20 Video Game Clones Better Than The Original

With Mario Kart Deluxe being the fourth most successful game of all time, hype was through the roof for its inevitable successor. Being the new entry in 11 years, the buzz for Mario Kart World was through the stratosphere.

And the final product was... fine. There's nothing glaringly awful about the Switch 2 launch title, but it didn't exactly captivate the masses. This was extra disappointing, since World cost 80 freakin' dollars and wasn't available on a keycard.

So when the most recent Sonic racing game, CrossWorlds, was declared as the superior of the two, it was unbelievable.  Sonic racers have never been on par with Mario Kart, so this wasn't just shocking, but unprecedented.

Although CrossWorlds has a massive roster, tight controls, and customisation options up the wazoo, the Travel Ring system is the biggest selling point. After the first lap, racers pass through a ring that transports them into a new world, changing the terrain, obstacles, and shortcuts. The final lap has players return to the original track, but with further modifications, like new paths and hazards.

The lead racer chooses which Travel Ring to take, giving players further incentive to get ahead early, since it'll alter the rest of the race. Different portals change the landscape in different ways, so repeatedly racing on the same level rarely feels tiresome.

Even though Sonic racers have been sporadic, this gem pulled off the impossible and left Mario Kart in the dust.