Sonic the hedgehog has been synonymous with speed and fast paced action for the 10 odd years he and his chums have been around. Well Sonic Team has decided to venture into the classic territory of producing a racing game featuring the full cast and some new faces of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Sonic Riders as the name suggests pits our hero against the enigmatic Dr Eggman whilst racing on hover boards for a prize which as you might have guessed already is a Chaos emerald. Sonic Riders not only comprises of a story mode but also some other racing variations to mess around with, thrown in for good measure. Is Sonic Riders any good or is it yet another themed racer that ditches the karts for hover boards in an attempt to be original?

Gameplay

To begin with, do not be fooled by the cutesy look of Sonic Riders, because fine the voice acting and overall presentation of the game’s story mode cut-scenes might scream out “kiddie” yet when you actually begin playing there is definitely some challenge to be had here even for seasoned gamers.

Upon starting Sonic Riders, players are offered several modes of play comprising of Story Mode which as mentioned earlier pits Sonic and friends against a rival gang of riders and Dr Eggman. Then there is single race which lets players choose a character from a healthy roster of racers such as Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy and plenty more to unlock through playing the story mode followed by a circuit to race on. Again more circuits become unlocked by playing the story mode. Tag mode which has you and a partner race together whilst tied to each other. Battle mode lets you skate around an arena with the aim of knocking out your opponents lives for the win. The story mode is lets players race with several characters as the plot thickens and the story progresses. The basic premise of the racing is simple yet effective whereby racing and performing tricks allows you to speed boost which in turn should win you races. Performing tricks is simple because like many other games you can jump whilst at the peak of a ramp and then use the right thumb stick to perform tricks with the X button to tweak moves. Each jump is graded depending on the move that was accomplished and the style of the landing. Scoring highly will fill your speed boost meter which doubles up as board power as well, when this depletes you will have to continue the race on foot until you either find a refuel station or perform a trick (the game allows you to use a non powered board for jumps). Careful use of the speed boost is in order because not only are there obstacles to slow you down but also the other riders can lash out at you as well; although you are able to return the favour during speed boosts.

Sonic Riders also features a few extra twists to the basic racing in that there are track speed boost points to look out for and the classic gold rings as well as power up items. Collecting rings accumulates until you reach a point where you level up during a race. Levelling up increase one of your characters stats but also gives you a larger speed boost meter. Levelling up can mean the difference between winning or losing in many races but players must be warned that being hit by an opponent will lower your level. Another neat feature is the fact that certain characters have abilities to grind rails, fly for short periods or smash into course obstacles with no loss of speed. The layout of the course bare these factors in mind, meaning players will need to pick routes through the courses which suits the character they are using. This works well and adds some variety to the already manic courses. Sonic Riders also features a system where if you are tailing another racer you can ride their slipstream allowing you to perform semi half pipe style tricks as well as gain extra speed to catch up. This is a cool inclusion and somewhat balances out races giving a chance to those who are falling behind.

Sonic Riders isn’t without its difficulties because controlling the board around tight corners is somewhat tricky using the right and left triggers to air brake. There are often sections of the course which have no barriers which means one wrong move and it’s a massive fall and re-spawn back into the race which more often than not is going to lose you a few places. Then there is the incredibly annoying female announcer whose comments begin to grate after about 5 seconds of play. That aside races are fast and precise where most errors will prove to be costly resulting in several attempts being needed for some races until you map out a route which works best for your character. At times there can be some frustration especially when the opponent you have to beat to win the race suddenly rushes ahead out of nowhere.

On completion of the rather short story mode you do unlock more modes of play and a reverse story mode which lets you play as your rivals. The extra modes give you things like objectives to carry out within time limits such as scoring a certain number of points performing tricks or collecting items. These modes are challenging and make a welcome addition to the standard racing. Winning races and completing missions give you points to spend at the shop where you can purchase extra gear for the characters which will boost character stats in certain areas giving you an edge during races.

Graphics

The graphics are bright, colourful and with perfect renditions of the characters Sonic Riders looks good in general. The sense of speed when racing is pretty fast at times especially when riding an opponents slipstream and feels fluid and looks well animated especially when performing tricks or attacks. Some of the course design seems very strange such as in one section riding the back of a giant centipede.

Sound

Well as mentioned earlier there is the issue of the announcer who really does sound annoying to anyone over the age of 5! The music is fast paced dance beats which fits the mood of the game very well considering the game is all about speed. The music is accompanied by surfing air sound effects (whatever they are) and the collecting of power ups and rings. The game is fast paced and so is the sound in every way so be prepared for an aural explosion on your ears.

Longevity

There is quite a bit to do here, especially if you aim to unlock all the characters and all the extra bits of gear with the precious rings you gain throughout the game. Sonic Riders isn’t the easiest game to just pick up and play which means some time will be needed to get to grips with the controls and the courses. Sadly there is no online component and so players will have to settle for split screen mayhem. This is a shame because the game could have really benefited from playing others online.

Overall

Sonic Riders is a decent racing title that will no doubt please Sonic the Hedgehog fans as they see him racing as opposed to running this time round. With the full cast of loveable characters in the game as well, means that players can pick their favourite and duke it out in the various game modes for both single and multiple players. Sonic Riders does have its moments of frustration and can produce pad tantrums at times especially due to some of the course design or the general unforgiving nature of the game. In this respect Sonic Riders does have its fair share of challenge despite its looks which in general is a good thing although I fear might be a little tough for younger gamers. This can become an issue because Sonic Riders is supposed to be fun but when it ventures into realms of frustration things can become tiresome. Sonic Riders takes the racing formula and adds its own spin on things which results in a quirky, entertaining title that should not only appeal to sonic fans but racing fans as well who are looking to test their skills on other forms of transport, albeit fictitious ones!