The Five Best Mascot Racers of the Past Decade

Start your engines, as SuperPhillip Central is set to explore five of the finest forays in mascot racers from the past decade! These games sped ahead from the rest of the competition and delivered some of the most high-octane racing entertainment imaginable and in video game form. After you've perused the picks here, give a shout out to which of these mascot-led racers are your favorites.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NSW)

The face of gaming, Mario, hops into the driver's seat once again for the eighth mainline installment of the ever-thriving Mario Kart franchise. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes all of the content from the Wii U version, including all of its DLC tracks, and adds to it new mechanics, modes, and playable characters to race as. With this deluxe package of the Wii U original, you get 48 tracks and over 30 characters total. In addition to that, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe saw the return of the traditional rules of Battle Mode with real arenas as opposed to the unappealing "full scale tracks turned makeshift battle courses" of the original Mario Kart 8.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a sensational kart racer to be enjoyed by players of all skill levels, and one that's perfect to be picked up and played. New mechanics like a third level of drift boost, as well as accessibility settings in the form of steer assist and auto-acceleration ensure that everyone can have a good time regardless of their mastery of Mario Kart.

Then, there are the actual tracks of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which are, in my opinion, the absolute best set of tracks in any kart racer, much more any Mario Kart, with their anti-gravity sections having players drive up cliff sides, speed down waterfalls, and steer through out of this world twists and turns. While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe may lack in single player content, it more than makes up for in stellar and solid multiplayer mayhem and fun that will keep most players coming back for more again and again.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled (PS4, XB1, NSW)

If you're looking for a multitude of content, especially of the ongoing kind, then does Beenox have a game for you with Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, a remake of Naughty Dog's original PlayStation kart racer starring the crazed bandicoot. The developer could have easily bumped up the visuals and called it a day, but the amount of TLC put into CTR is truly outstanding. Familiar courses were given total face lifts and makeover, sometimes indistinguishable from the originals.

With Nitro-Fueled, players are greeted with semi-monthly Grand Prix events, where in each a new track is added, as are new characters, karts, and cosmetics. Players compete for Nitro Points to earn these wares. This is on top of the immense assortment of content already in the game, such as the Diddy Kong Racing-inspired Adventure Mode, the various Cups that players can compete in, the 30+ tracks from both CTR and its sequel, Crash Nitro Kart, and a multitude of characters to play as.

Unlike Mario Kart, CTR takes on a much more skillful approach to its racing, but this is a double-edged sword in a way. The skill ceiling is so high that Nitro-Fueled isn't necessary the easiest game to learn and get into. It takes quite a bit of practice to learn the ins and outs of drifting, boosting, performing turbos, and an even deeper understanding of how to perform more expert-level skills like unleashing turbos for entire laps at a time. To say that Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is a pick-up-and-play game is folly, but otherwise, it's a fantastic kart racer, filled to the brim with continuously updated content and things to do.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Multi)

Hot off the heels (or should I say "wheels"?) of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing comes a much more complete and content-rich racing game with the game's sequel, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The last word in the title refers to the ability to transform between vehicle types on the fly at specific sections of track: by car, by speedboat, and by aircraft. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed's transformations didn't just end with the aforementioned vehicles, either, as entire tracks would evolve and change between laps. One lap you could be racing via cars, and then the next, the track crumbles underneath your wheels, turning into a high-flying finale to the finish line.

The roster was a veritable who's who of SEGA's most memorable characters, featuring characters from Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Channel 5, Samba de Amigo, Super Monkey Ball, Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, NiGHTS, and even deeper cuts like characters from Skies of Arcadia, Golden Axe, and Shinobi. The PC version of the game would receive several exclusive characters, such as those from series such as Football Manager and Total War. All in all, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed delivered fast-paced arcade-style racing that offered something for everybody.

ModNation Racers (PS3, PSP)

Just on the edge of being within the past decade, having released in 2010, United Front Games' ModNation Racers was the first console kart racer that allowed for an incredibly ambitious means to create one's own courses, characters, and karts. The amount of creation options was at the time unheard of for a game of its type on consoles, and the actual racing was terrific and solid as well. By performing drifts and other tricks, racers could generate energy in a gauge, allowing them to boost as long as there was energy remaining in the gauge.

