Blue blur Sonic is back with a rather good rip-off of Mario Kart.

The bods at Sega have gone all-in with their own Sonic-branded version of a kart racer to take on their red-hatted Nintendo plumber rival.

And the result is an excellent speed driver that's works well for the Playstation and Xbox consoles that don't get to have the classic Mario racing fun.

The gimmick here is the 'Crossworlds' part of the title.

During a race, the track leader will get to choose between two alternative levels to race on about halfway through the drive.

And, once chosen, all kart racers will then be transported to the other world to complete their stint as they cross worlds through giant rings to finish the course.

You'll find Sonic and his various animal pals traversing land, sea, air, space, and time as you warp between 15 dimensions between twists and turns.

The best fun to have with Sonic Racing Crossworlds is of course via local couch co-op play with friends and family.

We had a blast with the kids playing this split-screen at home, a rarity among today's overly online gaming titles, and there's a real joy in sitting side-by-side with loved ones trying to outdo each other.

There are 24 colourful and varied courses to enjoy in the game and the title itself plays brilliantly in the joypad, feeling very much like a Mario Kart racer but with more emphasis on drifting across tracks to boost speed.

There are plenty of fun power-ups to collect which allow you to tackle rival racers with things like bombs and you can also supercharge your speed for short periods to catch up to the leader.

Gamers will be able to customise their rides prior to races by equipping and combining abilities with a new Gadgets mechanic, giving racers different, customized perks to shake up the race for more unique ways to play.

There are more than 70 Gadgets to increase vehicle and power-up performance.

Players will also enjoy a huge roster of characters to race as. As well as Sonic and co, there are guest characters from other series, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minecraft and SpongeBob SquarePants.

For longevity, you can not only play co-op and solo but also online across platforms to maximise the number of gamers available for racing.

Modes include Grand Prix, which is like Mario's sprawling series of races where points total up, as well as party mode Race Park, where gamers go into battle across six match types and Time Attack, which is you against the clock.

This is a brilliant-looking, bright and colourful kart racer that looks and fells very Mario-esque.

It's lots of fun, particularly with pals by your side, and offers plenty of tracks and modes to keep gamers coming back for more.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds review: PS5 and Xbox finally get a Mario-like great kart racer - Daily Star