Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing

Sonic brings up really great memories for this reviewer. Punching away at a SEGA Mega Drive and Game Gear as a kid, the colour, action, and sheer joy that Sonic brought ensured that this reviewer had a very happy childhood. It's with great joy then that Sonic All Stars Racing brings up equally good memories for this reviewer.

What makes this Sonic game a real hit is its flexibility when it comes to game play. You don't just race in this game to get past the finish line first, you fight your way through as well. By collecting special items on the track, you get yourself into a position whereby you can fire away different kinds of salvos at various players, thus disrupting their racing progress.

And then there's the fact that the courses are, quite literally, an explosion of colour and action. There is one tricky course that turns upside down after somebody fires a particular weapon at you thus changing the racing landscape completely.

Some might look at this game and say that it resembles Mario Kart too much. In fact, it seems as if the games' designers have copied just about every fundamental characteristic of Mario Kart.

Like Mario Kart this game also draws characters from all walks of the gaming universe, such as Sonic, Banjo and Kazooie and characters from the likes of Virtua Fighter. There's numerous gameplay options too that vary from championship mode through to single player.

Like the numerous gameplay options, the cars also differ widely as you can choose amongst cars, bikes and hovercrafts. Choosing the right car can affect the way you compete in the game, as selecting the cars means you're less likely to being bullied on the track whilst the weight can bear you down and affect your maneuverability. Bikes, on the other hand, can get you out of corners quickly, but they can be easily bullied into corners. Hovercrafts have poor handling and lower acceleration and therefore take a while before they take off.

On the topic of maneuverability, a key aspect to this game involves drifting as the more and better you drift, the more points you earn and progress further in the game.
In terms of graphics, this game is actually very impressive. It looks slick and is vivid - a visual a delight to play. When it comes to the different playing modes, there's the single mode, which lets you run through various courses and unlock new courses. Whilst you can unlock courses, you can also unlock all sorts of new characters as well by earning what is called Sega Miles, which can unlock various cars and characters. Overall, whilst this game is basically a Mario Kart clone, it's a sure winner.