Alongside the user-generated content that could be made for the game, ModNation Racers featured a full-fledged single-player story campaign. Each track in the game was made using the same easy-to-use and accessible tools that were available to players in the creation modes. Sadly, ModNation Racers' online functionality has since been shut down as of 2018. Still, the racing remains as enjoyable as ever, and I hope that Sony will return to this franchise sometime in the future, perhaps eventually on the PlayStation 5.

LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

While ModNation Racers got into the starting gate first with user-generated content in a kart racer on Sony's third home console, it was the LittleBigPlanet series from Media Molecule that took the whole concept of "Play, Create, Share" and made it popular on the PS3 in the first place. It only seemed fitting that the then-popular LittleBigPlanet series would take on the kart racing genre and attempt to take the creation crown back. Boy, did it ever.

ModNation Racers had an extraordinarily accessible track creation system. LittleBigPlanet Karting was simple to plant down a track, but the amount of options and features that one could add to a track was astounding. We're talking essentially programming here, with the ability to alter the track and customize it to obsessive degrees. Everything from the AI to the intro camera sequence could be customized and crafted to a creator's liking. Unfortunately, LittleBigPlanet Karting's online servers were shut down alongside ModNation Racers.

Regardless, racing was but part of the LittleBigPlanet Karting experience, as apart from breakneck racing with the AI in the abundant circuit races of the story mode, there were battle modes, mini-games, and other activities all pertaining to driving of which to partake. The clever incorporation of gadgets like the grappling hook to utilize mid-races to cross over chasms in a dazzling display also added to the charm of the game. While LittleBigPlanet Karting failed to be competitive with the top of the heap in the kart racing genre, it was still an amusing and enjoyable romp all the same.

All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries - Part Eight

If you've been around SuperPhillip Central for a little while (it's still okay if you haven't, so no harm done), then you know that I like talking about underrated and overlooked games. I've done various series on the subject. However, most of the time, the games mentioned in these articles are from wholly new or overlooked franchises themselves.

There are also a multitude of series that I can think of that have one, two, or a handful of games in it that aren't viewed as highly as the others, whether just or not.

These ideas are where the concept of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries comes from, and since part seven, I've come up with six more underrated entries to big-time franchises, some bigger than others. If you'd like to see past parts of this now long-running series, check them out here:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Star Fox - Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

The most recent game on this edition of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries, Star Fox Zero got mixed reviews and reception at best from both critics and players of the game. This was mostly to do with the atypical control and dual screen system the game used. However, with some practice, one could pull off maneuvers and high scores that would have otherwise been impossible with traditional controls. For instance, aiming with the GamePad screen while looking in a totally different direction of your Arwing meant you could take out foes that were to your side instead of always having to limit your aim to the front of your ship. Throw in some epic missions, and you have a Star Fox that feel doesn't get its rightful due as a great game. However, with that in mind, not everyone will be able to adjust to this non-traditional control scheme, and that is positively clear from the spread of reviews.

Mortal Kombat - Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2, XBX)

Despite having sold over one million copies across two platforms since its original release in 2005, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks isn't the most talked about Mortal Kombat game in the series. This is because it is not a traditional fighting game like past and future entries. Instead, it's an action adventure game with a fighting system more comparable to a beat-em-up like Double Dragon or Streets of Rage. Nonetheless, even with a different gameplay shift, Shaolin Monks incorporates various mechanics from the Mortal Kombat series including finishers as well as combos. The story mode allows for up to two players to move through the game's various levels, dealing with numerous enemies in a variety of ways. There is also a versus mode that plays more similarly to the Mortal Kombat games fans are more used to. Regardless, a sequel to Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks doesn't seem to be in the cards despite the game's original success.

