Cel Damage HD

Finish Line Games has attempted to inject some colour into the car combat genre with Cel Damage HD, and there is some reasonably entertaining action on display here. Sadly, while the cartoony visuals and creative power-ups are a highlight, the lack of replay value will soon put an end to your enjoyment. This is fun for an evening if you've got some buddies nearby, but without an online option and with a pretty tiring cast, you'll quickly tire of this comic book clash.

Cel Damage HD isn't going to rocket to the top of the eShop charts and become the kind of unit-selling monster that publishers only dream of, but that doesn't mean it should be passed up if you're a brand new player. As a local multiplayer affair, its vehicular combat is bombastic and silly in a way that makes for countless rewarding matches. It's still too easy to unlock every new weapon and arena in a couple of hours, but with full support for four-player multiplayer, this cartoonish caper finally gets the handheld iteration it deserved all along.

In conclusion, if you have three friends who come to your house to play games, or a number of siblings, then Cel Damage HD is a fun game, whose shortcomings can be overlooked. However, for the single player, this is sadly a game where the frustrations outweigh the good points. There is fun to be had for sure, and the achievements are easy to pick up, but ultimately this is a game that despite the graphical overhaul is showing its age and just isn't as good as the premise would lead you to believe.

For an HD remake that no one asked for of a game that few people played, Cel Damage HD is actually pretty charming and entertaining.

Will you enjoy Cel Damage HD? If your focus is more on frantic action and less on racing, blowing up your friend with an explosive sheep only to have them come back and slice you up with a buzzsaw, the answer is likely yes...

I had a blast playing, both single player and multiplayer. If you're looking for an unconventional racer/combat game, you could do way worse than this, especially for the price it goes for.

Cel Damage HD is not going to blow anyone away, but it is a solid weekend romp. It has aged well over the past decade, and for anyone who has never played it, it is a nice change of pace. Still, without online and a severe lack of modes the fun wears thin quickly. This is one to wait for a sale to snatch up. [OpenCritic note: Ken McKown separately reviewed the XB1 (6) and PS4 (6) versions.]

Cel Damage HD is a good game for the local multiplayer aficionados out there

Cel Damage HD is too basic, limited and generally frustrating to recommend. It looks relatively nice in HD, but its gameplay will only appeal to those with nostalgia for its original version.

Cel Damage HD is a decent game, but one for fans of the original only, it is unlikely to bring new fans, nor change the minds of those who may not have enjoyed it way back when. For a HD remake it is slap bang in the middle of a lazy upgrade and an excellent one and at the end of the day will always feel like a missed opportunity. But for fans there is fun to bed had.