I recall the time when Mario Kart DS was released for Nintendo’s revolutionary console, the DS. It was crazy. My friends and I were busy playing the game online; we didn’t let the troublesome friend code system, or the fact that the DS was very picky when it came to working with certain wireless routers to become showstoppers. So what actually drove us to go nuts over a racing game? Simply put, Mario Kart DS was amazing and I’ve to credit the game for being one of the titles that kickstarted Nineoverten.com (check out the review from way back then)

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Mario Kart was a perfect combination of fun gameplay featuring a variety of courses and favourite characters, nice graphics (for a DS), spot-on controls and a competitive multiplayer element. Since its release, many have tried to follow the formula to try and be the next Mario Kart. I’ve had the pleasure of trying out the likes of Speed Racer (DS) with its crazy Car-Fu and Wacky Races (DS) and have seen many crash and burn on either of my favourite platforms (DS and iOS).

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So with the latest release of Formula Cartoon All-Stars, featuring Cartoon Network characters, does it steal the mobile karting crown from the illustrious Mario Kart DS? Short answer: No. Long answer: It’s a little more complicated than that. Like it or not, physical controls have the upper hand when it comes to racing games, and the Mario Kart DS by virtue of being on a proper gaming console has plenty of buttons to push. The level of engagement was simply unmatched.

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Don’t get me wrong, other than the lack of physical controls (through no fault of its own), Formula Cartoon All Stars has plenty going for it in the form of pretty/fast graphics, slippery racing and favourite characters from Cartoon Network’s stable. However, I noticed something missing from all that racing, the ability to draft. No wonder it’s not as fun as Mario Kart even though you have nitro lying around.

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Regardless of whether you’ve played Mario Kart, Formula Cartoon All Stars is actually a pretty decent racer but I’m still waiting for the day Nintendo actually brings their magnum opus of a game to iOS. In the meantime, you can have Formula Cartoon All Stars to tide you over. Nine Over Ten 9/10 rates it at a 3.5 out of 5. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 2.99. Check it out over here.

A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review.