Paper Mario - Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)

With last week's Nintendo Treehouse stream at E3 2016, the Treehouse crew showed off several games, including the newest in the Paper Mario franchise, once again stepping away from its RPG roots. Whether or not that's a good thing is subjective, but the game that introduced many of the gameplay mechanics of the new game Color Splash is none other than the Nintendo 3DS's Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Despite its obvious problems, the most egregious being the requirement to use a specific item sticker at a specific moment during a boss battle, usually not too obvious, Paper Mario: Sticker Star possesses a strong gameplay loop, creative environments and visuals, a fun battle system (although usually unnecessary to get involved with), and one of the franchise's best soundtracks. Sticker Star has received lots of hate from fans more in tune with the original two Paper Mario games that released on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, but the overall game is quite good... especially if you play with a guide!

The Legend of Zelda - The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS)

It's the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series this year, and the next entry in the franchise will be making its release on both the Wii U and upcoming NX console sometime next year. The previous Zelda game that launched released on the Nintendo 3DS last fall with The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. This multiplayer-centric Zelda game uses three Links to solve cooperative environmental puzzles and defeat myriad enemies in battle. Cooperation is key with Tri Force Heroes, and part of the fun of the game is coming up with ways to progress in levels as a team. There are also countless costumes to unlock, each crafted by bringing a specific character materials. Each costume has its own benefit, making for some strategic decision-making in what costume will work best in a given level. While the single player mode doesn't have the AI companions of Four Swords Adventures, it is a certain amount of fun nonetheless, though paling in comparison to the multiplayer, played online or locally with three friends.

Dead or Alive - Dead or Alive: Dimensions (3DS)

Another fighting game franchise that sees an arrival on All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries, Dead or Alive saw its first entry on a Nintendo platform with Dead or Alive: Dimensions on the Nintendo 3DS. Rather than being a wholly new game in the series, Dimensions was more of compilation of past Dead or Alive games, possessing over 25 playable characters from the franchise's history and a story that summarized the plots of Dead or Alive 1-4. Speaking of Dead or Alive 4, this was the engine used for Dimensions, albeit in slightly modified form to work with the Nintendo 3DS. Other modes included in Dimensions are Arcade, Survival, Free Play, Training, and a special photo mode allowing for players to take pictures of the game's various 3D models in custom-made positions. Releasing early in the Nintendo 3DS's life, Dead or Alive: Dimensions didn't get too much attention compared to Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, which unlike Dead or Alive, arrived at the system's launch.

LittleBigPlanet - LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

The last game on this installment of All-Star Franchises, Underrated Entries is LittleBigPlanet Karting, Sony's attempt to bring its LittleBigPlanet franchise into a new genre, the kart racer. The biggest claim to fame of LittleBigPlanet Karting aside from its very capable traditional kart racing is its creation mode, similar in some ways to Sony's own ModNation Racers, allowing happy gadders to customize their racer, their vehicle, and build their own race tracks, whether in circuit form or battle arena form. The amount of possibilities with the creation tools in LittleBigPlanet Karting was staggering, though it's recommended heavily that users watch the massive amount of in-depth tutorials to get the most out of the tools. The racing itself was quite competent, though the AI could very much annoy with its rubber-band AI. Still, despite having all of the creation tools and competent kart racing gameplay available, LittleBigPlanet Karting is grossly overlooked and underrated by PlayStation 3 gamers.

Top Ten Underrated Kart Racers

The kart racer is my preferred type of racing experience. Everything from fantastical racing locales and tracks to item combat is what I like in my racing games. When you have colorful tracks, whimsical characters, and wacky items, you have a game I'll probably enjoy. This top ten list is dedicated to kart racers, but not the ones you'd probably think of first when the words "kart racer" come to mind. No, these games are ones that don't get as much credit, which I think is as great as a flat tire on the final lap. With this list of my ten favorite underrated kart racers, it's my hope that getting the word out on these games might give these games some of the attention that they truly deserve.

10) NASCAR Kart Racing (Wii)

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! This first game on my list of favorite underrated kart racers is a lot like many games on this list, no doubt modeled after Mario Kart. The items in NASCAR Kart Racing have a lot of Mario Kart counterparts. However, NASCAR Kart Racing offers some new twists to the winning formula, such as having a partner just like in a typical NASCAR race to ride near and generate boosts. Unlike NASCAR, however, you won't be tediously making left turns the entire time. The game's twelve tracks are suitably colorful and can be played in normal or reverse form, essentially turning twelve tracks into 24. Whether you prefer the Wii Remote by itself, turning and twisting it to steer (which isn't a problem because precise steering isn't as required in this game as other Wii racers), using the Classic Controller, GameCube controller, or the Wii Remote and nunchuk combination, NASCAR Kart Racing, like your racing partner in-game, has got your back.

