Although Mario is the biggest name in kart racing, it’s not the only game in town. Plenty of other franchises have expended into the family-friendly genre. Crash Bandicoot, Mickey Mouse, Sponge Bob and the “Family Guy” crew have all had some time behind the wheel, but the “Sonic Racing” series is the one that has seen the most success outside of the plumber.
Personally, I’ve never spent much time with the franchise. I wasn’t sure what it had to offer compared to Nintendo’s landmark series, but I jumped into a hands-on preview with “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” and came away surprised by Sega’s fun approach to the genre.
VERSATILE VEHICLES
The upcoming entry carries several elements of its predecessor, “Team Sonic Racing.” Vehicles transform based on the terrain so that they can travel across water as boats or soar across the sky as planes. Each form controls differently and has a distinct emphasis.
On land, it’s about drifting, which works differently from “Mario Kart.” Players hold a shoulder button to drift, but they don’t have to wiggle the stick to get a boost. It’s more about finite control when hitting the turns. During jumps, players can perform tricks, which offers boost upon landing. With water, players have to handle waves, but they can also charge jump to gain more speed. In the air, players usually have to guide their planes toward speed boost rings. They can also drift in the air for tight turns, but it was surprising how much time is devoted to air travel in general.
Players can perform air tricks in “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” to gain a speed boost. (Sega)
SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR ITEMS
Just like other Kart games, competitors can snag items and use them against rivals. They can toss them forward or use them from behind. The game’s gadgets all seem to have a “Mario Kart” counterpart, so it will be easy for fans to learn them. No matter what form kart racing takes, general principles hold true: Competition brings out the most diabolical behavior in people, and despite the unfamiliarity, they’ll always find a way to mess with the people around them.
Interestingly enough, “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” doesn’t have rubberbanding, so if players are in the lead, they can stay there. Players in the lead will still have the chance to acquire powerful items.
White Space is a track in “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.” (Sega)
AN INNOVATIVE SURPRISE
A major difference between this project and others is the vehicle depth. The game features four main vehicle classes based on speed, acceleration, power and handling traits. Each of the 45 cars excel at one of those, and players can customize them by earning Donpa Tickets, which are used to purchase new parts.
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The slight tweaks from the pieces are just the beginning. The vehicles also have gadget sets that they can load up before a Grand Prix. These are perks (There are 70 of them.) that augment a players racing style. Some upgrades increase the items that a vehicle can hold, while others power up a car based on air tricks. Naturally, some gadgets mesh well with certain vehicles. For example, I used a power car that looked like a bulldozer and paired it with a collision combo set that gave my racer, Ichiban Kasuga, a boost each time he knocked into another race. It also allowed him to steal their rings. It worked well with the bigger vehicle that was slow but hard to knock off a racing line.
When it comes to the races themselves, Sega offers an innovative twist to track design. Each race is divided into three laps. The first one is normal and gives players a feel for layout, but on the second lap, a portal opens up, and the person in the lead pick which world they ended up racing. That will force the other competitors into new environments before returning to the third and final lap, which is the original course albeit with changes. The design offers more variety and makes it feel as though no two races will be alike across the 24 courses and 15 CrossWorlds.
Players are introduced to their rival in “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.” (Sega)
I counted seven Grad Prix events available. These long competitions will have players wheeling around in four races across three tacks. The first three follow the CrossWorlds familiar pattern while the fourth and final race lets players do a lap in each of the previous courses via the portal rings. When tackling these contests, players even get a rival, and the player’s character and the rival will have witty banter across each of the events. It’s a way to lend the whole competition some charm and give the Sonic-dominated cast more personality.
All of this shows that new horizons do exist in the kart racing genre, and the developers behind “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” touch upon new ground while also sticking to the genre’s formula.
“Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” is scheduled for release Sept. 25 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also coming out during the holidays, and those who buy it on the Switch can purchase a $10 upgrade pack to play it on the Switch 2.
