OVERALL RATING		3.5
Presentation		3.5
Control		4.0
Gameplay		4.0
Fun factor		3.5
User Rating		3.5

Going way back as I can remember in mobile, there have been many character-driven kart games but sadly, none have truly captured the fun and competitive pace commonly found in this type of game.  So when I first saw the words “Bomberman” and “Kart” together, I scoffed at the idea and thought perhaps Hudson had “Jumped the Shark” with its beloved mascot.  To my surprise, that wasn’t the case.

Bomberman Kart, as this type of game should, has you zooming down the speedway, avoiding obstacles, jumping over traps, and collecting power-ups and weapons to use against your rivals.  And unlike other kart games I’ve played before on a mobile phone, your rivals will be looking to do the same to you.  Power-ups include Turbo and Invincibility while weapons include rockets, oil spills, mines and more.

There are six different-colored Bombermen to choose from as your driver and each will be rated with a variety of qualities to suit your driving style.  Furthermore, three types of karts are available that are also rated differently so that there are a total of 18 possible driving combinations. 

Racing takes place in three GP Circuits, each more difficult than the other.  The first two Circuits will have three tracks each and the final Circuit will include all six.  As is common, winning each race in the Circuit will give you points and whatever Bomberman has more points at the end, wins that Circuit.  Be aware however that you must win the first Circuit before the next one is unlocked.  (A Time Attack mode will also be unlocked.)

The competition is pretty fierce as drivers battle for position and use whatever means necessary to come out on top.  I had a hard time keeping up early on until I got used to the steering, the blazing speeds of the karts on a small screen, and remembered to watch out for obstacles.  These dangers are just about everywhere but it also helped that I found the right combination of Bomberman and Kart to help me win in the end.

Bomberman Kart isn’t the perfect Kart game for mobile, I doubt there will be, but it’s certainly the best up to now.  This isn’t just because there are a variety of tracks, drivers and cars, but mainly because it finally felt like the game was intelligent enough to have me worry about other things besides just taking the turns at the right speed.   Like a true Kart game, the opponents, the weapons and the obstacles were the challenge.  Kart racing fans finally have a genuine experience to play with on their phones.