Fifteen characters are playable in "Crash Team Racing". However, only eight of them are playable from the start. Crash Bandicoot, the protagonist of the series, is a playable character. Doctor Neo Cortex, Crash's enemy, is a mad scientist. He wants to stop Nitros Oxide so that he may take over the world himself. Coco Bandicoot, Crash's younger sister, is a computer genius. Doctor N. Gin is a rocket scientist. He is Cortex follower and serves his master. Pura and Polar's karts have low speed but better handling. This allows them to get around tight corners. Tiny Tiger and Dingodile's karts are built for top speed.