| Garfield Kart | |
| Developer: | Artefacts Studios |
| Publisher: | Microids |
| Released: | November 13, 2013 |
| Platforms: | Macintosh, Windows, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Android |
| Modes: | Single-player |
Garfield Kart is a kart racing game published by Microids and developed by . The game is based on The Garfield Show, which is based on the American comic strip Garfield. Garfield creator Jim Davis was executive producer. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and Nintendo 3DS, iOS, and Android.
Garfield Kart is a kart racing game similar to the Mario Kart series. The player can compete on various tracks, collect items, and power-ups which interfere with the other racers. Players can also customize their vehicles and play online, though the online feature is only available on Windows and is currently in beta.[1] [2] Garfield and Jon are the only playable characters available at first, while Odie, Liz, Arlene, Nermal, Harry, and Squeak can be unlocked. There are daily challenges the player can complete, which will give them options to customize their vehicle.
There are three cups to choose from: Lasagna, Pizza, and Hamburger. There is also the hidden Ice Cream Cup, which is unlocked by completing all the other cups on 150cc difficulty. Each cup contains 4 maps, for 16 in total. There are also three difficulties to choose from: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. The Lasagna Cup is always free, and the Pizza Cup is free for 50cc, but for the 100cc and 150cc the player has to unlock the cups, or can pay to try them using in-game coins.
Garfield Kart was met with mostly negative reception from critics due to what they called unimaginative gameplay, low production value, and poorly designed mechanics.[3] However, the game was met with very positive reception in user reviews on Steam and other platforms—many of which are sarcastic or purposely inaccurate regarding the content—most likely due its status as an internet meme.[4]
In its review, Nintendo Life gave Garfield Kart a score of 3/10 while describing it as "a bland, horribly un-balanced Kart game". Hardcore Gamer gave Garfield Kart a rating of 1.5, criticizing the game as "absolutely dreadful".[5]
On July 30, 2019, it was reported that Garfield Kart would be getting a sequel titled Garfield Kart: Furious Racing. The game was released on November 7, 2019, for Windows and Macintosh (Steam), and on November 19, 2019, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.[6]