When it comes to quick and easy racing games, Mario Kart has been the golden standard for quite a while. Not only is it easy to play for even the youngest of gamers, but it’s also easy to jump in and play with little to no experience. However, Disney is here to change the game with Disney Speedstorm, and it’s shaping up to be the Mario Kart competitor that many have been waiting for.
Before diving into what makes Disney Speedstorm the ideal competitor to Mario Kart, let’s consider what sets them apart besides the characters included.
Mario Kart is, at its heart, an arcade racing game. There are a few complexities to the game, like weight classes and kart combinations, that can make Mario Kart feel like there’s more to it than skill and RNG. These things do add up and will make a difference in how you play, but there are always multiple ways you can lose the race no matter how far ahead you are. Everyone has a pretty fair shot in most cases, and playing with those at an equal skill level will always have different results.
Disney Speedstorm is similar in the fact that items and skills have a big role to play, but using them requires more calculation and planning. In other words, you need more skill. Racers and cars also take a lot more thought between complex Racer Classes and Unique Skills. These make a huge difference in gameplay and how you race, and they can’t be ignored. Between leveling up characters and cars as well, there are way more variables before you even enter the race. Careful planning and racing skill will net you wins with little question to it.
Despite the complexity of the gameplay, there are still charming and impressive visuals to match in Disney Speedstorm. Part of what makes Mario Kart the entity it is are the brightly colored and slightly chaotic maps. They’re full of as much life as Nintendo franchises have, and they’re fun to explore outside of racing.
Disney Speedstorm has captured that same idea with its maps. Many of the maps are based on franchises Disney owns. Between the Great Wall that is clearly Mulan and Shang’s map to the Pirates of the Caribbean course, there’s a lot to enjoy.
Additionally, Disney Speedstorm takes things further by adding different versions of the map with slightly different paths/lengths. This matches more serious racing games, giving it more appeal to those who enjoy games like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed.
Ultimately, that sums up the major differences between Disney Speedstorm and Mario Kart – Disney Speedstorm is more serious than its Nintendo counterpart. It fills the gap between arcade racing game and complex racing simulator.
However, it’s still pretty easy to just hop on, play your favorite character, and race with friends. In fact, in casual play, you can play with any character in the game, even if you haven’t unlocked them. It’s the perfect Mario Kart competitor, and it’s even better for anyone who wanted more of a challenge than Mario Kart can provide.
If you want to learn more about Disney Speedstorm, check out our breakdown of the Racer classes and how to play Last One Standing.
