I remember reviewing this pack VERY early in it's lifespan, and I'm going to do so one final time to commerate both the release of Ring Racers and this pack's final update. I'll be going in track order listed on the page and giving them a 1/10 score per usual, explaining my thoughts/critiques on the tracks. Tracks were driven on Hard speed with no gameplay altering addons.
Simple Circuit: Apart from the big visual overhaul it got, my opinion on this track remains roughly the same as before. It's just a simple track and you can't really go wrong with that alone, but that also means there isn't much in the way of more interesting levels and due to that, this track just falls a bit short compared to some other tracks in this pack. (6/10)
Red Mountain: Amazing visuals, great track design and it's no longer 2 laps! My gripes said during my old review were answered, and as a whole the track still feels amazing to play. Aside from that one long straightaway before the 180 turn, there's not a single moment of the track that feels "meh" or outright bad. It truly is a symbol of thrill with relatively little flaws that could just be considered personal nitpicks. (10/10)
Red Mountain Classic: Despite being overshadowed by it's more polished counterpart, this version still holds up fine. That shortcut before the second turn is a tad OP and the track still overstays it's welcome like before, but it's still surprisingly solid despite everything, just outclassed by the newer and much more better version. (7/10)
Lonely Isle: This one didn't really get changed all that much. I do like both the setting and the music that accompanies this track, but the track itself is pretty standard and not really much to note about. The final shortcut does get blocked off at lap 3 which is a very welcome addition and one of my major gripes with the track before, but aside from that it's just a nice and simple track with not much else going for it. (6/10)
Scorching Sanctuary: Only OG's remember when this was called Molten Mine. The visual overhaul this track got turned it from a generic "fire" level into something much more unique. It feels like it tries to tell a story, but it's not all in-your-face about it which I like. Aside from the destrucitble wall near the end of Lap 1 giving no direction on where to go, my opinion has stayed relatively the same on it: very skill-oriented track that rewards good lines and focus. (8/10)
Roundabout: It's the meme track. I don't have much else to say because of that, but it's certainly one of the Hell Maps of all time. Just pure unadultered chaos through and through and whilst I get some people like that, it is certainly not my own cup of tea. (3/10)
Summer Seas: Onto the tracks I haven't reviewed now. The layout is fine (if a bit uneventful) and the visuals could certainly use some improvements. This track doesn't exactly do much of anything new (outside of the rainbow boost pads at the long straightaway) and it's just simple. Normally I would have no problem with that, but this being the 3rd track like this lowers it's impact in my own eyes. It's okay, just rather unimpressive and not a lot going for it. (5/10)
CNK Hyper Spaceway: The first of the ports and it isn't exactly painting them in a good light. Bad performance (especially in the engine room segment) and boring, uninteresting track design on top of taking over a minute to complete one lap whilst having 3 laps means this course FAR overstays it's welcome. Oh, and a overpowered shortcut to boot because who doesn't like those? I get that you were trying to stay true to the original, but there are some cases where being too on-point with the original can hurt the track itself and this is a great example of that. (2/10)
Great Galleon: I don't really have much to say about this one unfortunately. Simple 4 lap track with a surprising lack of shortcuts. I feel like you could've done more inside the ship itself and the low amount of decoration along with the uninteresting skybox makes this place feel pretty barren. The music track is a banger, but that's all it really has outside of that. (5/10)
GCN Luigi Circuit: In comparison to Hyper Spaceway, this is actually a solid port all things considered. I like the little details of the mountains blinking and it really adds to the personality of the track, but outside of that I don't have much else to say. It's just a good port of GCN Luigi Circuit and that's okay given the circumstances of this game's engine. (6/10)
