Super Indie Karts
- May 6, 2015
- One Legged Seagull
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Super Indie Karts" is a fun and vibrant racing game featuring a variety of indie game characters. With numerous tracks and customization options, players can race against friends or AI opponents in intense kart racing action. Power-ups and unique abilities for each character add an extra layer of strategy to the game.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Super Indie Karts is a nostalgic throwback to classic kart racers, delivering fast-paced and colorful gameplay that captures the essence of retro gaming.
- The game features a diverse roster of quirky characters from various indie games, providing a unique twist that fans of the genre will appreciate.
- The controls are tight and responsive, allowing for enjoyable drifting and racing mechanics that make the game fun to play with friends in local multiplayer.
- The game currently lacks online multiplayer, which limits its replayability and social experience compared to other kart racers.
- Some tracks can feel overly cluttered and confusing, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy the racing experience.
- As the game is still in early access, it suffers from a lack of content and features, such as achievements and a more robust single-player campaign.
- gameplay77 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this kart racing game is generally praised for its fast-paced, addictive nature and smooth handling, reminiscent of classic titles like Super Mario Kart. While the drifting mechanics and track designs receive mixed feedback—some finding them enjoyable and others criticizing their execution—players appreciate the variety of characters and power-ups available. Overall, the game captures the essence of retro kart racers, though some users note that it could benefit from further polish and balance in its mechanics and track design.
“This game is a love letter to retro kart racers, delivering fast, colorful, and incredibly fun gameplay.”
“The karts themselves handle perfectly and the gameplay feels really smooth.”
“The gameplay itself is super smooth and is very satisfying to play, especially when you get to high speeds, making it fun.”
“All in all, the game has potential, as the drifting and handling of the karts feels nice, but the gameplay is ruined by the awful tracks.”
“In terms of gameplay, the game is a mess and has collision bugs and glitches of going through walls, badly made maps where you fall off the side often.”
“But the worst offender right now is the drift mechanic, it just doesn't feel right and it's hard to impossible to do a long slide in a curve even with analog controllers.”
- graphics66 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, pixel-perfect visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic kart racers, particularly from the SNES era. Reviewers highlight the charming art style and attention to detail, although some note that the cluttered design can be overwhelming. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to an enjoyable and engaging racing experience.
“With its pixel-perfect visuals and tight controls, it nails the nostalgic feel of the classics while adding its own unique charm.”
“An excellent crossover racer with precise controls and gorgeous graphics.”
“Graphically, the game features bright, vibrant tones and quirky retro sprites, very reminiscent of its SNES era progenitor.”
“There are only 13 3D tracks like it shows in the trailer, and then the rest are all 2D SNES/GBA Mario Kart styled designs, and none of those are very interesting.”
“The graphics are over-the-top gaudy, and the sheer amount of clutter just hurts my eyes.”
“Part of that is the nature of the graphics and the art style, but some visual clarification would help instead of just trial and error until you figure out everything you shouldn't run into.”
- music55 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the catchy and enjoyable soundtrack that features tracks from various indie games, while others find some pieces slow or lacking in energy for a racing game. Some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and variety, but there are complaints about the inability to customize playlists and issues with sound mixing that can drown out the music. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight, though it could benefit from more polish and faster-paced tracks in certain areas.
“The soundtrack is filled to the brim with bangers all across the board!”
“Great game, great kart racer, great characters, great music.”
“The music is excellent but does need to be a little more polished, the courses are very fun, the character selections is by far excellent and a very good lineup for an early access indie racer.”
“I was a bit confused at first because I don’t know if my ears were playing tricks on me, but the music sounded a bit low when I was scrolling through the main menu.”
“The soundtrack is pretty boring and slow-paced for a racing game.”
“Sound during GP races (the music is pretty much drowned out by all the kart engines) there's no way to adjust this.”
