Top 5 Franchises That Could Be Made Into Racing Games

Written by Kiva the DC Wizard

KIVATHEDCWIZARD PRESENTS: A COUNTDOWN

TOP 5 FRANCHISES THAT COULD BE MADE INTO RACING GAMES

Hello everyone, I’m the Passing-Through Kamen Rider, and if it’s cheesy I love it.

I am a small time gamer, I enjoy my platformers and my Pokémon games, but sometimes I enjoy the rare game outside of my usual genre, like racing games. I played a Crash Bandicoot racing game, I played a Shrek racing game (which wasn’t very good, sadly) and I played Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing which is a good game.

You notice the ones I played are spinoffs. Well the most fun for me is seeing which characters get to become racers and how they translate to the racing genre. Crash and Sonic did, Shrek not so much but it could have been greater.

With how many licenses got racing game spinoffs from Mario to Kirby and Donkey Kong, there are still quite a few more I am surprised that didn’t get them. Even if it is not always obvious if the franchise should have a racing spinoff, sometimes it can be fun to see the characters in a different setting.

So I am going to take five franchises I would translate to a racing game. I don’t need to have played the games, just think of crazy ways and scenarios they could become involved in racing. And these are my own experiences with the franchise. They are not in a particular order, and they are just the five franchises that come from the top of my head. I also try to keep each entry unique.

Now a few rules…I can pick a franchise if the characters were guest characters or part of a mega crossover, as long as the franchise itself didn’t have a racing game especially focused upon the franchise. These are also my idea for full on racing games, if the franchise had racing mini games but not a full racing game, they are game. Er, no pun intended.

So let’s see what we can do if we turn these franchises into a bout of high octane action! With that said…Henshin!

(Pulls out a Driver, puts it on and puts a card in it, before activating it)

HENSHIN!

KAMEN RIDE! R-R-REVIEW!

NUMBER 5: KINGDOM HEARTS

Kingdom Hearts is insane. It is full of high action, cool boss battles, the ability to meet, fight alongside or against various Disney and Final Fantasy characters…it’s bonkers in the best way. But also in the worst since the story is incredibly convoluted. I mean they managed to turn the rhythm game in something tying into the story for the future, what the f***?

Kingdom Hearts had rhythm games, action RPG’s and normal RPG’s…but Birth by Sleep showed Keyblade wielders in their armor turning their Keyblades in a tool to traverse the universe, between worlds. I think there even were a few mini-games centered around racing, again in Birth by Sleep.

So have all these characters race either on their keyblades in their star rider mode, or in special vehicles if the character do not have them. You can race on land, the sky or in space, think fo the endless possibilities, and the countless tracks.

I put it so low because most likely a game like that will be a tie in to the overall convoluted story. That and there are Disney racing games already, Kingdom Hearts would be like that with Final Fantasy and the Kingdom Hearts characters added. But it wouldn’t be impossible to give it its own spin to stand it out from different Disney-themed racing games.

NUMBER 4: SLY COOPER SERIES

I am fond of the Sly Cooper series. It is one of my dearest franchises. Now, a game about a noble Robin Hood-esque raccoon thief wouldn’t immediately lend to the racing genre. But remember that in the first game some mini-games involved racing with the Cooper Van, piloted by the future brawn and getaway driver, Murray the Hippo.

The racing mini-games sucked. But because it was done wrong before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done right later on. Or turned into a game.

Like I said, it was Murray, the loveable, quotable, big hearted, big muscled chubby big bro hippo of the gang, has a passion for his van. Not only did he race in game, during times that the Cooper Gang was on a break and/or retired, he went into a life of racing, with his Cooper Van.

So maybe the racing game could be about the Cooper Gang planning a big heist and they all enter a racing tournament. Either they win the prize or they steal it from the seedy organizers. Or maybe It can be a full on Murray spin-off delving into the time Murray was in the racing circuit between Sly 3 and 4.

We can get a lot of new characters and some focus on the character whom, while he had development, he felt like a tertiary protagonist to Bentley and Sly. Maybe a few returning characters like Muggshot, whom may either be an organizer of the race, a participant or both! Or several new characters, expanding the universe.

It would also be an excuse for the franchise to pick up again since while Sly 4 was a good game to play, the story was…yeah…while they’re at it, at least have them bring Sly back from Egypt!

And if the game is about Murray, I know what the delightful crazy part would be. Murray is a brawler with a love of destruction. So have the races be destructive, able to tear up the vehicles and environments in the process. It would be like Donkey Kong Bananza on Wheels! Only with the pink hippo.

NUMBER 3: SPYRO THE DRAGON

Another PlayStation franchise I hold dearly because it and Crash Bandicoot are my very first games ever.

Now, Spyro and Crash have crossed over and made guest appearances in another another’s games a lot. Spyro has been a guest character in various racing Crash Bandicoot cart racing games so it wouldn’t be out of the question if Spyro got his own.

Even in his own games, not as a guest character, the purple dragon had several mini-games where he raced opponents. Either on a skateboard or flying around on the Speedways. Spyro has piloted many vehicles too. It wouldn’t be out of the question if he get his own racing game.

And due to the versatility of Spyro, there can be different types of races. Races where he flies around against other characters whom can either fly or made to pilot a flying vehicle. On land on a skateboard or other contraptions, even the Super-Charge where you can be charging forward as you have to steer as you charge forward like a steam locomotive would be a good premise for the races.

After Crash made a good comeback, with several games after the N-Sane Trilogy like Crash 4 and Crash Team Racing Nitro Fuelled, I think Spyro could use another entry. I wouldn’t mind a Spyro 4, though a Spyro racing game like I mentioned wouldn’t be unwelcome.

I’m getting fired up thinking about it, as Spyro himself is not the only thing we reignite and revv up that engine!

NUMBER 2: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

They have been around for decades and we fell in love with the stupidly awesome idea of four prepubescent mutated reptiles practicing ninjitsu while devouring Italian pies. No matter the incarnation, it is a ridiculous premise that they made awesome, telling stories while taking itself seriously.

The Turtles had various games. Mostly Beat ‘em ups, Platformers and even a few fighting games which fits them well. But not a racing game of their own. Sure in the Nickelodeon racing games they were racers but like I said, none of their own. Which is actually surprising to not have happened before.

I mean Donnie tends to make crazy vehicles from scrap all the time to use in their missions, so no reason they couldn’t be included in races. And with a vast roster of ninjas, mutants, aliens and others to choose from the franchise it wouldn’t be out of the question. Furthermore, the Turtles have gotten themselves into many intergalactic, interdimensional or global fighting tournaments.

In fact I even remember an episode from the 2003 series (my fav TMNT series) where Raph was displaced in another dimension where he took part in a racing tournament. Apparently it was a minor Mirage Comics franchise but I don’t remember that.

But seriously, it wouldn’t be hard to see how that could work out. With the sillier incarnations of the Turtles, the premise works out, the Nickelodeon Racing games shows a precedent, tweak it a bit and keep it in the spirit of the Turtles, and you got a fine idea for a racer.

The Turtles, Splinter, Shredder, Fugitoid, Leatherhead, April, Casey Jones…imagine them in high speed action, something they are used to without wheels, and wouldn’t be hard to imagine with wheels.

And pizza boxes should def be the ‘item boxes’ XD

NUMBER 1: POKEMON

My number one is actually breaking my own rule a bit. Because we got a Pokémon racing game…Pokémon Dash. But that was a Garbodor fire. You only race as Pikachu and use the stylus and doesn’t fall in line with the kart or track based racing game ideas I had for the others. Besides, the game was so bad I don’t think too much people will complain. There was also that Pokémon Mini console that is made for Pokémon mini-games but that I don’t count either since it is not a main console and a bit blurry in terms of the gimmick.

Pokémon is no stranger to spinoffs, and these spinoffs for the most part have been praised to being as good or better as the main series. I mean we got a Pokémon fighting game, so a racing game wouldn’t be out of the question. The Pokéthlon had racing mini-games too.

But an actual game, an actually well handled Mini-game would be perfectly possible and even fun. I mean Pokémon are competitive, and aside strong they can be fast. People ride on Pokémon so the possibilities are there.

Maybe you just race with the Pokémon. Maybe you are a human riding a Pokémon. Or maybe Pokémon in cute little cars or flying machines. Or a combination of those.

You can also come up with crazy Muk like a running Machamp carrying the player in his arms like the PokéRide in Alola. Or on a Snorlax’s back when you hold out a fishing pole with some food to get his fat butt into gear. Or them being pulled on a skateboard by a Pokémon like Pikachu because they have to find a way to include the franchise mascot.

Tie in Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves and Dynamax/Gigantamax as powerups; Run others off the road as giants, gain a boost in speed, dexterity or more powerful items as a mega, or a Z Move with various extra effects. Some Pokémon are used to race, other Pokémon appear as pick up items. Infinite possibilities, man!

In the anime and spinoffs there were so much precedents for good racing games…But it seems Pokémon Dash has put racing games out of mind for Nintendo and GameFreak. But I can see them at least try again. And I think with a good premise like this Pokémon lovers would salivate over this.

So I may have broken my rule a tad, and you can come at me for it, but few can deny that this would be the best idea for a racing game spin-off of a beloved franchise.

Anyhow, these were my ideas for potential racing game spinoffs from the top of my head. There are probably many other franchises I have overlooked, maybe god for a follow up. Which of ideas do you like and what other franchises do you think could be turned into a good racing game? Please comment below and share your thoughts, because I’d be interested.

This was the Passing Through Kamen Rider, signing out!