9) Mickey's Speedway USA (N64)

After working on Diddy Kong Racing, Rare took their talents and created a game starring some of the most cherished characters in history: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and more! The end result is Mickey's Speedway USA, a standard kart racer with 21 tracks spanning the country of the United States. Can't afford a trip to the U.S., European pals, or want to have a memory of the country that you used to live in after you leave if Donald Trump wins the presidency, fellow Americans? Then, Mickey's Speedway USA is the game for you! With five cups to enjoy of four races each, three difficulties, multiple characters to unlock, a traditional time trial mode, and heavily Mario Kart 64-inspired battle mode, you'll get to enjoy this kart racer for sure. Sure, it's nowhere near the greatness of Rare's past racer, Diddy Kong Racing, but really, what is?

8) Konami Krazy Racers (GBA)

Take characters from various Konami properties like Goemon from The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Gray Fox from Metal Gear, Dracula from Castlevania, and many more, put them into a kart racer with capable Mode 7 graphics, and you have the kraziness-- ahem-- craziness of Konami Krazy Racers. Whether you like the idea of speeding through Dracula's magma-filled castle, weaving in and out of lines of cardboard boxes from Metal Gear Solid, or racing around a baseball diamond a la MLB Power Pros, there's Konami goodness in each of the sixteen themed tracks in the game. Thankfully, you can enjoy the game's racers and races further with Konami Krazy Racers' tight and responsive controls, working wonders for an enjoyable racing experience. This Game Boy Advance launch title was a pleasant surprise, and it was a great time-killer to help the wait until Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

7) MySims Racing (Wii)

Time for another EA racer on this list (the first was NASCAR Kart Racing, for those keeping score at home). The simple-to-do customization of the MySims franchise remains apparent with MySims Racing, offering the ability to create your own character and kart, inside and out on the latter. You're able to outfit your ride to customize its top speed, acceleration, and much more. There are 15 tracks total, and each feature some really well hidden shortcuts, colorful worlds, and fun kart combat. The item variety is again like Mario Kart, but thankfully there is no obnoxious imbalance of items to be found, like some more recent Mario Kart games have had an issue with. What you get with MySims Racing is a humorous story and enjoyable kart racing that all ages can enjoy.

6) LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

ModNation Racers predated LittleBigPlanet Karting, and it gave PlayStation 3 owners the first taste of creating tracks. However, LittleBigPlanet Karting brought the creation of tracks to a wholly new level of customization. Before I get ahead of myself, the actual racing of LittleBigPlanet Karting is immensely enjoyable. Sure, you might get picked off with more weapons and get passed by more AI opponents than you might like, and the game's difficulty isn't very kid friendly, but who cares when you create some insanely detailed tracks and play them with friends and strangers alike! Here's where LittleBigPlanet Karting's brilliance really shines. Although it takes some work to create some truly awesome creations, you can design your track as simply as driving a path with Sackboy or Sackgirl, set props, create typography, set the time of day, create shortcuts, and just do anything your heart desires, like make part-for-part Mario Kart creations like some happy gadders have done!

5) Chocobo Racing (PS1)

Forget what you know about other Final Fantasy games with their Gold Saucer races or obnoxious Final Fantasy X mini-game! The original PlayStation's Chocobo Racing is the best simulation of Chocobos and other Final Fantasy characters speeding through themed circuits! With this game, you get a selection of modes to choose from, whether it be Story, Versus, Grand Prix, Relay Race, or Time Attack. Final Fantasy mainstays like magic use, several locales (there are ten tracks total), characters like Mogs and Behemoths, and other touchstones of the franchise make it a game especially of notability to fans. While Chocobo Racing is indeed modeled after Mario Kart, with some critics calling it a mere "cash-in", those of us who have taken Chocobo and friends around the game's themed tracks a number of times can say that the game has its own presence for fans of Final Fantasy, kart racing enthusiasts, and newcomers alike.

