Disney Speedstorm – a genuine rival for the karting crown?

thesixthaxis.com:

Mario Kart created one of the most accessible racing genres we have in gaming. Despite any number of high-profile contenders like Sonic, Sackboy and Crash Bandicoot, no one has ever been able to knock Mario off the top step of the podium. As serious contenders go though, Gameloft partnering with the House of Mouse for Disney Speedstorm might just have Mario looking over his shoulder.

At launch there’s a slightly odd mix of Disney characters in Disney Speedstorm, though if you played the old Disney Infinity games, you’ll probably recognise the scattershot approach to Disney’s multiple franchises. Mickey Mouse remains the face of the company and therefore the game, though his relevance today feels considerably lower than that of Nintendo’s Italian plumber. He’s joined in the first instance by Disney stalwarts Donald Duck and Goofy, with recognisable faces like Mulan, Hercules and Captain Jack the next to join the roster as you unlock them.

Opting for any of the current Founders Pack also lets you instantly add another driver, so you can begin the game with five, with many more to collect and unlock. They’re currently spread across an array of classic franchises including Jungle Book, Monsters Inc. and Beauty and the Beast, but I was left wanting more, especially when secondary characters like Mulan’s Shang just don’t seem all that exciting. More are undoubtedly coming, but right now I can’t see characters such as Mowgli having that big a draw these days.

Things are made more interesting by different racer types and individual special abilities, and this really adds to the experience. Racer types fit into three categories, with Speed, Defender and Brawler types each behaving slightly differently on the track, with Defenders