Video games have been an important part of the Star Wars franchise since almost its inception, with the very first Star Wars game being 1982’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the Atari 2600. There have been countless Star Wars video games in the decades since, spread across a vast variety of genres, from first-person shooters to RPGs to strategy games to flight sims.
While Star Wars has revisited some of these genres time and time again, others have only appeared a handful of times over the last 40+ years. The racing genre is a great example of this. Only three Star Wars racing games have been released, all of which dropped within the span of just three years. It’s past time Star Wars returned to the racing genre, and it looks like it’ll have plenty of inspiration to draw from this year.
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Mario Kart 9 and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Should Inspire a Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Reboot
Bright and Colorful Kart Racers Are Coming Back in Full-Force
Much like any other long-standing gaming genre, the racing genre has several sub-genres within it. One of the most prominent sub-genres is racing simulation, which strives to be as realistic as possible, both in terms of visuals and gameplay mechanics. The kart racing sub-genre is essentially the exact opposite.
Designed to be as accessible and approachable as possible, many kart racers adopt a much brighter, more colorful aesthetic than racing sims like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo to attract a wider audience. And though these kart racers have plenty of depth when it comes to gameplay mechanics, they can still be easily and immediately enjoyed by those completely new to the genre.
Mario Kart and the various Sonic Racing titles are two of the leading series in the world of kart racing, and their next entries already look bigger than anything that’s come before. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is embracing the multiverse, letting players travel to vibrant new worlds mid-race, and though fans have only seen it for a few seconds, the next Mario Kart looks to be upping the ante as well, adding 24-player races and bigger tracks to accompany the bold change, all while retaining the bright aesthetic fans have come to expect from the series.
A Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Reboot Would Be a Refreshing Change of Pace
While there have been some great Star Wars games released in the last few years, the franchise’s recent output has started to feel a little samey. Games like Star Wars Battlefront 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Star Wars Outlaws all feature different gameplay mechanics, but they all share a very similar grounded aesthetic and tone.
It’s the perfect time for a Star Wars racing game to break the mold and offer something completely different. As a sort of reboot or spiritual successor to 1999’s Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, a new Star Wars “kart” racing game would be the perfect opportunity to show the galaxy’s goofier side, including some of Star Wars‘ more bizarre alien designs, bringing some over-the-top pod designs to the table, and letting a commentator poke fun at the universe a little.
A more cartoon-y aesthetic would be the perfect accompaniment to this lighter tone, marking a distinct difference between the racing game and the more photorealistic Star Wars entries that have come before it in recent years.
