Releasing a kart racer on the Switch is always a risky thing, given the fact the console already has a version of Mario Kart available for purchase. You either need to make a game that can stand out with innovative themes or make a game that’s affordable enough for you to consider purchasing either alongside Mario Kart or as a substitute if you already own it on the Wii U. Cars 3 had the advantage of being a Disney title and Beach Buggy Racing had the advantage of being really cheap and full of content. In comes Super Toy Cars, offering kart racing gameplay with a Micro Machines-esque level design. Sadly, while not a terrible game by any means, it fails to stand out among the kart racer crowd.

I suck at it

Super Toy Cars, as the name implies, uses car miniatures and kid-inspired themes for its level design. The game drains a lot of inspiration from Micro Machines and that classic Nintendo 64 racer Re-Volt. You can even play the game in a Micro Machines-esque top down view if you want to. Just like any other kart racer out there, you can pick up and use items against your opponents. You know the drill with a game like this, but you might be wondering if there’s anything here that makes the game worth purchasing, and sadly, there’s not much to praise.

First of all, the graphics aren’t impressive. Sure, the game runs well, with a decent framerate, but the car models are bland and the overall level design is really disappointing. Forget about the amazing tracks from Re-Volt, Super Toy Cars features uninventive tracks so bland you honestly can’t even discern one from the other. The gameplay isn’t great either: instead of opting for loose and easy controls, Super Toy Cars features wonky physics that make the simple act of turning your car more complicated than it should be. Your car loses a ton of momentum when it touches anything as well, making the entire experience even more frustrating.

Getting better!

The game offers a career mode of sorts, but it’s not very engaging. The main problem with it is the fact that there aren’t many tracks in the game, making the entire career mode extremely repetitive, especially when the few tracks that are available look so similar to each other. It can be fun for a race or two, but it gets boring really quickly. I had more fun playing single races than partaking in the game’s career mode, to be really honest.

That doesn’t mean Super Toy Cars doesn’t have any saving graces. Its soundtrack is actually pretty good, even if it doesn’t fit at all with the rest of the game. The soundtrack is comprised of really catchy rock tunes, but I have to say I found it odd (but funny at the same time) when the vocalist started singing about booze in a racing game that’s obviously aimed at a younger audience. Not trying to be extremely politically correct here, I just found it funny.

My timing was impeccable with this screenshot

Far from an offensively bad title, but also far from a passable game, Super Toy Cars is just a little mediocre title. It’s a game that can be mildly entertaining for a few minutes, but not engaging enough to grab your attention for a long time. It’s pretty hard to recommend Super Toy Cars to Switch owners when Mario Kart is already available for it.

Graphics: 4.0 The game doesn’t look very good and the level design is very underwhelming, but the framerate is pretty solid.	Gameplay: 4.5 The controls aren’t very fluid for a kart racer game. Turning corners can be more complicated than it should, and your car loses a lot of momentum if it touches anything.
Sound: 6.5 The soundtrack isn’t bad at all, even though it doesn’t fit with the game even remotely.	Fun Factor: 4.5 There’s a very tiny bit of fun to be had here, but Super Toy Cars is far from the best racer on the Switch, or other consoles for that matter.
Final Verdict: 4.5

Reviewed on Switch.
Also available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Wii U

A copy of Super Toy Cars was provided by the publisher.