Best Kart Racer of N64/PS1 era?

[VideoGameCritic]

The other night I was reviewing Looney Tunes Racing LTR (PS1) with some friends, and we played Crash Team Racing first as a basis of comparison. I also thought CTR set the high water mark for karts of the era, but my friends thought LTR might actually be better! Although it only supports 2P split-screen.

Then we got into it about the Mario Kart and Diddy Kong games for the N64. What do you think the best kart racer of that era was?

[CharlieR]

I love the kart racing genre, especially from that era. There are some lesser-known games from that era, like Toy Story racing, Muppet Race Mania, and Final Fantasy Chocobo racing that I have never played. I did get Looney Tunes Racing a few years ago and it's really good.

Mario kart 64 is more based on nostalgia for me; I don't really enjoy a lot of the tracks. CTR I haven't played in a while, but was great. Diddy Kong racing was a lot of fun, but I think one of my favorites overall is Mickey's Speedway USA for n64. A great game with short, fun tracks. The only thing I don't like about it is that if you hold the drift for too long, you spin out.

[Retro STrife]

Never became much of a kart racer fan. Diddy Kong Racing was the only one I owned growing up, so it got the most play time. I've played Mario Kart 64 in the years since then - good game, but I think the name recognition makes it a bit overrated. I'd choose Diddy Kong Racing over that, so that gets my vote. As for CTR, I own that one but I don't think I've ever played it. But I want to.. I feel like that game's reputation has grown over the years -- back in the day, a lot of people wrote it off as a Mario Kart rip-off, but now I think many view it on the same level as the N64 kart racers.

[Stalvern]

Always loved LEGO Racers; I played the PC version. Loaded with shortcuts and fun secrets, and you get to build your own car!

[GTS]

I own most of those games but haven't played them a lot. I will say that when CTR remastered comes out, I'll be getting it on day 1. Me and the wife love playing Mario Kart on Switch, so I'm looking forward to another cart racer.

[astrodomekid]

CTR, no contest.

[HawgWyld]

Crash Team Racing, hands down. My wife and I played the heck out of that thing when it first came out, and we are certainly getting the remastered version for the PS4 when it is released in June. I hate the adventure mode in CTR, but the head-to-head, split-screen insanity is absolutely fantastic.

[Herschie]

If I wanted the best-made game that checks all the boxes, I'd go with Diddy Kong. If I wanted the game I enjoyed most from that era, I'm going with Mario Kart 64.

[LoganRuckman]

Diddy Kong Racing for sure. An actual fleshed out single player experience, three different styles of racing, upgradeable powerups, boss races, great track design, and a huge amount of courses are all offered on this cartridge. What more could you ask for?

[Rev]

I've played pretty much all of them and the one that I go back to time and time again is Diddy Kong Racing. While the power ups are pretty basic, I think that might be the reason I like it so much. This is one of the few kart racers from back then that doesn't have rubber band AI and where you rank is mostly due to your racing skills. The three types of courses (flying, water, and land) also add some nice variety. I do have to admit that I replayed it a year or so ago and that was the first time I remember being a bit disappointed from the game.

Another game I really enjoy is Snowboarding Kids 2. Most people don't talk of this one and even though it takes place on snowboards, the game is basically a kart racer.