What's this? Sonic is in a kart and it's fun?
Let it be known before we really start this review, I felt that Mario Kart Wii, though having it's ups, suffered from the cheapness that came with 12 racers. It also suffered from the characters used. I feel that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing fixed these problems.
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing plays much like a Mario Kart game. You race through different courses and try to beat everyone else using wacky items. In fact a lot of the items are a lot alike the ones found in the Mario Kart series. KO Gloves act like green shells, Missiles act like red shells, Rainbows act like Bloopers, Cones act like Bananas, Shields act like Starmen, and Shoes act like Mushrooms. There is also a horn that blows away close racers and items and a star that flips the track upside down. Then there's the All-Star, an item that blasts you through a race when you're not doing so well.
The controls are very tight. Drifting is every easy to pull off, as well as just going forward. Simple controls work well for this game. Though in some courses you're going to need to be on your toes due to 90° turns (Super Monkey Ball courses) or enemies that fill some areas, most are easy to maneuver through. Drifting is your friend in this game so learn how to use it.
There are four single player modes to pick from. You start off with normal races. It's one race on any course that you've unlocked. Then there's time trials that are great for learning everything about a course you've unlocked. Then there's one of the places you'll send most of your time, the Grand Prix. There are three difficulties to play through: Beginner, Advanced, and Expert. You start off with one cup open in each and when you beat the cup with third or better you unlock the next. There's about eight cups for every difficulty. The last mode is Missions Mode. Here you go about trying to do whatever the game tells you to do whether it be get 1st in a race, collect some coins, or drift for your life. To pass a mission and unlock the next one in line you must get and A, AA, or AAA. There has been lag in these modes.
Now for every race you partake in will get something called SEGA Miles. SEGA Miles are points used in the shop to buy all the goodies you never wanted. You can unlock characters, music, and courses. If you want to uses these things online, Split-Screen, or single player races/time trials, you'll need to unlock the all the jazz. Though it may seem like everything costs too much at first, you earn a good number of SEGA Miles every race so you'll have everything very quick.
If you don't want to play by yourself, no worries. Up to four players can play in Split-Screen mode and then there is always playing online. Up to eight people can play in an online match. You can play with anyone, with a friend, or try and beat the times on the leader boards. There are some problems when it comes to finding a match, like searching taking forever, racers dropping out in the middle of the race, or hosts that are away from their Wii.
Visually the courses look great. Each one has it's own feel in turns of what's in it even if it's in a set. I'd go as far as saying most of the courses match the best of those found on Mario Kart Wii. The music is also great, even if limited. The music comes from games found in SEGA's archives of past games. The one thing that the music and courses lack it the depth in the different series that the racers cover. There is another annoying thing, the commentary. The problem with it is that the announcer says a few dull, annoying puns that don't even follow the pace of the game. He might say something about an event in a game, ten seconds or twenty seconds after it pasted.
Overall, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is a great kart racer that you can spend a good amount of time playing. If you liked Mario Kart Wii or you want something new to try, pick this game up. It's worth your time.
Pros and Cons:
+Great Visuals
+About 20 characters to race as
+Achievements bring more length to the game
-Online difficulties
-Limited Music/Course depth into SEGA's archives
-Commentary
-Lag
Scores:
Gameplay: 8.0
Graphics: 9.0
Sounds: 7.0
Story: N/A
Replay Value: 8.0
Fun Level: 8.0
Overall: 8.4