The only thing that really stands out about Speed Freaks is the graphical designs. On one hand, the character designs detract from the family-oriented happiness of (usually) Nintendo games and aims for a more neurotic Penelope Pitstop kind of look. That is, if you managed to scone another competitor on the head with a projectile weapon, your character will snicker, give off an evil laugh, pump his or her fist in the air, and continue on about his or her merry way. On the other hand, this reviewer is still at somewhat of a loss with the European obsession with cartoon characters that are only composed of a head, hands, and feet. Where on earth is the body?! Sure, there's only Rayman and Tonic Trouble as the only other evidence of this disturbing trend, but in Speed Freaks, the characters aren't even sitting in karts! They're just holding on to a steering wheel with 4 wheels at their feet and rear end!

Design silliness aside, the remainder of Speed Freaks' aesthetics is perfectly suited to its target audience. The graphics are bright, eclectic, and smooth; and with the use of a multitap, you'll still get a decent framerate with 4-player split screen action. Aurally, the music is bright and chirpy, and the sound effects, whilst not the most imaginative in the world, do the job quite adequately.

In terms of gameplay, Speed Freaks actually takes a little getting used to. For the most part, you have the ability to stockpile your weapons and fire them off with a designated button. There's also a little turbo meter that you can activate with a shoulder button. You can replenish this speed meter by collecting the little tokens scattered throughout each track. The only truly complicated part is the steering. Pressing the D-pad from side to side doesn't actually cause your wheels to rotate, but rather it causes the entire kart to rotate at its geometric center. Knowing this well in advance of playing the game will save you a lot of steering frustration hassles.