Naughty Dog developed Crash Team Racingfor the PlayStation in 1999, and it quickly became a hot alternative to the growing Mario Kart library. It found an audience among players who enjoyed its polished presentation, 15 playable characters from the Crash Bandicoot franchise, and numerous power-ups that made gameplay dynamic. The game was a massive hit that clearly drew inspiration from its Nintendo competition but stands on its own despite the obvious correlation. There have been two sequels: Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, a remaster of the original with elements from the second game.
2) Diddy Kong Racing
Image courtesy of Rare
If you were to ask a random gamer to name a ‘90s Kart racer that wasn’t Mario Kart, there’s a good chance they’d say “Diddy Kong Racing.” It was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997, focusing on Diddy Kong as the story’s protagonist. Diddy Kong Racing featured ten playable characters who could operate one of three vehicles: a car, an airplane, or a hovercraft. When it was released, the game dominated the marketplace, selling nearly 5 million copies. It received a remake on the Nintendo DS, but it’s one of those rare examples of an incredibly popular game that’s yet to get a sequel.
3) Muppet RaceMania
Image courtesy of Midway Games
Muppet RaceMania was released in 2000 for the PlayStation and, as the name implies, features only characters from The Muppets franchise. It includes 25 playable characters, 25 vehicles, and 34 distinct tracks from various Muppets movies. The game is the result of the Kart racing boom that followed the ‘90s introduction to the genre, and it’s one of many licensed games folks seem to have forgotten existed. This game was an insane amount of fun for fans of The Muppets, while others, less enamored with the franchise, likely looked elsewhere. That’s a shame because it’s a lot of fun, featuring as much Muppet lore as could be crammed onto a CD-ROM.
4) ModNation Racers
Image courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment
ModNation Racers is a 2010 Kart racing game released on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. What’s interesting about this game is how focused it is on user-created content. Players can create, download, and share whatever content they like, including tracks, mods, and Karts. High-speed gameplay is similar to other Kart racers, though it includes a boost meter that’s filled up by executing successful drifts. ModNation Racers includes numerous power-ups and attack types, and it spawned a sequel released two years later. Unfortunately, ModNations Racers: Road Trip is the last title in the franchise, having been released on the PlayStation Vita in 2012.
5) Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Image courtesy of Sega
There have been many entries in Sonic’s Kart racing franchise, and the one that’s often considered to be the best is 2012’s Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Its main theme is transforming between vehicle types, so in the middle of a race, the player would switch between Karts, aircraft, and boats. This mechanic was introduced in Mario Kart 7 the year prior, but Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed turbocharged the concept, and it’s now a primary component of modern Kart racers. The game features over 20 characters from across the Sonic franchise, and much of the content is 100% fan service, making it the best Kart racer in the franchise.
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