The blockbuster Mario Kart franchise has inspired a number of clones over the years.
Some have been better than others.
Sonic Drift (1994)
1994sSonic Driftis often credited for being the firstMario Kartclone.
In many ways,Sonic Driftis closer to the Sega arcade racing games of all (likeHang-On).
Vehicles come in three classes: land, sea, and air.
The gameplay suffers due to this, with races feeling really slow and herky-jerky.
Chocobo Racingdoes have a spiritual successor: 2022sChocobo GP.
Its a much better, modernized kart racer with tons of features, smooth visuals, and tight gameplay.
Its worth playing for sure, but the original PS1 oddity shouldnt be forgotten.
Its so insanely fun to play even 25 years after its release, and its popularity among fans endures.
It just feels phenomenal to play, plain and simple.
Developed by Beenox, 2019sCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueledis a worthy evolution of the franchise.
But if the originalCTRwasnt as great as it was, the spinoff series would have been dead on arrival.
Everyone from the Muppets to the Smurfs and even Woody Woodpecker got a kart racing game around this time.
The animation is a highlight as well, with characters emoting at a level beyond even some modern games.
Okay, so the space theme is on-brand but also sort of arbitrary.
In this respect, the game was a decent party game for the kiddos.
There are far more refined games on this list, but there are also far less playable ones.
Graphics-wise, the game looks quite nice for the era.
One thing the game absolutely nails is its roster.
Its all in good fun!
feel lacking in the personality department.
The Prince fromKatamari Damacyis in there, though, which can only be counted as a big plus.
Even by todays standards, this game rocks.
The racing feels tight, with a satisfying boost system, balanced items, and slick graphics.
The soundtrack is full of unironically cheery bops, too.
Above all else, theModNation Racers track creation system and online features set it apart.
The game is a sequel to 2010sSonic & Sega All-Stars Racingand improves on its predecessor in almost every respect.
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Super Indie Karts (2013)
Ouya?
Anyone remember the Ouya?
Well, it was an Android-powered console released in 2013 that kind of went nowhere.
It was, however, the console on which the crowdfunded Super Indie Karts made its debut.
Super Indie Kartsis an unmistakable homage toSuper Mario Kartbut features characters from outside the Mario sphere.
Titles likeToejam & Earl,Guacamelee,Knightmare Tower, and more see their heroes hit the tracks.
But is it a bad thing to take cues from the best kart game ever made?
Hell, even Jojo freakin Siwa is in there.
Is the game play-to-win?
Yeah, kind of.
