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So, you thought the next-gen Sonic The Hedgehog would be the only Sonic game worth bothering about this year? Think again! March 17th sees the arrival of Sonic Riders on Gamecube, X-Box and Playstation 2 and from what we’ve seen at STC-O, it looks like a pure blast of fast-paced action!
Sonic is no stranger to racing games, being a veteran of the two Sonic Drifts (kart racing) and Sonic R (on foot), and racing has been used as a multiplayer game for several titles. This time, he’s trying his hand at airboard racing, mixing snowboarding with high-speed combat! You have to beat your opponents to the other end of the tracks, but more than that you have to perform as many cool tricks as possible to rack up a winning score. Each character, as in Sonic Heroes, have unique abilities in Speed, Flight and Power which will effect how they can be used in the game; and Sega has added a “Turbulence” feature that allows you to surf on the slipstream you & your opponents leave in your wake, doubling your speed as a result!
The game’s plot is the old standby - Dr Eggman has a mysterious new scheme, you’re after the Chaos Emeralds, and there are some all-new characters for you to match up against. This time, however, there’s a slight twist in that the Robotnik Inc. company has made airboards specifically for Sonic and his friends so they can compete in Eggman’s EX World Grand Prix. Why is Eggman helping his enemies? Best play the game to find out! In fact, by the look of things, Robotnik is not the initial enemy. That honour goes to Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow and Storm the Albatross: a team of airboarding thieves known as the Babylon Rogues! What are they after? They certainly have impressive character designs, but only time will tell if they will join the ranks of memorable Sonic characters. Along with the Rogues and Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, you can unlock Eggman, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, Cream and two Badniks as playable characters, along with four others that are unknown at this time of writing.
Sega’s trailers show that this game has impressive CG movie footage, which we’ve come to expect by now, but what about the in-game graphics? Well, from here they look smooth and a step-up from Shadow’s graphics, while the level designs seem vast and varied- you get to airboard through ancient ruins, futuristic cities and immense jungles! Sure, these are standard levels for a Sonic game but if it’s not broken, why fix it?
Sonic Riders has the usual Story Mode that every Sonic game since Sonic Adventure has possessed, with you able to play as Sonic, Knuckles & Tails or the Babylon Rogues. Luckily, there’s many other modes to choose from as well- Normal Race allows you to have plain vanilla and Time Attack challenges, there’s a Mission Mode with 80 tasks to choose from, a Tag Mode for two-on-two races, and a multiplayer Survival Mode. By the look of things, Sega are making sure Riders has replay value to keep you coming back again and again!
As a spin-off game and with the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic Riders might be in danger of being overlooked. Don’t fall into that trap, Boomers! With a variety of modes, characters and a challenging new form of speedy gameplay, Riders seems to have a lot going for it.
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