The framerate drops regularly when the action is intense. Yes, the courses are tougher and as beautiful as ever, but the game stumbles at showcasing that. So, the core of the ModNation franchise is present and well done, but it's the stuff surrounding the gameplay that I have issues with.

I like that - and how detailed and colorful the racetracks are.

I consider myself a good karter, but Tour No. There are swinging obstructions mid-air, fire-breathing dinosaur heads and turns peppered with medians and debris to avoid.

Challenging doesn't even begin to describe some of the stuff the developers have whipped up in ModNation Racers: Road Trip. San Diego Studios also outdid the original game when it comes to track design. There's more strategy, although you can no longer drop every weapon behind you, which sucks. Those same power-ups can be traded in for more boost if you don't need to attack, and incoming missiles have a lock-on indicator as well as an audio cue to help you know when to use your shield. You can steer clear of the rockslide power-up and grab a fireball if that's more your speed. Now, item pickups on the track are color-coded so you know what you're grabbing. Developer San Diego Studio even improved the MNR formula in a few ways. Leaning into drifts, spinning with the right stick to fill a special meter, and boosting through straightaways all feels like second nature on the Vita because it's so faithful to the original. As a seasoned ModNation player, it was awesome to boot up my first race and find that the in-game controls have been perfectly ported to the PlayStation Vita. This was the case with the PS3, and it's the case here. You can tackle the brand new 30-race career mode or spend your time creating racers, karts and tracks that you can then share online. Play ModNation Racers: Road Trip is the portable kart racer with a LittleBigPlanet vibe.

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