Sonic the Hedgehogis a franchise with over thirty years of history. Starting off as a way for Sega to compete with Nintendo’s own flagship series,Super Mario,Soniclived up to expectations people had and became Sega’s own mascot. Despite it being undeniably Sega’s most popular and successful series,Sonic’s track record is different fromMario’s. This is not only about theunpredictable quality of recent mainlineSonicgames, it’s also aboutSonic’s awkward history with spin-offs.
WhileMariois known for dabbling in every genre imaginable and delivering an engaging and memorable experience,Sonic the Hedgehog’s experiences with spin-offs have been a mixed bag - especially when the series is trying to emulate one ofMario’s past successes. WhileMario Kartis arguably as recognizable as the mainlineMariogames, the most popularSonic-related racing game is a Sega crossover. There is an actualSonickart racer,Team Sonic Racing, but that game divided fans with many feeling underwhelmed. In an era whereMario Kart 9might be a reality andCrash Team Racinggot a remake, Sega should attempt to make a secondTeam Sonic Racingand aspire to be likeCrash.
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Where Crash Succeeded and Sonic Failed
Even with the original game in 1999,Crash Team Racingtook advantage of both theMario Kartcraze and the world Naughty Dog has been developing. Almost every major character in the originalCrash Bandicoottrilogy is either playable, or in the case of Aku Aku and Uka Uka, an important tutorial character. Only Tawna, Brio, Koala Kong, Komodo Moe, and Baby T were excluded from the game. WhenCrash Team Racingwas remade, the initial cast was the same with Oxide now being playable.
However, the developers took advantage of modern gaming culture and introduced regularCrash Team Racingeventsto make the cast larger without DLC. Not only were the aforementioned neglected Naughty Dog characters finally playable, but pretty much every major character in the series before the infamousTitansduology; from theCrash Nitro Kartbosses to well-known post-Naughty Dog characters like Nina Cortex, Crunch Bandicoot, and Dr. N. Trance; were added.
These roster choices combined with guest characters likeSpyro, a variety of tracks that fit theCrashuniverse, and in-depth kart customization mechanics. As a result,Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueledbecame a serious contender for the strongest kart racer on the market, even includingMario Kart, when it comes to being a series tribute.Team Sonic Racingdid the bare minimum when it came to representing a series with an extensive history. Despite using a team mechanic inspired bySonic Heroes, it does not do much to develop the concept, and uses its story to unfaithfully depict the teams. For example, Team Chaotix is not a thing inTeam Sonic Racingdue to Espio and Charmy doing investigative work, forcing Vector to team up with Blaze and Silver.
The game also relied on barebones choices for representation, with the most outlandish option being Zavok. The team mechanic, while iconic within aSoniccontext, is problematic due to restricting the roster’s potential. Even then, one of modernSonic’s most notable racing teams, theBabylon Rogues fromSonic Riders, does not make an appearance.
If Sega were to try anotherSonickart racer, it should avoid a gimmick that restricts itself. That does not mean discarding the team gimmick entirely, but reworking it around a more expansive game. More characters, like the aforementioned Rogues, Chaos, Tikal, and even Gamma or Emerl, would be the ideal way to start. The current kart customization is a good start, but the vehicles and parts should stand out more.Sonic the Hedgehogis a big franchise, and pumping such a spin-off full of fanservice and polished features would easily make it a competitor forCrashandMario.
