10 Times Video Game Spiritual Successors Were Better Than Official Sequels

Mario Kart 64 - the sequel to Super Mario Kart on the SNES - was a juggernaut upon its release, selling almost 10 million units, making it the second-most successful N64 game.

Almost a year later, Rare released Diddy Kong Racing, which also centred around drivers collecting power-ups to give them an edge while racing . Since this cutesy title resembled "Mario Kart for Kids," nobody expected it to outshine the Italian plumber.

Against the odds, Diddy Kong Racing came out on top in nearly every department. Though Mario Kart 64 relied on 2D sprites for the racers, Diddy's cast had fully rendered 3D sprites. The levels were more diverse, since the drivers could take to the sea and air. Collecting the same power-up repeatedly strengthened them, making every race rely more on strategy. Unlike Mario Kart, racers in the back didn't receive better power-ups. For this reason, Diddy offered a much bigger challenge.

Although Mario Kart 64's multiplayer was incredible, its one-player couldn't hold a candle to Diddy. Rather than utilising a Grand Prix-styled campaign, Diddy's adventure mode takes place in a hub world, compelling players to seek out new races and key items. A certain amount of races had to be beaten to unlock harder ones, giving players a greater sense of accomplishment. On top of that, there were also rock-hard bosses, hidden characters, and secret artefacts that unlocked new challenges.

Mario Kart may be among Nintendo's biggest franchise nowadays but there was a time when it was coming in second, eating Diddy Kong Racing's dust.