Title: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
ESRB: E
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sumo Digital
Rating: 
Review by: Bill Jones
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a name that could be shortened. That’s one of the few problems it has, though. The cart racing game culls from a lesser-known stable of Sega characters, but ultimately bests the competition with a game that is the best in the cart racing genre of this generation, even beating out the latest installment of the gold standard, Mario Kart Wii. The game pulls its racers and its environments from series like Sonic the Hedgehog, Samba de Amigo, Super Monkey Ball, Jet Set Radio, The House of the Dead and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, so its cast, its vehicles and its tracks are quite varied. Its controls are simple, making it accessible, but its power ups and the more difficult tracks, as well as options like toggling catch-up, bring it to life for more competitive gamers online. But its power-ups are derivative of Mario Kart, simply placed in Sega skins, its speed boosts unfortunately tied to drifting, and its bonus modes horribly stunted to a few simple tracks. Still, the Sega Miles program keeps it addictive, it looks good, and for my money it’s the best cart racer of this generation, but it’s not quite Double Dash. (more…)
