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: CrossWorldsseems to understand this well. The announcement trailer surprised fans with not only the return ofSonic Riders' EX Gears returning, but the fact thatSonic and the Secret Rings' Dinosaur Jungle is going to be included as a trackis an amazing reference for die-hard fans.
Due to Dinosaur Jungle’s early reveal,Sonic Racing: CrossWorldshas 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 seriesCrossWorldsisgoing to dig with its unique Travel Ring mechanic. Thankfully, there are tons ofSonicgames 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.
Sonic Locations That Should Appear in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Knight’s Passage - Sonic and the Black Knight
BecauseSonic and the Secret Ringsis once again relevant, the same opportunity should be given to the other Storybook Series game, givingSonic and the Black Knightsome 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 ofBlack 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 Adventureis 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 ofSonic Racing: CrossWorlds' soundtrack, Station Square’s theme would fit right in, based on the style of remixes that it’s going for. The mapfromSonic Adventureitselfcould 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 iconicSoniclocale has to offer.
Babylon Garden - Sonic Riders
Sonic Racing: CrossWorldsmarks the return of the Extreme Gear hoverboards ofSonic Ridersfame, and that shouldn’t be where the love for this 2006 futuristic racer ends.Sonic Ridersdeserves 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.
In the same vein as the Storybook Series games,Sonic Unleashedis a fondly remembered but hardly accessible part of the franchise’s long history. If it was to make a return inCrossWorlds, 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, thenSonic 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 2DSonic Maniastage into a 3D racetrack would certainly shock fans if Sega wishes to fillCrossWorldswith surprise stages. DespiteSonic Maniabeing 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 withSonic 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 Primemaking an appearanceinCrossWorldswas 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 sincePrimealmost begs to be made into a video game all its own.
TheSonicfranchise has plenty of inspirational stages and settings, andSonic Racing: CrossWorldshas already used that to its advantageso far. From including multiple versions of the Tornado in Wonder Museum to Dinosaur Jungle andSonic Rush’s Water Palace, fans are in for many surprises onceCrossWorldslaunches. Making sure this is only the tip of the iceberg would certainly makeCrossWorldsmemorable for all sorts of Sega andSonicfans so hopefully there are even more unexpected surprises heading their way.
