Only 5 Kart Racing Games Are As Good as Mario Kart

Published Jul 30, 2026, 3:33 PM EDT Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years. There is an inherent whimsy and heart-pumping infectious energy that has made kart racers some of the most approachable yet infinitely entertaining racing games out there. Distinctly different from realism-focused sim racers like Gran Turismo or Forza, kart racers are more defined by high-energy arcade gameplay, memorable characters and tracks, and using items mid-race to take down enemy racers and win the race. However, the truth of kart racing as a genre is that it's completely dominated and defined by the Mario Kart franchise. From the original Super Mario Kart's popularization of the franchise in 1992 to the latest prominent release in Mario Kart World, the franchise is so synonymous with the kart racing genre that every other attempted entry will inevitably be compared to Nintendo's gem. Many middling wannabe Mario Kart clones fall to the wayside and are ignored by gamers who could simply play the latest entry in Mario's series. However, a select few kart racers live up to the legacy of this iconic franchise and provide actual competition within the kart racing genre. 'Blur' (2010) Image via Activision From a purely visual standpoint, Blur doesn't exactly look like your classic kart racer, as it doesn't have the cartoony antics and instead has the look of your more traditional arcade racer. However, while the game may have the look of something like Need for Speed, its gameplay attempts to act as a bridge between real-world racers and the chaotic world of kart racers. The downloadable title uses the real-world cars and locations of grounded racers, but has a central gameplay more similar to a kart racer, with dynamic power-ups and weapons to use against other racers. The underrated video game is certainly elevated thanks to the expertise of the development team responsible, Bizarre Creations, who were behind both high-energy arcade games like Geometry Wars and the racing series Project Gotham Racing. It makes for one of the most unique and impactful games in the entire kart racing genre, flipping it on its head and making for one of the absolute best multiplayer experiences on the PS3 and Xbox 360. The multiplayer was even more exhilarating thanks to the fact that it supported a max of up to 20 players in a single match, allowing a lot of customization of the rules and mechanics to best fit the vibes and desires of players. Even over 15 years after its release, there is no other kart racer quite like Blur. 'ModNation Racers' (2010) Image via Sony Computer Entertainment Due to how seamlessly Mario Kart perfected the gameplay style of the kart racing genre, many of the fully original kart racers had to offer something extra to set themselves apart. ModNation Racers takes the approach that had previously found success for PlayStation's other prominent family exclusive during the PS3 era, LittleBigPlanet. The game's primary element as a kart racer is defined by user-generated content, allowing players to create cars, maps, and character designs to customize the kart racing experience of their dreams. Few kart racers have been this expressive and accepting of user creation tools. ModNation Racers gives players the ability to create any type of wild kart racing experience they want, with effective enough gameplay and controls to make it all enjoyable to play. The game was such a cult classic on the PS3 system that even after official servers were shut down by Sony, dedicated fans created their own servers to provide continued access to the creation station and full online matchmaking. 'Diddy Kong Racing' (1997) Image via Nintendo It's extremely rare (ha) for Nintendo to release kart racers that aren't a part of the Mario Kart franchise, as it largely does everything that they need in terms of a fun multiplayer kart racing experience on their consoles. However, before Mario Kart had truly defined itself as the dominating force that it is today, Diddy Kong Racing released the same year as Mario Kart 64 in North America. Rare's own take on a goofy kart racer etched a distinct identity separate from what Mario Kart 64 offered, most prominently by having one of the best single-player experiences of any kart racer. The game is a fun, mission-based collectathon on top of a traditional kart racer, with its Adventure Mode giving it a massive edge over every other kart racer up until that point. This is on top of a lot of the inherent strengths that Mario Kart 64 offered, such as fun multiplayer battle modes and a cast of goofy, memorable characters. However, the primary difference in terms of the racing itself is that Diddy Kong Racing features 3 different styles of vehicles for racing, not just karts. The water-floating hovercrafts and high-flying airplanes add a lot of depth and dynamics to the game's core racing gameplay, allowing a lot more creativity in terms of map designs to make it a standout racing game experience. 'Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed' (2012) Image via Sega Sonic the Hedgehog was constantly trying to break into the racing genre following the success of Mario Kart, although games like Sonic Drift and Sonic R were relegated to middling disappointments that only die-hard Sonic fans would actually play instead of anything that could live up to Mario Kart. However, this largely changed following the release of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, a kart racing game defined not just by Sonic but the wide array of Sega franchises from over the years. While the original game was a good proof of concept, the sequel that was released 2 years later, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, is the greatest Sonic racing game and easily lives up to Mario Kart's legacy. It amplifies everything that made the initial game great with a greater polish and charm, feeling like a love letter to Sega's entire history with its dynamic roster selection. This is all on top of the central transforming mechanic, which, similarly to Diddy Kong Racing, uses boats and airplanes to add more depth to the races and more creativity with level design. The game is still treated as the gold standard for Sonic racing games, with many of the subsequent entries failing to come close to the impact and effectiveness of this iconic kart racer. 'Crash Team Racing' (1999) Image via Sony Computer Entertainment Sony's first real answer to the dominating staying power of the Mario Kart franchise, Crash Team Racing perfectly translated the hectic energy and chaos of the Crash Bandicoot trilogy into the world of kart racing. Developed by Naughty Dog, Crash Team Racing was massively celebrated upon release, with highly polished visuals and dynamic gameplay that encouraged skill expression and depth. It's just about the only kart racer imaginable that doesn't just live up to the legacy of Mario Kart, but actively surpasses Mario Kart's quality, especially for the era, acting as their singular greatest source of competition within the genre. Even more striking is that while Mario Kart 64's gameplay style and feel haven't particularly aged the greatest when compared to modern offerings of the franchise, the sleek gameplay of Crash Team Racing feels just as enthralling and addicting to play as ever. Even more so is that the game, much like Diddy Kong Racing, features an exceptional single-player story mode that gives the game a great deal of content and strengths even outside of the classic multiplayer races. It's an interesting mark in video game history, as easily Naughty Dog's silliest and strangest release, yet still adhering to the same overwhelming quality that the studio is still famous for to this day.