AFTER successfully launching the country’s first online racing casual game, online game publisher Level Up! is adding a new Filipino-themed map in Crazy Kart.

The “‘Pinas Map” features famous landmarks spread along the track. It includes digitized 3D images of the Fort Santiago Tunnel, the Rizal Monument and the Manila Cathedral.

In one part of the map, a hazy image of an island that looks like the rocky Corregidor Island can be seen. Another part of the track includes a stretch that looks like the road going up Baguio City, which actually leads to the Banawe Rice Terraces.

In a humorous twist, Level Up! developers added some potholes reminiscent of the damaged parts of EDSA. They even added look-alikes of steel sidewalk barricades placed by the Metro Manila Development Authority.

The company had previously incorporated Filipino vehicles as playable units in the game. Among these are the FX taxi, an owner-type jeep and the ubiquitous jeepney. They later added the CK Drift Kart, which is based on a real-life Nissan Cefiro drift car that the company modified as part of their marketing strategy for Crazy Kart.

Another element in the game is the addition of an original Filipino song entitled “Crazy Karter Sweet Lover” performed by Ang Bandang Shirley.

Level Up! Crazy Kart Brand Manager Jeff Paulino said the idea behind the Pinas Map is to create more excitement for Filipino players of Crazy Kart and to package the game as the “pambansang [national] casual racing game.”

He said that since they incorporated “Taglish” as part of the localization of the game, the number of players have increased to over 1 million registered users.

In a month, Crazy Kart has more than 700,000 unique users (or more than 100,000 unique users daily) playing the game, Paulino added.

“The drawing point of the game is both its incorporation of the Filipino language – a first among our games – and the ease of playing it. We’ve had players as young as four and parents enjoy watching their kids play as much as they play themselves.”

Paulino said they are looking to create and release more Filipino-themed maps soon.

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