In a frantic battle to the checkered flag, Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA.
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The last time we saw a Sonic racing game was back in 1997 on the Saturn - titled Sonic R, now he's back and he's brought his friends to the party. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is due to come out sometime next year on the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS and is being developed by none other than Sumo Digital who have done quite a few racing games amongst other genres in their time. Such titles include GTI Club+, OutRun Online Arcade, Driver 76, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Virtua Tennis 2009 and more.
So what do we know about the game? Well, the game will include all the major Sonic characters; Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman and Amy Rose, just to name a couple, not only are the Sonic characters included but SEGA characters from other games such as; Samba De Amigo, Jet Set Radio and Super Monkey Ball are also present. The game looks very reminiscent of Mario Kart; most characters having their own unique vehicle, for instance an egg-pod racing vehicle, bananas, motorbikes and skateboards plus other whacky vehicles from famous SEGA games.
Each character also has a trademark signature power move like Beat from Jet Set Radio will pass opponents by and tag them with spray paint; Alex Kidd's vehicle will turn into a helicopter. There's a lot to the game from what we have seen and it does look incredibly fun which no doubt will please fans, especially with its multiplayer. The competitive multiplayer supporting up to eight players on the consoles, including four-player split-screen, and four player wireless on the DS.
The tracks in the game are taken from various SEGA titles, like the Casino Park track which is taken from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and sees you racing around roulette boards, pool tables and more, others could include Jet Set Radio courses but it's probable that the majority will be Sonic themed.
One thing which does stand out is the graphics, of course since this is coming out on the major consoles as well as the handhelds some compromises will have to be made to go on a specific platform, but on the 360 and PS3 versions especially, the environments look bright, crisp and smooth without any noticeable drops in frame rate.
Overall Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing does look to be a fun game, especially for any fan of Mario Kart. What we're wondering however is how the game will distance itself from previously released titles such as the latter mentioned Mario Kart and others such as Crash Nitro Kart which released back in 2003, while old it was certainly one of the greatest. We'll have to wait for a more in depth preview of the game before passing judgement, but from the outset they could be onto a winner here.
