Discover 4 Best Games Like Mario Kart

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a very popular racing game around our house. On our four player Switch days, it’s a favorite. We race as much as we play the battle games in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Our library of Switch games includes several similar games. Not all racing games need be as complicated as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I have as much fun with a simple racing game as I do with brake drifting in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Racing games are any game that has players moving around a track to be the first to a finish line. It doesn’t matter whether players have cars or are on foot. The object of any racing game is to be the fastest to the finish line.

These games offer co-op or player vs player action. Co-op racing games have players on the same team. While player vs player involves racing head to head.

Not all racing games are equal. Different racing games offer power ups, drifting, weapons, shortcuts, and upgrades. They range from simple racing games like Hello Kitty Racing to complex racing games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Racing games have vastly improved over the years. Older racing games were predictable and boring. Coming back from last place was practically impossible. While learning to exploit weaknesses in the computer players ensured easy wins.

Coming back from last place in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is actually a strategy. Also, staying in first place isn’t a sure thing either in MK8D. By modifying the rules, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe keeps the game competitive and fun.

Many racing games have followed suit and have improved. Even if they don’t offer the complexity of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, they still are fun to play.

Who’d thought Hello Kitty and racing go together. While it’s incredibly simple, it’s a good racing game. Up to 4 players can join. There are many cars to choose from but they basically fall into three categories.

Heavy, medium, and light. There aren’t any stats to compare and the differences are slight. So just pick a car based on how it looks. After several races you may prefer one class over another.

Overall, the racing is simple, but surprisingly fun. Drifting is possible but doesn’t seem to help much. Avoid being hit or hitting obstacles seems to matter the most.

The tracks, cars, and appearance in general is plain. Nothing really stands out as far as graphics or sounds. Except I remember having fun racing with friends. It’s an easy, simple alternative to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

This racing game is similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in many aspects. The power ups, cars, characters, and racing mirror Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Although, to me it feels a bit more complicated than MK8D. Getting the startup boost is harder, drifting is difficult to master, and there’s so much on the screen navigating the track requires all your attention. However, it’s still a fun racing game.

There’s also a basic plot to this game. It’s light but offers incentive to win all the races and discover the real story behind Dodon Pa. While it isn’t much of a plot, it kept our interest as the game progressed.

I will say the car and player stats are simpler than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In Team Sonic Racing, there’s only three types: speed, technique, and power. Each with their unique strengths and weaknesses.

Choose your type wisely. Learning to drive each type takes some practice to master. It gets much easier once you get used to each type.

There aren’t as many tracks as there are in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But each track seems longer. If you like challenging racing games then Team Sonic Racing is a good choice.

This is another favorite of ours. We like that there’s both off road and on road track. Plus some minigames. You can also create customized cars and tracks.

RC Racing Grand Prix is another simple racing game. There aren’t and advanced drifting techniques or shortcuts like in Mario Kart. Just avoid hitting the walls for the most part.

The off-road tracks have more jumps and drift. While the on-road tracks are faster with sharper curves. There are heavy, medium, and light cars to choose from.

I’m old enough to remember a Commodore 64 game called Racing Destruct. We spent a lot of time customizing tracks to make them more enjoyable.

Creating custom tracks isn’t for everyone. But for those that put in the time it is very rewarding. Rev Up! RC Grand Prix is one of the few games that allows for creating custom tracks.

Building a track to match a cars performance is rare indeed. You can create easy tracks for beginners or harder tracks for a challenge. Every racing game seems to have bad parts and good parts in every track. Not many games offer the ability to alter those parts.

Rev Up! RC Grand Prix is inexpensive which is reflected in the graphics, gameplay, and sounds. But I think it’s a hidden gem of a racing game for those willing to put in the time altering tracks.

Based on the Cars movie, you can race as Lightning McQueen. This racing game is more refined than the others. The sights and sounds are right out of the Cars movies.

If you’re a fan of the movies then this racing game is a good option. One of the few games where the everything actually looks like it does in the movies.

In addition to racing, there’s also a battle mode and freestyle mode. The battle mode is loads of fun in my experience. The freestyle is okay. It’s a great way to get some practice in.

There are over 100 achievements and power ups you can unlock in this racing game. Some need unlocked to progress through the game, including a few boss fights.

I’m not a big fan of having to unlock so many things for the full experience. It seems they went overboard with the Hall of Fame achievements. A few even require multiplayer locally.

It’s on the expensive side, which accounts for the great graphics, sounds, and gameplay. Cars III Driven to Win isn’t as advanced as MK8D, but it’s still an appealing racing game.

Racing gameplay is popular among gamers. The thrill of competing with others and winning adds excitement and adrenaline to any gaming experience in my opinion.

While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the top selling games for the Switch. There are other racing games which offer similar experience. Not all are as refined or glamorous as MK8D, but each offers a fun experience in their own way.

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