3DS Rainbow Road: Whilst the Luigi Circuit port is something that I would've expected to be in Kart, this certainly wasn't. How you managed to get this to work is baffling and the fact that it runs surprisingly well is even more confusing. The hairpin at the end is a bit hard to judge if you are going too far in, but outside of that it's an amazing port and I don't have many complaints aside from glider shenanigans. (8/10)
Twinkle Village: A rather standard snow map with a nice theme to it. Performance could be better and the second intended cut is actually SLOWER than cutting through the offroad of the hairpin with a sneaker, but otherwise not much else I can say. (5/10)
GBA Boo Lake: It's just another solid port. Nice visuals and the track itself is fine, but I generally don't have much to talk about these ports as they try to play it safe and don't really have much which is why most of them are the same score. (5/10)
DS Luigi's Mansion: Yet again, just another port. I'm not sure if you were out of ideas for original tracks when making these, but considering almost half of the tracks in this pack are ports it kinda just bogs down my general experience with it as I can't really talk about them unless they are radically different from their original counterparts. (5/10)
GCN DK Mountain: 3rd port in a row. I do like the inclusion of the gap cut and the wind to simulate the rickety bridge is cool even if it is a bit too weak, but once again there's nothing I can really talk about. (5/10)
FZ Death Wind 2: I haven't actually played through the original F-Zero but needless to say this track does kinda blow, pun intended. The wind feels more like an annoyance than a threat and considering that's the entire gimmick of this map, it doesn't exactly make the track stand out. I do like the mountain being the thing we drive on for the first half, but otherwise it's just yet another port that is just okay. (5/10)
Robotnik Raceway: Aside from the track being set in what I can only assume is Castle Eggman, this is pretty standard. Layout's good even if it lacks many shortcuts and the music's great. Generally not much else I can say, just a solid track through and through. (6/10)
FZ Fire Field: Visually great track that plays surprisingly well despite the speedmod. It is a port so I (once again) do not have much else to say, but this is on the upper end of the many ports this pack has, for sure. (6/10)
BSFZ Silence 2: This one plays fine, pretty uninteresting scenery. It's another port so I can't say much again, but this is around the level of the other ports in this pack which is fine. (5/10)
FZMV Icarus Circuit: 3 F-Zero ports in a row. Again, this one's fine. I don't have much else to say, it's plays well for a port and that's all I really need from ports in order to be solid. (5/10)
CTR Roo's Tubes: Crash Team Racing jumpscare! Visuals are good and the track itself is fine. This plays pretty good, definitely among the upper echelon of the ports. (6/10)
FZX Japan: Pretty great track but this absolutely should have been 2 laps. Outside of that it's just another solid port and you already know my stance on those. (5/10)
Arid Eclipse: This was one hell of a track, in a good sense. It reminded me of a level from Sonic Riders and that was only further heightened by the pillar of light around the latter half of the track. Good visuals as well, but this should be 1 lap. Apart from that, this is a pretty killer course to go through. (7/10)
N64 Yoshi Valley: Another solid port, visually great but nothing else outstanding. Surprised to see this track instead of something like GCN Yoshi Circuit, but otherwise standard. (5/10)
N64 Rainbow Road: We have arrived to the last 2 tracks, and they are both Rainbow Road ports. Of the two, this is for sure the stronger of them but it honestly just plays like a rather standard port like most of the other ports in this pack. I do like the clouds acting as offroad but that's really it. (6/10)
Wii Rainbow Road: Here we are, the final track. Visually great and it plays nice, but being a port I (as usual) do not have much else to say and because of that, this is a pretty anti-climactic ending to this review. (6/10)
Final Score: 148/240
Conclusion & Thoughts: I was definitely not expecting this many ports and for most of them to be rather "same-y", but the originals both new and old hold up well. Due to the large amount of ports however, this pack seems held back by them and I wish you did more original tracks instead as almost all of them hold up pretty well, even Red Mountain Classic which was quite shocking for me. Unfortunately, the new era of Kart is upon us in the form of Ring Racers and this pack will probably never be updated again. A shame, but it was certainly a way to go out. Hope to see you in the future making more maps!
