When Crazy Kart launched, I admit to being quite skeptical about its chances of success, after all, it was yet an unexplored genre in local online gaming back then, and with the console market already brimming with Mario Kart clones, (with each new spinoff getting worse), I wasn’t even sure it was a good idea in the first place.
But boy, was I wrong about this one– and over three million registered players proved it.
Barely a year after its launch, there seems to be no stopping the Kart craze that has swept gamers all over the country, and with more and more players reaching the maximum level, Level Up! Games did the best thing they could—release a sequel.
Crazy Kart 2: Race Battle Online (CK2RBO), is the next step in the evolution of the Crazy Kart franchise that brings increased difficulty levels, pumped up features and the introduction of a Cyber Racing League where top players can go head to head for gamer pride and a slew of exciting prizes. It is an altogether different game from CK and not just an obligatory upgrade.
According to Jake San Diego, Marketing Director of Level Up!, CK2RBO features everything that the players loved about Crazy Kart 1 – ease of play, rich and massive 3D atmosphere, loads of karts and tracks of racing maps. “If you think you’ve already mastered the first game or if you are looking for more serious competition, then you definitely need to check out CK2RBO,” he said. “The enhancements can be experienced with improved graphics, more serious and action-packed game play, increased levels of difficulty, and loads of new game features. Players can navigate across over 5,000 kilometers of various track types, using more than 200 kart-types in all new game modes. They can also expect hair-raising twists and turns in more challenging maps, boss/chase battle, race team formation system, quest system, and even a driver evolution system.”
To help spread the kraze Level Up! has once again signed up Pinoy racing princess Gaby dela Merced, an avid gamer herself, as CK2RBO’s brand ambassador. “Being part of CK2RBO is a personal way of encouraging Filipino gamers to live their dreams,” she says. “I used to dream of becoming a race car driver tracing back to the time I would play the latest racing games, and I have for so many years done everything to work towards that goal, and so too can everyone if you put your heart and mind to it.”
GAME FEATURES
To give it a more MMOG feel, CK2RBO strengthens the Race Team Feature, which is exclusive for group of Players who want to do races together with each other, and offers a better experience for them. The most difficult features of the game are dependent on group play, so forming a Race Team would prove highly beneficial. To form a Race Team, one must have have a Race Team Registration Card. (Available at the Item Mall). Once you have the necessary Item, you could go to the Race Team page and hit “Create Team” in order to Create your Team.
One of the most competitive game modes of CK2RBO’s is the Boss Chase Battle. In this Game Mode, players are introduced to a Boss, which will be flying ahead of the racers, and the goal of the racers is to take the Boss down before he completes the full lap of the course of the current Map. Throughout the Race, the boss will drop a multitude of obstructions on the road (Banana Peels, Smoke Screens, and Dizzy Bombs) so proper maneuvering to avoid them is necessary. There are 3 levels of difficulty for Chase Battle, but of course, in order to defeat the harder challenges, you have to bring some friends along!
CK2RBO likewise implements an Event Race System where Players can Register for In-game Events set up on a specific day of the Month/Year. Players will be able to earn Items and Gold for winning these Events, and Most specially, earn Fame Points. Fame Points are for Players who wants to display their Achievements and Rank, thus showing their superiority among the Players in terms of Skill! The My Events & Cup Section displays and sorts Events according to Date on when the it will start, and the current number of registrants and participants will be displayed.
For Players who have earned a high amount of Fame Points, they will then be able to participate in a special Race Event called “Street Kings Battle.” In this section, Racing Teams will be designated either the Defender or the Challenger.
The Crazy Kart Battle feature meanwhile focuses more on timed runs. In this new CK2RBO feature, Racers will face a challenge of 6 consecutive maps with increasing level of difficulty. Each map (selected randomly) would have to be finished before the time displayed on the screen, or you will lose the race.
Finishing the Map before the allotted time (located at the Lower Right of your screen) will grant you huge amounts of EXP or Gold Points.