4) Crash Nitro Kart (PS2, GCN, XBX)

Crash Nitro Kart apes Naughty Dog's Crash Team Racing formula of old completely, but that's a very good thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Or in a kart racer's terms, if the bowling bomb hits, why mess with the aim? Crash Nitro Kart has all the goods from Crash Team Racing: a capable story mode where winning races, participating in CNK Challenges (collecting three letters on a race and winning it) and Relic Races (crashing into boxes that pause the timer so you can beat a race's target time) are all required to complete it. Although multiplayer is limited to battle mode and Grand Prix races (no quick race option is available for multiple players), there is still fun to be had with friends. The track design is superb, even beating Mario Kart 8 to anti-gravity sections of track, where you go upside-down, left side up, and any other way you can think of, though this isn't as polished as its fellow kart racing successor. What Crash Nitro Kart is, however, is a fantastic post-Naughty Dog effort that is worthy of attention.

3) Speed Punks (AKA Speed Freaks) (PS1)

Whether you know it as Speed Punks, Speed Freaks, or don't even know it at all, this next kart racer on my list is pure, unfiltered fun! Each five lap race around colorful locations brings all the entertainment of blitzing around tracks as one of six competitors. Special speed boost tokens can be accumulated in races and used to perform high powered boosts to blast past opponents. There is a great amount of skill to be had against AI opponents, and this isn't because of some cheap manner like item imbalance or severe rubber-band AI. No, you have to bring you A-game when you're racing in Speed Punks. Through racing several tracks in a row in a traditional Grand Prix-style Tournament mode, you can tour the game's tracks, and if you win, you can take on a character that will unlock for your usage if you beat him or her. Speed Punks doesn't have an established character like Mario or Crash Bandicoot tied to it, so there's no wonder why the game was overlooked when it originally released in 1999 in PAL territories and 2000 in the U.S. (to not compete with Sony's own Naughty Dog production, Crash Team Racing).

2) ModNation Racers: Road Trip (Vita)

Though you're limited in your customization and creation abilities compared to LittleBigPlanet Karting, you can still create some magnificent works with ModNation Racers: Road Trip, a game that got vastly overlooked because of it: 1) Being on the PlayStation Vita, and 2) Lacking standard online play. However, the story mode is as full-featured as ever, offering great tracks to get ideas from to create your own masterpieces, varied objectives per race, and much more. The creating fun comes from designing your own avatar (and you can create some really detailed stuff, even looking like certain game and cartoon characters), vehicles, and of course, race tracks. Creating stuff is easy and intuitive, using the Vita's touch interface in marvelous ways. After you have put the finishing touches on your created work, you can upload it online, meaning you can also download a near endless array of Mods, vehicles, and tracks. I had a wonderful time with ModNation Racers: Road Trip, and I hope the lackluster response, both sales and critic-wise, don't doom the ModNation Racers series to a permanent hiatus.

1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (PS3, 360, Wii)

There are different levels of underrated-ness on this list. While a game starring Sonic as well as multiple recognizable SEGA characters wouldn't be seen as underrated by some, I think Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is underrated due to gamers usually preferring and recommending its much more bug-prone sequel that released several years later. What I like about SEGA's first all-star kart racer is that the tracks, although nowhere near as varied franchise-wise as the sequel, offer easier to see turns, less glitches, and aren't nearly as long (sometimes All-Stars Racing Transformed's tracks felt too long). Also, the items are much more Sonic and SEGA themed, bringing speed shoes, barriers, and more to the fold.

Furthermore, the mission mode brings some very fun objectives, and acing each one felt like a real, fair challenge instead of the occasionally infuriating difficulty of All-Stars Racing Transformed's main mode. I'm looking at you, Traffic Attack and Pursuit! The collection of characters is also something I prefer. There's no weird appearances from Wreck-It-Ralph or worse, NASCAR's Danica Patrick. Instead, you get old and new favorites like Billy Hatcher (of Giant Egg fame), Ryo Hazuki (Shenmue), Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki (Virtua Fighter), Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone), the mice from Chu Chu Rocket, and more. It all adds up to why I prefer the original Sonic and SEGA all-star affair over the sequel, which is still one of the better kart racers out there.

