPU AI is pretty unbalanced and the game relies too much on items and luck (pray for a bad CPU behavior in the final lap), the opposite of what made the original CTR so unique if compared to other kart racers. Bosses are the only exception, they’re still fair challenges just like in the original, very rewarding to learn and beat.

I’ve lost count of how many times I had to restart each race to secure the 1st place result the game demands to let you progress. It wasn’t fun at all.

@Judgedean I heard all platforms are locked at 30

@Galarian_Lassie - Oh, I should've made it clear - I meant the PC version of Sonic Racing.

@Dpullam no just the normal, pre set difficulty. I dont want to drop the game to easy. I'd rather be pushed in to getting to grips with it rather than be winning every single race.

@aVagabond Welcome to the gang! I have frequenting for about six years, and I have never found a site I feel as much at home on. As for the game, I would have to play at the same difficulty as you. I don't want to get needlessly frustrated when I could have a good time on an easier difficulty, though I will personally get Team Sonic Racing first.

@Dpullam

Hey! Thanks for welcoming me. I understand what you are saying, regarding difficulty. Personally, I consider myself a casual player, although I do yell at games sometimes (Dark souls, Bloodborne, Nioh and lately Sekiro). Nope, lately easy modes for me and casual gameplay. Due to work and school(decided to educate myself further in my mid thirties) I have little time to play. So, when I do, I want to make some progress, and not like in Dark Souls 20 to 40 times dying to a boss, losing couple of hours in the process.
Anyway, may pick up sonic team racing too. Will se.
I do need to say that I am enjoying CTR for the moment. Especially online. I am bad, but when I do manage to pull out a perfect lap, man that feels good. Kind of more satisfying than MK8 Deluxe at the moment. Enjoy your gaming. 😃

@aVagabond Enjoy your gaming too!

@rushiosan Never played the original games, but after unlocking the second area, the only frustrating thing I've come across is the first boss. You have to drive unnaturally and be very careful in knowing where the boss is if he's behind you. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't like his mechanic at all.

The rest of the game is fantastic and I've only played Adventure mode. I'm used to the rubber band AI with Mario Kart, so that didn't phase me one bit. As for the game relying too much on items and luck, I strongly disagree. Before I learned how to powerslide, I was having a difficult time getting anywhere close to 3rd or better. Now, my fights are between 1st, 2nd and 3rd with my reason for losing almost always being me screwing up.

@EasyDaRon Probably nostalgia

Once again, an incomplete game is released to be patched later.

What happened to quality control??

Game Devs are just getting lazy by releasing games which have bugs which they fix later, but by then it damages the reputation of the game which in turn ruins the game for a lot of people, haven't they heard of first impressions?

@rushiosan

Yeah I've heard the same on Pushsquare, so the PS4 version has the same issues. Too many things put me off the game and reduce it to "on sale maybe" for me. If I didn't own the original game though, ehhh, I dunno.

Hopefully some of these issues will be patched.

@Floki

This would be my guess as well, in that case I wouldn't mind if they had dialed back some of the aesthetics if it meant a higher FPS. No word yet on whether or not the Pro and X version are 30fps but I assume so.

I've seen worse though. Seikiro on consoles is atrocious about this and way back on N64 we had Diddy Kong Racing running at a glorious 15fps, and we loved it.

For the record, I normally care very little about these things but for games like this and Doom on Switch, it IS kind of important for me because I have access to other versions where the fps might be better. I'm a Switch/PS4/PC owner so I have options to consider, plus with this being a remake I have to ask myself if I really want to dish out cash for a remake of a game I already own.

Glad they're already patching it though, I'll be watching to see if they can iron out some of the issues.