Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Wii) Review

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing warms up with a fairly basic tutorial that allows players to learn the ropes quickly and easily, from drifting (which is a little fiddly occasionally) around hairpin bends and getting a boost out of it, to learning about the weapon system and how to use them effectively for defence and laying sneaky traps. Players can then jump straight into grand prix with a decent host of characters at their disposal from both Sonic and SEGA universes - from the famous hedgehog himself to the maraca-swinging Amigo - and head into sets of four races on varying difficulties. The featured courses, which are all fun to play, are based around Sonic, The House of the Dead, Samba De Amigo, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, so those looking for Crazy Taxi and Virtua Fighter tracks will be slightly disappointed - but worry not, as some of the characters are derived from these series. Once the controls are mastered, the speed begins to pick up and tracks go by in a blur of twists, turns and loops and occasional explosions.

Power-ups are very balanced, giving the player shields which last for a short period whilst in first and giant rockets that can be remotely detonated for maximum effect if you find yourself riding in last place. Along with the power-ups, each character has a special 'All-Star' move. These are awarded to struggling racers and allow them a chance to catch up to the rest of the pack. Sonic, for example, uses the seven Chaos Emeralds to turn into Super Sonic and blast through the course, tapping Z to go even faster, while Eggman's Quad bike grows to become more mech-like so that he can blast other racers off the track with missiles. All-Star moves do not mess with the pace of play too significantly despite their power, generally only bringing players up a couple of positions to get them back in the race rather than shoving them all the way up to first. Offline (up to four players in split screen) and online multiplayer (up to eight players) is great fun. With players battling it out to come out on top as weapons fly left, right and centre, it really feels like Mario Kart. There are a few weapons omitted from the multiplayer, but the competitive nature shines through well.

Presentation-wise, the courses and the characters all look rather lush. Every area is full of action, from roaming hazardous robots on courses to race courses consisting of in-action pinball tables. Occasionally things get a bit too bright and vibrant, scorching the eyeballs and messing with your mind as you wiz through the psychadelic worlds of Samba de Amigo and hurtle over large crevasses. The game also suffers from major, noticeable frame rate issues at random points. It is not always necessarily in the busiest part of the track or amidst all the other racers; it will just drop unexpectedly and frequently. It's enough to put a dampener on the gameplay and break up the flow, and is particularly apparent when other players or CPUs get All-Star moves. Perhaps this is part of the reason that there is a complete lack of All-Star moves during online play, which is a shame as it really does add a touch more competitiveness to the title.

Much-loved music from past titles is featured in abundance, and more can be purchased from the store with accumulated 'SEGA Miles' which are generated from races along; you can also buy extra characters with these. A nice addition to the title is a slightly comedic-bordering-on-annoying commentator that keeps you up to date with the race, how the player themselves are doing and odd little quips thrown in for good measure. Even though the karts and bikes differ in speed and acceleration, once at top speed they all sound very samey and monotone. This can be slightly boring, but it's a minor problem.

Overall, Sumo Digital have made a decent racer of Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing, with fun tracks that would put even some of Mario Kart's courses to shame and, with its occasionally trippy scenery, it certainly brightens the day. All of the Grand Prix's cups can be shot through in under two hours, with local and online multiplayer filling in for extra longevity. In addition there are some neat little challenges that will keep players going for quite a while, such as collecting Chaos Emeralds or contests to take out as many enemies as possible with unlimited items. The character roster is pretty impressive, boasting a full nineteen playable characters including the likes of Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue and Beat from Jet Set Radio. There really is a character for everyone - literally, too, since Miis are supported. Despite all the good points, it's let down by the irregular frame rate, lack of all weapons whilst playing online and the fiddly 'drift' mechanic. It's a real shame because, outside of the faults, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is a fun, competitive little racer.