Top Five Most Underrated Kart Racers

The kart racer-- a favorite game type of mine definitely. Nowadays they aren't widely made outside of the Mario Kart series. However, over the years we've seen different developers attempt to make games in the genre to varying degrees of success. Even if you create a great kart racer, there's no telling if it will turn out to be a commercial hit. Today's top five list delves into the kart racers that either sold below expectations, didn't receive much hype, or just are overlooked in general. After you've checked out the choices here, feel free to agree/disagree and share your own ideas for kart racers that need more attention.

5) MySims Racing (Wii, DS)

Of all the kart racers listed on this top five, the one that surprised me the most was MySims Racing. When I was originally given a review copy to judge the game, I did not expect something special, despite enjoying past MySims games on Nintendo's Wii. However, I quickly found myself greatly liking what I was playing. MySims Racing contains superbly designed tracks with cleverly hidden shortcuts aplenty, a fair and well rounded balance of items, smart enemy AI, tight controls, and enough content to make the game well worth owning for any Wii and kart racing fan.

4) LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

Worthy of the price of admission alone thanks to its insanely robust track creator, LittleBigPlanet Karting is an above average kart racer that thanks to said track creator, opens up the possibilities for some amazing track designs. The tracks that come with the game on the disc that are played through the story mode are wonderful already, and every one was built with the same creator available to players. You can build multiple lap races, transforming tracks via some minor programming knowledge, one lap adventures, and even boss battles. While the actual item balance and unfair rubber band AI leave a lot to be desired (a reason why LittleBigPlanet Karting is only #4 on this list), the kart racing package on the whole is definitely worth checking out, especially since it can be purchased for less than $20 easily nowadays.

3) Mickey's Speedway USA (N64)

Released during the hey day of kart racers, the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 generation of home consoles, Mickey's Speedway USA was Rare's second kart racer for the N64. While it doesn't come close to outshining the masterpiece that is Diddy Kong Racing, the game starring Disney's lovable Mickey Mouse crew is one that is indeed packed with lots of positives-- nice track design with well done shortcuts, cute banter between characters, a high amount of polish (befitting of Rare), suitably catchy music, fantastic multiplayer, and a story mode that progressively gets more difficult as the game goes on. Mickey's Speedway USA is in a lesser echelon of kart racers compared to Mario Kart 64 and the previously mentioned Diddy Kong Racing, but it holds its own regardless.

2) ModNation Racers: Road Trip (Vita)

LittleBigPlanet Karting supports a much larger kit of tools for players to create their own race tracks, but not only is this much more convoluted to do compared to the PlayStation Vita launch title ModNation Racers: Road Trip, but the actual gameplay is lesser as well. The Vita version of ModNation Racers possesses a wide array of pre-made tracks for the excellent story campaign, full of side missions such as not hitting a wall, taking every shortcut, and hitting five enemies, for instance. Creating capable and highly competent tracks is a breeze, and the use of the touch screen to accurately draw track, place objects, and sculpt terrain makes for an engaging designing experience that won't make you need to watch a 50 minute series of tutorials just to have a fighting chance of building some great.

1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Multi)

While its sequel, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed gets a lot of acclaim from fans and critics, the original Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing usually gets overlooked. Not here at SuperPhillip Central, where I actually consider the original Sonic & SEGA all-star karting mashup to be superior. It has a better cast of characters with a more enjoyable way of unlocking them via spending SEGA Miles, it has a more entertaining single player mode with its Mario Kart DS-style mission mode, and it has tracks that are much easier to see the twists and turns of. A lack of glitches and bugs compared to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed makes the pick of the original Sonic & SEGA quite easy to make as the most underrated kart racer currently on the market today.

Honorable Mentions: Konami Krazy Racers (GBA), Banjo Pilot (GBA), NASCAR Kart Racing (Wii), Crash Nitro Kart (PS2, GCN, XBX)