Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Motor Toon Grand Prix delivers an arcade-style racing experience that will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s enjoyed Mario Kart–style games. You select from eight whimsical characters—Captain Rock, Princess Jean, Bolbox, Raptor & Raptor, Penguin Bros., Vanity, Billy the Tough, and Ching Tong Shang—each piloting their own uniquely tuned vehicle. The handling leans toward responsive and forgiving, making it accessible to newcomers while still offering room for skillful drifting and boost management.

The core of the gameplay revolves around five colorful tracks: Toon Village, Toon Island 2, Crazy Coaster, Gulliver House 2, and the Haunted Castle. Each course is packed with themed obstacles, tight turns, and shortcuts that reward exploration. The Championship mode strings these tracks together in a points-based tournament, whereas Single Race, Time Attack, and Free Run allow you to hone your racing lines or simply enjoy a quick spin without stakes.

What truly spices up the racing are the 17 power-ups scattered around each track. From the straightforward Turbo and Missile to the more eccentric Wonder Clock and Pandoras Box, these pickups create chaotic comebacks and nail-biting finishes. Learning the best times to deploy a Tiny Tiny Tiny or a Stealth Field can be the difference between first and last place. Add in a built-in Replay Theater to review your greatest victories (or your worst wrecks), and you’ve got a package that encourages replayability beyond just memorizing the courses.

For those craving head-to-head competition, Motor Toon Grand Prix includes a second disc for two-player modes. By linking two PlayStation consoles via the MultiTap cable, you can race your friends in split-screen action with no slowdown. This hardware-based multiplayer remains a highlight, though setting up two consoles may intimidate those without a dedicated playroom. Still, the seamless performance and uninterrupted framerate during split-screen duels make it worthwhile for serious kart-race aficionados.

Graphics

Graphically, Motor Toon Grand Prix embraces a bright, cartoon-inspired palette that exudes charm on the original PlayStation hardware. Character models are chunky and expressive, with exaggerated proportions and bouncy animations that underscore the game’s playful spirit. The vibrant colors of track environments—lush greens in Toon Village, pastel shores on Toon Island 2, and eerie purples in the Haunted Castle—remain consistent and eye-catching throughout the race.

The track designs are packed with themed props and animated set pieces. In Gulliver House 2, you’ll barrel around a gargantuan dollhouse where furniture acts as ramps and giant toys block your path. Crazy Coaster features twisting rails and looping drops that feel lifted from an amusement park ride. Despite occasional texture pop-in or slight background slowdown, the sense of speed stays intact, and the short load times between races keep the action flowing.

Special effects for power-ups—like the shimmering shield around Big Bigger Biggest or the erupting blast of a FireBall—are simple but effective. They provide instant visual feedback without cluttering the screen. Even in split-screen multiplayer, the frame rate stays remarkably stable, ensuring that the vibrant visual style doesn’t come at the cost of gameplay performance. As a showcase of the PS1’s cartoon rendering capabilities, Motor Toon Grand Prix still holds up as a vivid and memorable title.

Story

While Motor Toon Grand Prix isn’t driven by a deep narrative, it does weave a lighthearted context around its races. The premise is that these quirky characters compete in a zany Grand Prix tournament across five themed worlds. Between races, you glimpse brief character animations and playful cut-ins that reinforce each driver’s personality—Princess Jean’s regal poise, Captain Rock’s rockstar swagger, or Penguin Bros.’ synchronized waddles.

The game lets the environments tell much of the story. Racing through the Haunted Castle at dusk, you’ll dodge mischievous ghosts and creaky drawbridges; zooming across Crazy Coaster feels like you’re in the middle of a vibrant amusement park spectacle. There’s no overarching plot twists or dramatic dialogue, but the charming ambiance and playful banter make every track feel like its own mini-adventure.

Replay Theater sequences sometimes show highlights in third-person cinematic shots, adding a pseudo-cinematic flair to your best performances. These brief replays, coupled with character victory poses, give a loose narrative glue to each competition. It’s not a story you’ll analyze deeply, but it provides enough context to care about winning, securing new trophies, and uncovering every hidden shortcut.

Overall Experience

Motor Toon Grand Prix stands out as one of the earliest kart racers on the PlayStation, and it remains a delightful entry in the genre. Its accessible handling, creative power-up roster, and colorful track designs combine into an experience that’s easy to pick up yet challenging to master. Whether you’re battling the AI in Championship mode or trying to shave seconds off your best lap in Time Attack, there’s always a new angle to explore.

The inclusion of multiplayer via linked PlayStation consoles is both a blessing and a mild frustration—blessing for the seamless performance and frustration for the hardware commitment. Yet for those who manage to set it up, the split-screen head-to-head races elevate the fun to another level, delivering unpredictable chaos and tons of laughter in equal measure.

Graphically charming and mechanically solid, Motor Toon Grand Prix offers a unique flavor compared to its contemporaries. It may not have the depth of modern kart racers, but its straightforward design, replay features, and sheer novelty make it a must-try for retro racing fans. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, adrenaline-pumped ride through some of the most imaginative tracks on the PS1, this title should be on your radar.

Retro Replay Score

7.8/10