Sonic R is not a bad game, but it is lacking in several ways which prevent it from being great.
Story- Wait.......this game is supposed to have a story???, this is a racing game, there is no story.
Gameplay - Gameplay in Sonic R is similar to a kart racing game, such as Mario Kart, its simple enough, whoever gets to the end first wins. Unlike most racing games, Sonic R encourages you to explore more, as there are usually several paths to the finish line, these hidden paths are activated by collecting rings which are scattered around the race track. Each character also has a special attack to help them , though some are more useful then others. Sonic's double jump is almost completly useless in this game, wheres Knuckles' or Tails' flying ability is far more useful. All this sounds good, but what kills the game , are the controls, which are not the best.
It is often difficult to run in a straight line and thus you end up bumping into walls and barriers , which at times can cost you 1st place in the race. One thing to note is that when using the Saturn 3D controller, the controls do get a bit better due to the use of the analog pad, while still not that good, the controls are far more tolerable.
Graphics and Sound - Graphically , Sonic R proves that the Saturn could indeed create detailed 3D worlds. Sonic R has some of the best 3D graphics on the Saturn. While the characters are a little blocky, the enviroments are very detailed and the textures are pretty good. The cartoony style of the graphics match the sonic series well, and can be likened to the graphics in the Mario Kart games, though it surpasses the comparable Mario Kart 64 , with better textures and full 3D characters (as opposed to the 2D sprites used in Mario Kart 64). There are even transparency effects, such as a good water effect and some lighting effects too. Sonic R even beats Mario Kart 64 in the visual department .Considering the Sega Saturn was getting an undeserving reputation for having problems with 3D and special effects, this game does really well, and proves the Saturn can easily match the Playstation in the 3D department
The music is the kind that is either a love of hate, as it is overly happy and quite cheesy at times, especially the vocals. While some might like this music, others will not, and the vocals can be turned off if they are too unbearable. Overall Sonic R is quite a large techincal feat on the Saturn , but does suffer from an overly cheesy and sometimes annoying soundtrack.
In Conclusion, Sonic R is a mixed result, While the game's design isnt bad and graphics are quite amazing for their time, the game suffers from controls that can feel quite difficult and music that can be irritating at times. Sonic R is still worth picking up if found for a good price, but there are better racing games on the Saturn like Sega Rally, Daytona USA Championship edition and Manx TT superbike.