Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Review
PROS
- Broad mix of properties; doesn't rely heavily on the Sonic universe.
- Clever adaptions of each game for unique tracks.
- Intuitive controls; easy to pick up and customize.
- Local and online multiplayer.
CONS
- Battle mode teased, but not featured in singleplayer.
- Doesn't deviate from the beaten path; mostly for genre fans or newcomers to the style of racing.
VERDICT
Whether you're scraping by in your banana in a spooky mansion or throwing your motorbike around a Mexican musical wonderland, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars approaches 'whacky' from a different angle and succeeds in this fun kart racer.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - Trite as the adage may be, kart-racers found their balance of fun, skill and challenge some time ago, so it's no wonder recent releases have had more than a few things in common. Despite this the iOS has been sorely lacking in strong contenders for the genre, that is until now. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing packs in everything you'd expect to see in a kart-racer while managing to make the clashing worlds work in its favor.
It's hard to imagine having characters like Ryo from Shenmue, Beat from Jet Set Radio and Chuih from Chu-Chu Rocket all in one spot racing against each other, but All-Stars Racing pulls it off nicely by not calling too much attention to this disparity. Each character features a unique 'kart' with the usual variations in handling, speed, and so on along with their own themed stage set to music and effects from their respective games.
Whether you steer with tilt or swipe controls, handling your kart is a snap; sensitivity options also provide a handy way to test changes without jumping in to a level. While braking is available you'll be spending most of your time jabbing the 'drift' button to power up a boost, speeding your way out of corners while picking up the occasional power-up to knock out anyone unfortunate to get in your way.
Other than the usual Grand Prix mode, players can test their skills in the Mission mode; test their speed in the Time Trials; or boot up a multiplayer match to either race or Battle directly with friends locally or online. This gives you ample opportunity to show off unlocked racers purchased via points earned by playing each of the different modes.
As kart-racers go, it doesn't break out of the mold, but Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing does set a solid standard for future games in the genre. If you spent any time enjoying games like Mario Kart, check this title out.
Screenshots
$3.99
