Sonic Racing: Crossworlds draws experience from the Initial D creators

Sonic Team: "It was because of them that we were able to carry on with developing the game."

If we disregard the fact that it's very unfortunate timing for Sega to release Sonic Racing: Crossworlds almost simultaneously with Mario Kart World, the game actually looks very good. In addition, Mario's karting escapades are missing from PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, where there are likely many who are eager for mascot racing.

Beyond the attractive graphics, free DLC characters, a fun concept, and cross-play, the big question is whether it's fun to play. Previous instalments in the Sonic Racing series were developed by Sumo Digital, but now Sonic Team has taken on the responsibility for development—but do they have the racing expertise required?

Fortunately, they seem to think so themselves. In an interview with 4Gamer (via My Nintendo News), producer Taki Ryuichi and creative director Kohayakawa Masaru reveal that there is plenty of experience to draw on:

"It was entirely thanks to the Initial D development team that, in Sonic Racing, we were able to implement the gameplay which they'd been honing for years - and it was because of them that we were able to carry on with developing the game."

Initial D is a series of arcade-style racing games based on the manga/anime of the same name, which can be enjoyed mainly in Japanese arcades. The first game was released in 2002 and the last as recently as 2021 (13 titles in total), and its popularity undoubtedly indicates that it has plenty of fans.

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds will be released on September 25 for PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, and then we'll see if Sonic Team has delivered a worthy challenger to Mario Kart World.