is Nicktoons Racers or Crash Team Racing the best hidden gem GBA racer? I prefer Nicktoons but secretly thing CTR just has more to it
I would lean CTR on that, but neither are my favorite in that kart/chibi racing category!
You should definitely check out Gadget Racers and Shifting Gears: Road Trip. They’re actually part of the same series (ChoroQ) but really mismanaged when it came to localization and distribution outside of Japan. Bite sized races where you earn to buy upgrade parts for your car. The parts make a pretty significant difference in handling, which you might not expect from the aesthetic of the game. Also cool: the car sprites actually update based on the parts you have equipped.
Shifting Gears builds on the first one by adding some Monkey Ball mini game style events into the mix. If you don’t care for those, Gadget Racers is still great and varied in its events—it’s just more focused on racing.