I loved that game! I mean not as great as Mario Kart but great in its own right. I liked how they kind of made it an adventure meets racing game and that you could race planes and boats in addition to cars. For some reason the level with the icy loop seems to resonate the most.
Yeah it was real unique in that sense. I can't remember; did they originate the whole "Battle" aspect? The ability to change vehicle types was fun!