During the mid-2000’s, gaming platforms began to introduce a new character to the world, Cocoto. Soon after his initial debut, Cocoto began showing up in various titles such as Cocoto Platform Jumper, Cocoto Funfair, and Cocoto Fishing Master . Now, Eurocenter has released Cocoto Kart Online for the iPhone and iPod touch. Focusing on internet gameplay, Cocoto Kart grabs attention with bright colors and lively music, but fails to bring anything revolutionary to the table.
Players are challenged to race against opponents on 10 unique kart tracks. Eight racers are initially available to choose from, while four are unlockable. These additional drivers can be unlocked be winning the Grand Prix level. Each four-character set has four of their own vehicles with varying top-speed and acceleration abilities. As an added bonus, a Super Kart is awarded to the player who wins the Gold Cup in Mirror Mode. Mirror Mode is but one of four difficulty modes offered in Cocoto Kart Online. After choosing Single Track or Grand Prix, Silver or Gold (unlockable) Cup competitions are offered. Within these competitions reside the four difficulty modes ranging between 50 cc –Easy, 100 cc – Normal, and 150 cc Hard. When playing offline, the AI contenters are formidable. We wouldn’t call the tracks a breeze either. We applaud Eurocenter for not making the game too easy to beat, as that would really sweep this game into obscurity. On par with most kart racing titles, Cocoto provides collectables and powerups along each track. Slime balls and tomatoes are available to cleverly drop and take out unsuspecting drivers. Lava balls are shot forward and seek out drivers ahead of you. A hit in either direction causes a spin out, which is indicated by a spinning player icon on the left side of the screen.
Online mode is where Cocoto Kart Online seeks to shine. When launching the game, players are immediately asked to choose online or offline gameplay. Multiplayer quickly finds other players to contend with. While we were impressed with how quickly online players are found, Cocoto forces new joiners to wait for a current race to be completed be for they can complete in the next. Waiting players can watch the current race in progress but are given no indication of the status. We would like to have an idea of how many laps we have to wait through. In addition to Multiplayer mode, Battle mode pits online rivals against each other in an all out war. Two to four kart jockeys search out opponents in a effort to take the others out of the game before being taken out themselves. Being hit by three of the enemies’ items eliminates a player. It’s a last-man-standing idea that is carried out pretty well, when online participants stay in the game, which happened rarely. Even with these quirks, the online gaming is smooth and exciting. An online profile can be set and leaderboards are present.
Controls are responsive and totally customizable. Steering, braking, and gas configurations are managed through several combinations. Tilt and D-Pad options are selectable as are gas button and automatic acceleration. Item usage can be activated by shaking or touching the item icon. Jumping can also be had by a quick shake. The built in soundtrack encompasses cute music and character voiceovers. Graphics are run of the mill for iPhone games these days. Actually, we were slightly put off by the octagonal look to some of the track curves. Perhaps this is a tradeoff for the smooth online play.
All in all, Cocoto Kart Online is a great choice for racing gamers who are looking to compete in the connected world. Yet, in comparison to some of the other offline choices out there, Cocoto looks and plays somewhat dated. Since kart racers are gaining popularity in the App Store these days, unless you’re hungering for live online multiplayer, we suggest looking elsewhere.
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Cocoto Kart Online gets our AppSmile 4-Dimple rating:
