Tracks and courses make or break a racing title just as much as the car variety and handling do, and this is especially true for the often colorful and chaotic kart racers in the genre. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds seems to understand this well. The announcement trailer surprised fans with not only the return of Sonic Riders‘ EX Gears returning, but the fact that Sonic and the Secret Rings‘ Dinosaur Jungle is going to be included as a track is an amazing reference for die-hard fans.
Due to Dinosaur Jungle’s early reveal, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has made a bold statement of the types of references fans can expect from the rest of its courses. It begs the question of just how deep into the series CrossWorlds is going to dig with its unique Travel Ring mechanic. Thankfully, there are tons of Sonic games and even multimedia projects to pull from, and that could mean plenty of other references and fun racetracks are in fans’ future. Some might not be as surprising as the return of Dinosaur Jungle, but just as defining in the long-term.
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Sonic Locations That Should Appear in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Knight’s Passage – Sonic and the Black Knight
Because Sonic and the Secret Rings is once again relevant, the same opportunity should be given to the other Storybook Series game, giving Sonic and the Black Knight some of the spotlight it deserves. Black Knight‘s Knight’s Passage level would be a great choice to highlight its world, showing brief glimpses of Camelot and its castle in between tunnel sections. Knight’s Passage not only represents the intriguing second-half plot twist of Black Knight, but is also featured in one of the game’s beautiful CGI cutscenes, making it an exciting and logical choice to represent the Wii-exclusive title.
Station Square – Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure is certainly a well-remembered title, but the city of Station Square itself hasn’t been seen in years, not counting Speed Highway. Out of what fans have been able to hear of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds‘ soundtrack, Station Square’s theme would fit right in, based on the style of remixes that it’s going for. The map from Sonic Adventure itself could also easily be turned into a nostalgic racetrack, allowing players to go on the same route the cars go through in the hub world in the original game. If the original map isn’t enough, then perhaps Speed Highway’s “At Dawn” stage in Sonic’s story could help showcase everything the iconic Sonic locale has to offer.
Babylon Garden – Sonic Riders
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds marks the return of the Extreme Gear hoverboards of Sonic Riders fame, and that shouldn’t be where the love for this 2006 futuristic racer ends. Sonic Riders deserves a second chance, and bringing back one of its memorable tracks, Babylon Garden, would do well to give it the limelight after so many years. With Babylon Garden’s importance as the final stage of the game’s Hero Story, its difficult pitfall-laden track could once again serve as a gorgeous backdrop for a challenging course in this newer racer.
Dragon Road – Sonic Unleashed
In the same vein as the Storybook Series games, Sonic Unleashed is a fondly remembered but hardly accessible part of the franchise’s long history. If it was to make a return in CrossWorlds, it should do something different while following the lead of the current courses in the game, like Flower Garden and Dinosaur Jungle. That leaves Chun-Nan’s Dragon Road as a perfect choice. Its winding, one-lane dragon structures could work well as shortcuts to bottleneck racers into taking unexpected turns, while fans of the water sections could gain the advantage by taking the lower path by boat. If not Chun-Nan, then Sonic Unleashed‘s Eggmanland could be a good second option if it was purposefully designed to be one of (if not the) hardest tracks in the game, just like the stage it’d be based on.
Studiopolis – Sonic Mania
Turning a 2D Sonic Mania stage into a 3D racetrack would certainly shock fans if Sega wishes to fill CrossWorlds with surprise stages. Despite Sonic Mania being a huge success for Classic Sonic, it’s one of Sonic’s few adventures that hasn’t been referenced in later games after its tie-in with Sonic Forces. Studiopolis made itself a prominent Classic Sonic stage almost immediately with its colorful yet sleek level design, and it would certainly make for an incredible stage in a more Modern Sonic title as a result.
Shatterverse Void or New Yoke – Sonic Prime
Sonic Prime making an appearance in CrossWorlds was certainly unexpected. Fans are already surprised that the Digital Deluxe version of the racing game is said to come with playable characters from the Netflix show, but the representation should go further. With a name like “CrossWorlds,” Sonic Prime‘s multiverse theme fits so perfectly that not including a track themed off of it would feel like a missed opportunity. Either allowing fans to fly through the Shatterverse Void or throwing racers directly into New Yoke City would be perfect, especially since Prime almost begs to be made into a video game all its own.
The Sonic franchise has plenty of inspirational stages and settings, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has already used that to its advantage so far. From including multiple versions of the Tornado in Wonder Museum to Dinosaur Jungle and Sonic Rush‘s Water Palace, fans are in for many surprises once CrossWorlds launches. Making sure this is only the tip of the iceberg would certainly make CrossWorlds memorable for all sorts of Sega and Sonic fans so hopefully there are even more unexpected surprises heading their way.
