Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Motor Toon Grand Prix is a cartoon racing game developed by Polys Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in 1996. Directed by Kazunori Yamauchi, it was created by the team that would later become Polyphony Digital and develop Gran Turismo. Despite the Western title, this is actually Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 in Japan; the number was removed because the original 1994 game was never released in North America.
Rating: 7.5/10
At first glance, Motor Toon Grand Prix looks like a straightforward Mario Kart-style racer, with exaggerated characters, colorful fantasy tracks and a selection of weapons and power-ups. Underneath the cartoon presentation, however, is a surprisingly sophisticated handling model. Cars have noticeable weight, suspension movement and momentum, and aggressive steering can easily send them sliding through corners. It takes some adjustment, but once the physics begin to make sense, the racing feels far more rewarding than the game's playful appearance suggests.
Each character drives a distinctive vehicle with different strengths in areas such as acceleration, speed and handling. Cars also squash, stretch and lean dramatically as they turn, reinforcing the animated style while visually communicating how much force is being applied. The result is an unusual mixture of kart racing and more serious vehicle dynamics, and it is easy to see hints of the team's later obsession with driving physics.
The tracks are one of the game's strongest features. Instead of realistic circuits, races take place through bright cartoon towns, enormous household environments, mountain roads and roller-coaster-like courses filled with steep climbs, drops and twisting sections. The fully 3D layouts make good use of the PlayStation hardware, often allowing you to see other parts of the circuit above or below your current position.
Weapons add an extra layer of chaos, with items such as fireballs, oil cans, heavy weights and speed-related bonuses used to disrupt opponents or gain an advantage. They keep races unpredictable without completely overwhelming the underlying driving mechanics.
There is a reasonable selection of modes, including Championship, Single Race, Time Attack and Free Run, along with unlockable characters and several unusual bonus mini-games. Unfortunately, multiplayer is one of the game's biggest weaknesses. The Western release lacks conventional split-screen racing, so head-to-head competition requires two PlayStations, two copies of the game, two displays and a PlayStation Link Cable.
Visually, Motor Toon Grand Prix has aged better than many early 3D racers because it never tries to look realistic. Bright Gouraud shading, bold colors, exaggerated proportions and Susumu Matsushita's character designs give it a distinctive identity. The environments are simple by later standards, but their imaginative construction and animated style still have plenty of charm.
The game is relatively short and the handling may initially feel slippery or awkward compared with more accessible kart racers. The lack of easy local multiplayer is also a major missed opportunity. Nevertheless, Motor Toon Grand Prix offers far more depth than its cartoon exterior suggests.
Today it is especially interesting as an early work from the future Gran Turismo team, but it is not merely a historical curiosity. Its unusual physics, imaginative tracks and strong visual personality make it one of the more distinctive racing games in the PlayStation library.
Motor Toon Grand Prix is a cartoon racing game developed by Polys Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in 1996. Directed by Kazunori Yamauchi, it was created by the team that would later become Polyphony Digital and develop Gran Turismo. Despite the Western title, this is actually Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 in Japan; the number was removed because the original 1994 game was never released in North America.
Rating: 7.5/10
At first glance, Motor Toon Grand Prix looks like a straightforward Mario Kart-style racer, with exaggerated characters, colorful fantasy tracks and a selection of weapons and power-ups. Underneath the cartoon presentation, however, is a surprisingly sophisticated handling model. Cars have noticeable weight, suspension movement and momentum, and aggressive steering can easily send them sliding through corners. It takes some adjustment, but once the physics begin to make sense, the racing feels far more rewarding than the game's playful appearance suggests.
Each character drives a distinctive vehicle with different strengths in areas such as acceleration, speed and handling. Cars also squash, stretch and lean dramatically as they turn, reinforcing the animated style while visually communicating how much force is being applied. The result is an unusual mixture of kart racing and more serious vehicle dynamics, and it is easy to see hints of the team's later obsession with driving physics.
The tracks are one of the game's strongest features. Instead of realistic circuits, races take place through bright cartoon towns, enormous household environments, mountain roads and roller-coaster-like courses filled with steep climbs, drops and twisting sections. The fully 3D layouts make good use of the PlayStation hardware, often allowing you to see other parts of the circuit above or below your current position.
Weapons add an extra layer of chaos, with items such as fireballs, oil cans, heavy weights and speed-related bonuses used to disrupt opponents or gain an advantage. They keep races unpredictable without completely overwhelming the underlying driving mechanics.
There is a reasonable selection of modes, including Championship, Single Race, Time Attack and Free Run, along with unlockable characters and several unusual bonus mini-games. Unfortunately, multiplayer is one of the game's biggest weaknesses. The Western release lacks conventional split-screen racing, so head-to-head competition requires two PlayStations, two copies of the game, two displays and a PlayStation Link Cable.
Visually, Motor Toon Grand Prix has aged better than many early 3D racers because it never tries to look realistic. Bright Gouraud shading, bold colors, exaggerated proportions and Susumu Matsushita's character designs give it a distinctive identity. The environments are simple by later standards, but their imaginative construction and animated style still have plenty of charm.
The game is relatively short and the handling may initially feel slippery or awkward compared with more accessible kart racers. The lack of easy local multiplayer is also a major missed opportunity. Nevertheless, Motor Toon Grand Prix offers far more depth than its cartoon exterior suggests.
Today it is especially interesting as an early work from the future Gran Turismo team, but it is not merely a historical curiosity. Its unusual physics, imaginative tracks and strong visual personality make it one of the more distinctive racing games in the PlayStation library.
