Going into Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, I think I had the same preconception that everyone did: kart racing made by anyone other than Nintendo almost always disappoints. Now that may seem like an unfair thing to say, because there are other consoles out there that need good kart racing titles. Sadly though, as anyone who has played Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart or the dreaded Atari Karts on the Jaguar will tell you, if the game is missing the Nintendo Seal of Quality, it is a poor man’s excuse for karting. Thankfully my cynicism was washed away pretty quickly.
Everything about this game screams fun racing. The tight controls are so good that it could even please the fans who still swear that even recent Mario Kart titles can’t compare to the original Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. Okay, so nothing will please those guys, but the controls deliver that same awesome feeling that Mario Kart has. You can pick it up and feel right at home with easy to maneuver karts.
Track design is one of the biggest things that help Sonic and Sega stick out from the pack. So often in kart games the first thing to stand out as faulty is boring track design and layouts. Thankfully Sega spent the time necessary to ensure All-Stars leaps over this hurdle with no problem. There aren’t a ton of shortcuts, but at least one per track that you’ll have to find. Another positive is the great AI which starts out as nearly impotent to allow newbies to learn the ropes. Gradually the computer catches up and offers a solid challenge too. Soon you’re ready to head online and challenge human racers.
On top of solid gameplay, there is plenty to please longtime fans of Sega. The set of playable characters included is pretty extensive and includes all the Sega favorites from Shenmue to Alex Kidd. While the differences between each will seem minimal to the casual gamer, hardcore karting fans will find that there are plenty of subtleties to each character that offers fun and variety in gameplay. Do subtle differences in each character sound familiar Mario fans?
The audio and visuals in Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing combine to make a pretty nice looking and sounding game too. Each of the characters looks great and all the tracks (courses) are very nicely detailed and widely varied in terms of theme (based on various Sega games) and the bright color palates. The graphics also seemed to maintain a nice stable framerate throughout play as well. There was some slow-down in online matches, but nothing serious. The audio is quite good for the most part. Even though the announcer can be a bit annoying, you can turn him off. The music and sound effects are great all around.
Overall Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing is a surprise, and a welcome one. No one goes into kart racing titles expecting much because no one has matched the balanced gameplay of the Mario series; that is until now. For those old enough to remember Sonic R, you can relax. This is a fun racer that anyone will enjoy. Sega fanboys will of course get the most out of this one, but even people who never played a Sega game before will get their moneys worth.
Graphics | Audio | Gameplay | Replay | Genre | Final |
