Bandicoot-based racer starts its engines

Tense alliances and uneasy truces between players are a staple of strategy wargames, but not so much with cartoon mascot-based racing games. Radical Entertainment (The Simpsons: Hit & Run, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction) is remedying that shortcoming of the genre with today's release of Crash Tag Team Racing, now shipping for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox.

In Crash Tag Team Racing, players can combine with others on the track to form two-man supercars where one player drives while the other takes control of the combined car's significantly improved offensive capabilities. There can only be one winner, however, so players can separate from other cars at any time to sneak ahead and steal a victory.

In another break from racing game convention, Crash Tag Team Racing gives a nod to the series' roots with 3D on-foot segments that see players searching for car upgrades, earning bonus tracks, and interacting with the game's wacky cast of characters. The game also boasts destructible environments and split-screen multiplayer for up to eight players on all consoles (with linked systems).

Crash Tag Team Racing is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older and retails for $39.99. DS and PSP versions are currently in development.