- story20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game lacks a substantial narrative, focusing primarily on its racing mechanics and mission modes reminiscent of Mario Kart. While players appreciate the variety of tracks and characters, many express a desire for a more engaging story or context for the races, as the current setup feels simplistic and uninspired. Overall, the emphasis is on gameplay rather than storytelling, leaving some players wanting more depth in the narrative aspect.
“Each mission is ranked, so there's plenty of challenge if you care about more than just clearing the missions!”
“As of January 2022, a mission mode akin to that of Mario Kart DS has been added.”
“But after winning one grand prix series and doing one 'book' of missions (basically a tutorial, I suppose), I just haven't felt any joy in this.”
“- not much or complete lack of a story or incentive for these characters to race each other.”
“It's a racer that borrows heavily from Mario Kart, but also has elements that give it its own identity and arguably improves on the Mario Kart formula such as no blue shells, the invincibility power-up being tied to track collectibles, a mission mode, and more.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance and stability, particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck. The visuals are noted to be clean, and the game runs smoothly, earning high marks for its optimization efforts.
“Sorry for keeping this segment short, but I just want to say the performance was amazing throughout my Steam Deck playthrough.”
“Game has good improvements as far as stability optimization.”
“Even the 3D tracks are just surprisingly clean and the game as a whole is well optimized.”
“I will also keep the 'presentation' and 'performance' segments short as I will be focusing more on 'gameplay.' So, with that being said, let’s get this review started.”
“Performance”
“Much like the more recent Mario Kart games, your performance in Grand Prix mode will be ranked.”
- stability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while it offers controller support, users report significant bugs, especially in multiplayer scenarios, including collision issues and poorly designed maps. However, the Linux version performs well, and many players find the game enjoyable despite its early access status and some stability concerns. Overall, it shows potential but requires further refinement to address its stability issues.
“The Linux version runs great!”
“It's kind of fun, runs great on a laptop, and can easily be played with a keyboard.”
“Controller support is there, even for PlayStation controllers, but the game is a bit buggy if you connect more than one for multiplayer.”
“In terms of gameplay, the game is a mess with collision bugs and glitches that cause you to go through walls, along with poorly designed maps where you often fall off the side.”
“Says it works with controllers, but it's really buggy with them.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through its amusing sound effects, fun graphics, and the entertaining mishaps players experience, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere. Players appreciate the comedic elements in both multiplayer modes and the overall design, making for a joyful gaming experience that encourages laughter and replayability.
“The sound effects are rather humorous, but they don't feel out of place.”
“Fun graphics, hilarious foul ups (purely on my part) and much exhausted laughter later, yep, I'll be back to play again.”
“Even just a minor funny sound when passing through the finish line in the final lap and a nice finishing music track playing increases the appeal drastically.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is currently considered average, bolstered by collectibles and goals in the Grand Prix mode, but lacking a campaign and extensive content. Future updates, including online and battle modes, are expected to significantly enhance replay value.
“The game additionally has collectibles and other goals to complete in the Grand Prix mode, which makes it even better in terms of replayability.”
“There isn't a 'campaign', and there isn't huge replay value.”
“As soon as online and battle modes are added, replayability will be very high, but for now, it's just middle of the road.”
“Grand Prix consists of eight cups (five of them are playable) and three classes that have their own difficulty.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players feel that grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time, likening it to needing a "second life." While some acknowledge the potential for improvement in the grinding mechanics, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the current system.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding or boosting could be better, though.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is particularly appealing to retro game enthusiasts, thanks to its captivating visuals. However, it falls short in character development and overall atmosphere when compared to classics like Super Mario Kart.
“If you're a retro game enthusiast, the visuals and the atmosphere alone will captivate you.”
“In terms of characters and atmosphere, Super Mario Kart has this game beat.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its appealing design, offering a diverse range of racers that cater to various player preferences, ensuring that everyone can find a character that resonates with them.
“The overall character design is quite nice, and whether familiar or not, you're sure to find a racer that suits you.”
“The depth of character development allows players to truly connect with their racers, making each race feel personal and engaging.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with unique backstories and growth that enhance the overall experience.”
