Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

by Sega

Product Features

• Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Xbox 360
• 68042

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002BRYHUY
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: February 23, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360

In a frantic battle to the checkered flag, Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favorites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will speed around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in Aiai’s case – a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kart racing at it's finest., February 23, 2010

By 

Manuel A. Carvajal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Video Game)

Story / Level Design:
The racers and stages are all from the Sega universe, not just Sonic's world. It's not an evenly weighted ratio with more Sonic levels available than others. It makes sense since the typical gamer is only really familiar with the blue needle mouse.

The tracks are brilliant. The stage designs feel like F-Zero / Wipeout meshed with a high definition coloring book wrapped in familiar surroundings.

Controls:
The 360's controls are sharp and responsive. The button layout isn't in any way cumbersome or complicated to master.

RT = gas
LT = drift
A = weapon drop

Drift through corners to build boost. When airborne, LT again to do tricks.

Gameplay:
The game engine isn't something completely revolutionary ... it's an updated Mario Kart. Much like the plumber's clones (Crash Team Racing, Diddy Kong Racing, NASCAR Kart Racing, etc), there are power-ups (missiles, stationary bombs, screen distorters), track shortcuts, and ground boosts / obstacles.

Where this game differs from the past is in something completely unheard of ... fairness. When in the lead, you're given the opportunity to really drill the competition. NO flood of blue shells during lap 3. There are no triple heat seeking red shell combos. There is no CPU assault of power-ups to lessen your lead. No matter when in first or last, you have the same opportunity to play.

Final thoughts:
As of today, this game is the undisputed king of racing games. The graphics, gameplay, and overall presentation is spectacular. I tried to not make so many comparisons to Mario Kart Wii, but it's hard not to. This game smokes Nintendo's offering. This game is what people want, a kart racer that feels familiar but is presented in 2010 gaming standards.

Again, this review is for the 360 version. I'm sure the Wii will try to incorporate some goofy Wiimote motion controls with washed out graphics, so don't apply these comments to that version.

With the PS3's exclusive ModNation Racers due sometime this year, Sega's Kart offering might not stay king for long, but it's definitely worth a play. If you enjoy Mario Kart Wii, this is a must play. If you hated Mario Kart Wii because of its flaws, Sonic Racing feels redeeming.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Mario Kart Wii...but Sonic Is Even Better! Here's Why:, February 28, 2010

By 

M. Williams (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Video Game)

Since we got the Wii a year ago, we had Mario Kart from day one and love it! It was probably the premier karting game, so it is nearly impossible to describe this game without comparing the two. I also have not tried the Wii version of the game, but considered buying it.

We got an Xbox for Christmas and the trailer for Sonic & SEGA Racing looked pretty fun, but I was torn over getting it for the Wii or Xbox, so I downloaded the demo on Xbox Live and tried it out. My kids loved it, so I decided to get the game for Xbox so that we can race in Hi-Def and play against friends over Xbox Live as well.

First of all, the real game is WAY better than the demo! SEGA could have sold more with a better demo, in my opinion. Why is it more fun than Mario Kart Wii? Well, I think the racing action is a little easier on the Xbox controller than the Wii-mote. Additionally, each character has their own unique abilities and "All Star" moves, which are hilarious for some of the characters, such as AIAI the monkey! The Bonanza Bros. also perform silly antics throughout each race, which made for lots of laughter from everyone in our house. :-D Some characters are clearly better than others, which is a shift from the "one size fits all" or "win with anyone" gameplay in Mario Kart.

One of the best differences is how you earn new tracks and racers. As you race, you earn "SEGA miles" points, and I believe you earn more points per race if you have more players in multi-play. With the SEGA miles, you purchase new tracks or racers. This is a HUGE improvement over Mario Kart, where you had to unlock everything in single-player mode to be able to race with them in multi-player mode! That process took hours for one player, and if the license got accidentally erased by a kid, those hours were lost forever. With SEGA miles, everyone can keep racing and you have the freedom to choose new tracks and characters as you wish!

You can also choose the number of laps per race, rather than the standard 3. My 10-year-old said that more laps = more SEGA miles. Another fun thing is that being in 1st place on the last lap does NOT put a bullseye on you, with the unrelenting barrage of "blue shells" (missiles, bombs, boxing gloves in Sonic) like in Mario Kart.

Pros:
- Unique characters with their own special All Star moves and fun vehicles
- Ability to "unlock" new characters and tracks in multi-player mode
- Some characters are very silly and/or have silly antics which boosts the fun factor of the game :-)
- Improved steering control while drifting (over Mario Kart) = longer drifts and bigger speed boosts
- Items on the track are dispersed evenly--no last lap onslaught against 1st place = fair racing throughout
- Xbox version is Hi-Def with the ability to race friends on Xbox Live or as your avatar


Cons:
- Some tracks have a really bright racing surface, which kind of hurts to look at sometimes
- Some "haunted" tracks such as Curien Mansion, Deadly Route, have zombies walking around (nothing gross or gruesome, just creepy), which bothered my younger racers; this can easily be avoided by not racing those tracks
- When you cross the finish line, you don't know what place you got until everyone finishes and it shows the final results
- No track maps while racing, just a timeline in the center of the split-screen which shows your position relative to the whole race and other racers

All in all, very fun!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A Sonic game that's actually good and it's racing to boot!, March 12, 2010

By 

Joshua Caleb "Writer Extraordinaire" - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Video Game)

If you keep up on video games at all, the words: "Sonic all star racing" immediately strike dread, fear, sadness, frustration, or disappointment in your heart. How many Sonic games have promised to bring the blu blur back to his former glory but failed utterly? Racing games in particularly have been hard for Sonic to nail (ironic,isn't it?) with the last two "Sonic Riders" being tolerable but still providing enough frustration and disappointment to be worthwhile entries in the Sonic Hall of Infamy.
Apparently, Sonic needs some outside help.
Enter Sonic All star racing. Arguably the best kart-racer since Mario Kart Double Dash.
-Smooth, precise, controls? Check
-Plenty of variety ins racers? Check (with the exception of Big)
-awesomely cool, zany race tracks? Check (almost too much so)
-crazy cool unique catch up moves? check
-local four player mode? check
-Easy to learn? check
-plenty of depth for masters? check
-no insane requirements for unlockables? check
-sweet soundtrack? check
-cool, useful items? check
-FAIR, EVEN, distribution of said items? Check and check

This game may merely be a mario kart clone, but honestly, what kart racer isn't? What matters is that this clone is nearly as good as the original with nearly no dis-functioning parts. There are some minor flaws: racers occasionally fall through the track. Big the Cat. Sonic still needs a vehicle to race.(maybe he's handicapping himself?)

All in all, if you want a great racing game to play with your kids (or your parents) you can't go wrong with Sonic All Star Racing.

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