Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Already Sets a High Bar for Mario…

2025 is shaping up to be the year of kart racers. Last month's long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 reveal seemed to confirm the existence of a new mainline Mario Kart entry, one that could be experimenting with some pretty big changes to the usual formula. And during the most recent Sony State of Play, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was given a full reveal.

Sonic the Hedgehog racing games have existed in various forms since 1994's Sonic Drift for the Game Gear, but they've very rarely stuck to one defining series name or gameplay formula. For instance, Sonic Riders and Sonic Rivals are two very different racing games, despite being released mere months apart. That being said, the upcoming Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds looks like a natural evolution for the franchise, and its core gimmick might set a surprisingly high bar for the Nintendo Switch 2's Mario Kart.

Sonic and Tails running up a hill, and Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles cheering

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By Alexandra O'Leary

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' Main Gimmick Sets a High Bar for Mario Kart 9

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' Premise Is a Natural Evolution for The Series

As just mentioned, Sonic the Hedgehog's history in the racing genre has been a rather diverse one, with no two games looking the same. That said, there has been a steady evolution of mechanics and features over the last decade or so, with 2010's Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing bringing other Sega characters to the table, 2012's Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed adding shape-shifting karts, and Team Sonic Racing introducing innovative co-op mechanics.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will take the franchise in yet another bold new direction, with its main selling point being its titular ability to travel to new dimensions mid-race via Travel Rings. Partway through a race's first lap, the driver in 1st position will be able to choose one of two worlds that the entire lobby will venture to during the second lap. These new worlds offer distinct track layouts, obstacles, and scenery.

In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Sega also mentions that these tracks will change dynamically during the course of a race, much like they did in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. This means that between laps, tracks will shift between ground, air, and sea terrain, forcing the player's kart to transform in the process. With dynamic tracks and the ability to travel to new worlds mid-race, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds could offer even more replayability than some of its most fierce competitors.

Sega has teased that some of the universes included in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will be from other Sega IPs, though none have been officially confirmed just yet.

Mario Kart 9's Gimmick Needs to Knock It Out of The Park

The Mario Kart franchise loves gimmicks almost as much as Sonic the Hedgehog does. From Double Dash's duo drivers, to Mario Kart 7's gliding, underwater driving, and kart customization, to Mario Kart 8's anti-gravity tracks, the Mario Kart series has tried to keep evolving in its own way over the years.

It seems very likely, then, that the Nintendo Switch 2's Mario Kart will bring its own set of gimmicks and innovations to the table. There's already quite a bit of speculation as to what these gimmicks will be, with some fans believing that Mario Kart 9 could have 24-player races and more open-ended tracks. There's even a rumor that Mario Kart 9 could have track-shifting mechanics, which might not pack as much of a punch now that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has beaten it to the punch. Mario Kart 9 will likely be another huge success for Nintendo, regardless of whatever gimmicks it contains, but it will take some effort to beat CrossWorlds' genuinely innovative premise.