Activision has brought the end of Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled’s Grand Prix events. Going forward players will be able to unlock content with the Wumpa Challenge system. Grand Prix events introduced new content to teach the bandicoot racer new tricks. Returning and obscure characters from the Crash universe join the roster. Dozens of customization options brought in unique kart designs.

But biggest of all were eight brand new racecourses standing toe to toe against the original tracks. Despite the end of the Grand Prix events, the race goes on. Now with that comes the ranking of each Grand Prix event. Coming up with brand new content to a fan favorite kart racer is no easy task. Which Grand Prix delivered the best content though?

8 Spyro & Friends

While Spyro the Dragon has appeared in a Crash racer before, Nitro-Fueled goes the extra mile. Not only do Hunter and Gnasty Gnorc join the race, an entire Spyro Circuit that brings a unique flair to CTR.

Unlike the open-ended world of Spyro, the track doesn’t quite hold the same charm. Items present an unfair advantage of breaking up the very narrow race lines. Portals make it easy to ambush unsuspecting racers while bombs and missiles made useless. A very unforgiving jump shortcut in the garden make this track very difficult to recover in. It’s great to see Spyro and company join the race, with Chick and Stew as excited as many other Spyro fans out there. But some of that magic is missing from Spyro Circuit leaving this Grand Prix towards the bottom of the pack.

7 Winter Festival

In time for the holidays was a sizable gift of unexpected characters. The racing moose Hasty arrives after an unusual origin. The character comes from the portfolio of ex-Naughty Dog member Bob Rafei. Yaya Panda originated from series of mobile Crash Bandicoot racers. Finally, Rilla Roo returns from Crash Bash with a design questioned by fans. (With a response by the developers with a “Fixed Rilla Roo as an extra character!) This also marks Chick and Stew’s last appearance on CTR TV as they also become playable characters.

The track Gingerbread Joyride is a rather straightforward track. Aside from a sneaky jump right before the chocolate fountain, a lot of it comes down to execution. 90-degree corners at the beginning of the track make for very sharp corners. Two jelly blobs fight each other at the end that changes their positions based on your position in the race. The track isn’t too difficult to keep a line going, but won’t excite CTR veterans.

6 Spooky

This sinister track is the closest Nitro Fueled will ever get to a Crash Twinsanity representation. Even if that means no Spiralmouth added to the soundtrack. Nina Cortex along with Komodo Moe and Dr. N Brio round out the villains from the mainline Crash games.

Nina’s Nightmare is also the only course to sport a gimmick reused from Nitro Kart; the exclamation creates. This lone crate changes the pumpkin tree monster’s attack patterns when the road splits. This can break up leading racer lines if they’re not careful. Plenty of opportunities to recover on the track make this one of the more flexible courses.

5 Neon Circus

Ebenezer Von Clutch and Pasadena O’Possum from Crash Tag Team Racing with Koala Kong from Crash 1 join in the race. These “lost but not forgotten” characters finally make their big-top return. The Koala Carnival itself is one of the simplest of the tracks released. The race starts on a downhill slope that leads drivers through hazardous jumps. A stretch of road then encourages players to build up speed. Any choice of powerslides, boosts and jumps lead to big ramps and blue boost fire pads. All while the track oozes visual splendor that would melt a PlayStation console.

The biggest inclusion in this Grand Prix comes from the new Ring Rally mode. This mode has racers drive through rings at increasing speed until time runs out. All tracks are playable in this new game mode. Koala carnival, in particular, makes a great starting point to teach players a line to follow. These optimal paths show how the boost storage mechanic works to your advantage.

4 Rustland

Megamix, the strangest Crash villain of all, joins the race. This unusual creature’s first appearance comes from Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure. It likely wasn’t on the top of players’ lists of favorite characters. Several other characters received skins that match the Mad Max inspired theme.

Megamix Mania features plenty of hazards and pitfalls to watch out for. Several mines laid out on the track make it easy to set one off and catch unsuspecting racers off guard. A set of precarious scaffolding encourages racers to maintain their speed. The end drops racers into a rocky minefield. Pillars can choke unsuspecting players unprepared to navigate the already narrow path. Different pathways make a huge risk to make it to the finish line. One of the more dangerous tracks that lead to plenty of options. It fits well for any player of any skillset and is very rewarding to advanced drivers.

3 Nitro Tour

The first Grand Prix brings in a theme from Crash Bandicoot: Warped! Twilight Tour mixes together the Arabian and temple levels into one track put together. The first Grand Prix opened with very wide open roads. The shortcuts and techniques bridge the gap between beginners and experts nicely.

The biggest draw of the pack likely comes from the redesigns of the trophy girls from the original game. Ami, Megumi, Liz, Elizabeth return completely redesigned. Tawna, Crash’s girlfriend from the first Crash game also makes her kart racing debut. Together they’re rebranded as the racing team known as the Nitro Squad. They even receive with their own alternate motorsport outfits. The potential for unique outfits for characters present exciting alternatives to existing characters.

2 Back N. Time

The second Crash 3 inspired track takes a, well, prehistoric approach with Prehistoric Playground. Along with a cheeky take on Mario Kart’s army of baby characters with Baby Crash and Baby Coco, along with Baby T to round out the rideable side characters to match with Pura and Polar.

If drivers can manage to keep a blue fire turbo at the beginning, land a jump off the right-hand side of the track, they’ll be able to take advantage of the wide-open track. It flows well no matter which character type or driving style is chosen. It’s not the most difficult track to master but is a good way to practice holding a line while obtaining the fastest boost speed possible.

1 Gasmoxia

The last Grand Prix event is the one that pulls out all the stops. Nitros Oxide takes over the CTR TV feed to introduce Emperor Velo XXVII. Hailing from Crash Nitro Kart the diabolical racing champion finally arrives.

Hovering over Oxide’s home planet Gasmoxia is the Drive-Thru Danger. Home of two competing fast-food conglomerates for a CTR TV sponsorship. The track presents two ways to race changing the track’s active booster pads. Depending on which path the lead racer takes determines a specific path. One path makes it easier to deal with some of the track’s nastier but rewarding shortcuts. But the alternate choice presents a chance to keep up a strong lead. Clever use of power-sliding, air U-turning, and Hang-Time turbos is key for 1st place. One wrong move and it could be the end.

NEXT: 10 Differences Only True Fans Noticed Between Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy & The Original Games