It is hard to believe that nearly thirty years have passed since the introduction of the first Mario Kart game. This cult classic has popularized kart racers over the years, and many developers saw the opportunity to introduce their own creations by taking a page from Nintendo's book. While some were more successful than others, Electric Square envisioned a racing game that would feature an amalgamation of Fox's most beloved animated characters behind the wheel. For those eager to partake in virtual karting as Peter Griffin, Stan Smith, Peggy Hill or Yumyulack, this upcoming racer is sure to tick all the right boxes.
Releasing this month as an exclusive Apple Arcade title, Warped Kart Racers will teleport fans to a new dimension ripe with circuits themed around locations featured in 20th Century Studio's hit animated series. Players can take the helm as one of 20 characters from American Dad, Family Guy, King of the Hill, and Solar Opposites to hone their karting skills across 16 different tracks inspired by fan-favorite episodes. The game will support controller input, which is always a welcome addition to any mobile title that falls under the racing genre.
In terms of whom players can expect to embody upon launch, all members of the Smith family from American Dad and the Hills from King of the Hill will be present, including everyone’s favorite conspiracy theorist, Dale Gribble. Unfortunately, the Griffins from Family Guy will be short of Chris and members from "The Wall" side story of Solar Opposites will not be featured, despite the appearance of the entire main alien cast. Whether Electric Square plans to expand the roster of playable characters at a later date remains to be seen, but it will likely depend on general reception and player retention. What is known, though, is that access to most of the launch characters will ultimately require some elbow grease.
As is the case with most modern mobile games, Warped Kart Racers will feature daily challenges. Completing them will allow the players to unlock new skins, vehicles, characters, and various other customization features. Aside from the somewhat expected 8-player multiplayer matches, the game will include a lengthy single-player campaign, which sets it apart from the remainder of mobile kart racers on the market. Coupled with Fox's signature animation translated into easily recognizable and fun graphics, Warped Kart Racers clearly aims to offer a complete experience rather than limit itself as another run-off-the-mill pastime application.
Despite the presence of an extensive single-player mode, nothing about Electric Square's upcoming licensed title appears out of the ordinary. However, unlike the multitudes of similar entries in the genre, Warped Kart Racers will ensure that its players have a broader range of customization options. Their inclusion might even garner the attention of karting enthusiasts who are not necessarily familiar with the characters but appreciate autonomy and personalization within games.
For the time being, Electric Square has no intention of releasing Warped Kart Racers outside of Apple's subscription service. While iOS, macOS, and tvOS users subscribed to Apple Arcade will be able to download and play the game on May 20, Android owners will have to wait and see if the developer's stance eventually changes. In the interim, revisiting some of the best episodes from Fox's featured animated series will keep the engines running and gears lubricated with crude humor until the title becomes available on other platforms, should that happen.