Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
By - Craig H.
Many publishers and developers have tried to copy Mario Karts gameplay (and success) but, for the most part, all have failed. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing takes a stab at the Nintendo staple and comes out with a great racing game.
Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing does not have a story at all but most will not really see a need for one. There is neither back story to be had nor any reason why all these characters are racing each other. The game is an arcade racer, that’s it. The game has a roster of 20 racers and 24 different tracks. All the normal SEGA favorites are included with a couple obscure ones too. All the tracks are made from the worlds of the character in the game from classic Sonic to Super Monkey Ball tracks. Not all the tracks and racers are available out of the box though. In order to unlock new racers, tracks and music you must earn Sonic Miles. This “currency” is earned on every event that is raced whether it is single player, multiplayer or party modes. This is great because unlocking all the extra content does not become a chore and is quite enjoyable (and gratifying) to unlock.
The classic kart racing mechanics are all here with the powerslides, weapons and obstacles. Tricks while airborne and powerslides give your player a boost of speed. All the standard weapons from Mario Kart are present although with a slight twist. Instead of bananas there are road cones, instead of mushrooms they have Sonic shoes but the effects are the exact same as its successful counterpart. One area that the game brings in a new mechanic is the addition of “Character Moves”. Each character has a special move that basically makes them invincible and on a constant boost for a short period of time. These are rendered beautifully and don’t come often but when you do pick one up (usually only if in the back of the pack) can be a real game changer for that race.
The game has a large variety of different modes for both offline and online play. The single player has the standard single race, Grand Prix, Time Trials and Mission modes. The multiplayer consists of more standard modes such as Battle, Gems, Capture the Chao, King of the Hill and Knockout. Some of the modes are tailored for 4 players and are not particularly challenging (or fun) when played with 2 players. None of them are that original but why change something that’s not broken. Splitscreen is available for up to 4 players and makes for a great party game for when friends are over.
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars is presented in beautiful HD (on the Xbox 360 and PS3) with some of the most colorful backdrops in recent memory. Every track has a very distinct personality and represents the character of which it was made extremely well. The game does suffer from some framerate issue when chaos is happening on the screen but doesn’t break the illusion of speed. This is unfortunate but luckily does not hurt the gameplay too much.
This game is great for both young and old. The easiest difficulty and simple controls make it accessible to everyone. Once you up the difficulty to medium or hard is where the men are separated from the boys. The difficulty spikes, and the need to master every corner and avoid all obstacles and attacks flawlessly, will be the only way to victory. The game has something for everyone.
SEGA delivers a solid racer that is fun for all ages and does something that Mario Kart cannot do currently…look good on a HDTV. The developer took more than inspiration from its famous counterpart but why change something that’s not broken. Overall, SEGA delivers a surprising experience that is well worth the cost of admission.
Quick Synopsis:
Pros: Large amount of racers and tracks. A tight control scheme make it easy for all to pick up and play but requires skill to master. Lots of modes both online and offline.
Cons: Some framerate issues when the action gets hectic. Announcer is very annoying. Game lacks originality.
RATING: 8/10
Note: The review is based off the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 version of the game. Neither the Wii nor the DS version of the game were played and this review is not indicative of how either of those products rate.
