Game #24- Sonic & Sega's All Star Racing

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sumo Digital

Platforms: PS3/360/Wii/DS/PC

Kart racers are mostly dead, sad to say. It seems like an eternity since we had such great titles like Mario Kart 64 or even the original Crash Team Racing. Sure, we got the quite good Modnation Racers this year, and you could argue Blur as being an excellent kart racer also...but for pure kart racing, one can't go past Sonic & Sega's All Star Racing.

Where the game clicks is in its driving mechanic – there are three different types of vehicles in the game; cars, motorcycles and planes. All three play quite differently, and all feel great to drive. The items are also quite balanced, and seeing everyone's “All Star” item (a specialized attack, unique to each driver), is quite the treat.

Speaking of which – the cast selection is excellent. Sure, there's a bit too much emphasis on Sonic characters, but everyone else is well welcomed. Sure, you get the obvious (Ulala, Beat, AiAi), but you also get some much appreciated (and surprising) favourites – Ryo from Shenmue, Jacky and Akira from Virtua Fighter, B.D Joe from Crazy Taxi, to name a few. Hell, even Banjo & Kazooie get in on the action on the 360 version. Then there were the proposed characters – namely Segata Sanshiro.

If you're after a much more traditional kart racing experience, then you can't really go past Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing.

I tried the Xbox 360 demo. I'd rather play Mario Kart Wii.

robio said:

Wasn't a fan. Tracks seemed really limited and the announcers didn't have enough dialogue to keeps things interesting so after about 30 minutes of racing you'd hear every line they had, and it got annoyingly repetitive.

30 minutes is about the time I have the sound on in a racing game, unless it's Gran Turismo.

bugsonglass said:

because in gran turismo you can import and play your own tunes, right?

Because in Gran Turismo the engines are pretty! (Same can be said for Forza I suppose.) Then I'll have it on for an hour or so.