KartRider Dash on Facebook: A beautiful kart racer if not for the bugs

It's the final lap. You inch toward the racer in first place, your best friend who has been handing your butt to you all night long in KartRider Dash. The both of you approach the last turn on the track, the tightest turn, and you need one last perfect drift to fill your boost gauge and put this race in the bag. And then it hits you: an unresponsive page error that sends your kart out of control momentarily and into a wall.

This is Nexon's next big Facebook game, one of the most action-packed Facebook games we've played this year. That is, of course, when it's not plagued by game-breaking bugs. KartRider Dash offers social gamers real-time multiplayer racing with a speedy matchmaking system as well as the opportunity to race with their friends in two exciting play modes: Speed Mode and Item Mode. One mode includes the racer's kooky weapons, while the other focuses on drifting and nitro boosts.

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Both modes are an absolute blast to play through. Those familiar with the proverbial king of all kart racers, Mario Kart, will feel right at home in KartRider Dash's cutesy world. It must be said, however, that KartRider Dash achieves a much greater sense of speed than its predecessor. (And that says quite a lot for a Facebook game stacked up against a console competitor.)

Like all Facebook games, KartRider Dash employs an energy-like system to inspire players to pay up, called Fuel. Each race played consumes one tank of a player's five total, which refill over time. Luckily for players, refilling fuel costs a measly 500 coins rather than Facebook Credits. (Though, players can opt to purchase unlimited fuel for a premium.) So, yes, you can play KartRider Dash for free indefinitely.

Throw in a hefty amount of customization options to help your racer stand out from the pack, and you've got a fully-featured kart racing game on Facebook. Finally, a void has been filled on the platform with one of the most successful franchises in the genre, but not so fast: There are still bugs to squash.

For one, KartRider Dash seems to suffer from some browser compatibility issues, namely with Google Chrome. While playing, you'll likely suffer the unresponsive page errors that the poor player (i.e. me) experienced above. Other glitches include one in which, when hit with the Water Bomb item, racers find themselves in an inescapable loop of bouncing up and down until the race is through. (Perhaps these issues are thanks to the game's engine of choice, Unity, or something else entirely.)

These are, again, game-breaking bugs that--if the racer weren't so downright delightful otherwise--would make KartRider Dash tough to recommend. Of course, this is a Facebook game, meaning these issues can be fixed and patched in time. Despite that fact, wrinkles like these kill Nexon's chances of a smooth launch. If you're able to get past these early boo-boos (and the Unity download required to play), KartRider Dash is one of the most rewarding Facebook game experiences you'll enjoy all year.

Click here to play KartRider Dash on Facebook Now >

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