A well made and enjoyable kart game that does everything right. It is one of the best kart games ever made.
The game is a Kart Racer. Its a cartoony style race where you use boosts and weapon power ups to be the first to finish. That simple premise is expanded on however with three different vehicle modes. Not only do you switch between car, boat, and plane but the tracks themselves also change mid-race. It keeps everything very interesting and the controls are tight and reliable the whole time. The game includes several characters from well known Sega games. Each character plays slightly differently, but they are well balanced. There are also tracks representing different Sega franchises. These all do a great job at retaining the feel of their original franchise while also feeling well suited to the racing game.
The main portion of the game is the world tour mode where you complete different objective based missions. There are some regular races, but there are several other modes too. There are modes where you're flying through rings, or driving through traffic, or fighting a tank to name a few. On the harder difficulties some of the missions can get aggravating, but it always feels like just enough to stress a player out, not to make them quit playing entirely. There is also a GP mode where you can play through a series of races. Both of these modes can also be played in local multiplayer, up to four people.
There is an online mode as well. Local and online players can simultaneously compete in races and battle modes. The battle mode is very different from the story missions and the different flavors complement each other. Its a good distraction while considering how to best approach the tough missions have left to beat.
Sonic All Star Racing is not necessarily a perfect game. I have had it glitch a few times. I also feel the one or two of the missions are a little too hard on the hardest mode. Overall though, the game achieves all its objectives and maintains a high level of excitement throughout. There are essentially no low points and the stages are all fun to replay. I've really had fun playing the game and can not encourage people enough to give it a try. It is a game everyone can enjoy and everyone should buy.