And if you think you’ve gone a long way and attained high levels, you might want to have your License status changed. In CK2RBO, you are able to upgrade your License status to further increase your gaming prowess and rank. Upgrading your License will give your Kart further benefits such as: increased Handling; permanent Discounts at the Item Mall; special Indication on Racing Rooms about your status
CYBER LEAGUE
And to rev up gamers even more, Level Up likewise launched the CK2RBO Cyber Racing League in cooperation with SM CyberZone. The tournament provides players from all over the Philippines the chance to test their online karting skills as they will compete using a variety of advanced maps and any one of the fastest karts in the game.
The tournament is scheduled for eight legs in eight SM CyberZone branches all over the Philippines from February to September 2010. The top four winners of each leg will automatically represent the SM CyberZone branch where they competed and get the chance to vie for a slot at Level Up! Live 2010 where they stand a chance to win cash prizes and the honor of being named the first ever CK2RBO Cyber Racing League Champion.
According to Jeff Paulino, Brand Manager for Crazy Kart and CK2RBO, the CK2RBO Cyber Racing League will provide elite Crazy Kart players – the varsity – to test their skills in an intense and competitive setting. “The launch of the Cyber Racing League on the same day that CK2RBO goes commercial is a milestone not just for the game but also for all Pinoy online racing fans as they now have a venue by which to reach and compete at Level Up! Live – the dream of most online gamers in the Philippines.”
___
DATABLITZ PICKS OF THE WEEK
DARK VOID PS3/ 360 / PC
Dark Void is a sci-fi action-adventure game that combines an adrenaline-fuelled blend of aerial and ground-pounding combat. Set in a parallel universe called “The Void,” players take on the role of Will, a pilot dropped into incredible circumstances within the mysterious Void. This unlikely hero soon finds himself swept into a desperate struggle for survival, joining forces with a rebel human group called The Survivors. Trapped in the Void, these resistance fighters are battling to hold off a mysterious alien race that plans to threaten Earth.
Dark Void’s unique combination of jetpack-booster aerial dog fighting and third-person combat creates a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Taking 3D action to a whole new level, Dark Void’s unique vertical combat system allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and hurl enemies to their doom, bringing a whole new sense of tension and thrill to the player. Will is also equipped with a powerful rocket pack which allows for fierce in-air combat, hurtling through the Void at blistering speeds while shooting down anything that gets in his path.
MAG
The year is 2025. The optimism and harmony of the 2010s had completely been eradicated by 2020. A global crisis loomed. Food shortages sparked riots, currencies plummeted, fuel reserves dwindled, and oil-producing nations began to ration what remained. It is a dark future. Governments earmarked money for humanitarian efforts, overseas security, and intelligence services which, over time, found its way the coffers of a small group of Private Military Corporations (PMCs). These three private armies (Valor, Raven, and S.V.E.R.) then began to recruit aggressively. Soldiers without a country, the contractors fight wars that never happened. This is the nature of the Shadow War.
From the award-winning developer, Zipper Interactive, comes the next evolution in gaming – MAG. A first-person, online-only shooter, MAG lets you experience battles with up to 256 real people across a global battlefield. Players join one of three PMCs fighting each other in a shadow war and can either become skilled operatives or rank up to eventually command their private army to victory. Featuring unprecedented online action of a scale never before devised with player controlled strategic assets such as calling in air strikes, mortar barrages and parachute insertions; the persistent Shadow War in MAG keeps players coming back for more.
Utilizing a sophisticated ranking system and chain of command model, MAG manages the large number of players by breaking them down into squads of eight players. Players climb their way up the chain of command to take control of their 8-person squad, then 32-person platoon, and ultimately a 128-person army.
___
For all your PC gaming needs drop by Datablitz’ branches at SM, Robinsons, and Ayala Malls. You could also call (632) 7345058; (632) 7338477; (632) 7348 or check out their website at www.datablitz.com.ph. Send your questions and comments on anything gaming to [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .