PS5 – Games like Mario Kart on PS4 and PS5

Mario Kart has been the king of kart racers for the last few decades, but if you’re a PlayStation player, you’re often out of luck. Thankfully, the rubber has begun to burn on the PS4 and PS5, and there are some decent alternatives to Nintendo’s biggest exclusive series. From Crash to Sonic, here are a few stand-out kart racers like Mario Kart on the PS4 and PS5.

Cars 3: Driven to Win

Believe it or not, Cars 3: Driven to Win is actually a decent kart racing game with over 20 characters to play as including Lightning McQueen, Jackson Storm, and Cruz Ramirez. You’ll be driving and saying “Kachow!” in locales based on the highly popular movie like Mater’s home Radiator Springs and the Florida International Speedway. “If you’re looking for a new kart racer to add to your collection, you can’t go wrong with Cars 3: Driven to Win,” Video Chums wrote in its positive review. “Its cute and colorful style is charming and it has a great selection of content to keep you busy for hours.”

Cel Damage HD

Love the battle mode in Mario Kart? Well, you should try Cel Damage HD. It has a whacky Saturday morning cartoon art style alongside an equally crazy roster of characters and weapons. Like the old Hanna Barbara cartoon Wacky Racers, each car is designed especially for the rider, and they perfectly match the personality of the character. But instead of a race, you must bash opposing enemies with whatever weapon you can find like a saw blade, grenade, or a bat. Just be aware that this 2001 video game isn’t exactly for kids and is more for teenagers and up.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Arguably better than Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled delivers a thrilling alternative with inventive stages, weapons, and characters to keep your interest for hours and hours. The drifting feels incredible at top speed, and the technical execution you need to get the best times requires practice. This remaster of the original PS1 game (and other titles in the series) is beautiful with eccentric animations and a wonderful cartoon-like aesthetic. It also has many different costumes and racers to unlock that regrettably are behind a games-as-a-service model.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2

This racing genre is the best way to bring back old-school mascots into a new age, and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 was a nostalgia rush for many. Featuring over 30 characters from Spongebob Squarepants, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more, you’ll be racing to be the very best in Nick-themed courses. It, unfortunately, doesn’t have any voice acting whatsoever, detracting from the experience, but there is some fun to be had in this blast from the past. We can’t wait for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl as well, a Nick take on the Super Smash Bros. formula that has Nigel Thornberry and Oblina among the roster.

Team Sonic Racing

Last but not least is Team Sonic Racing, a team-based kart racer that unlike its predecessor is purely focused on stages based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Speed is king in the game as you and your partners use items, drifts, and drafting to be first on the runway. The music is outstanding as it remixes the original tracks from games’ past in a bombastic way, and the visuals are absolutely gorgeous as you speed through Seaside Hill and Casino Park. The power-ups are also inspired by Sonic Colors’ wisps, which is an awesome nod for die-hard Sonic fans.