Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (known as Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie on the 360) is a recently announced racing game, features characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series and other SEGA franchises. It is for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It is currently the third installment in the SEGA Superstars series and is being developed by Sumo Digital.

Gameplay
The game plays out like a kart racing game, with characters collecting power-ups to boost their speed or hamper their opponents. Like Sumo's previous Sega game, Sega Superstars Tennis, each character has a 'Star Move' unique to them, such as Sonic transforming into Super Sonic, that they can use against their opponents. The game will have multiplayer options for up to four players on split-screen and eight players online.

Vehicles are separated into four different categories: racing, off-road, bike and hovercraft. As the terrain on the tracks will vary, vehicles can be either assisted or hindered by the surfaces they drive upon. For example, racing-type vehicles perform best on hard surfaces such as wood or concrete, but are hampered by soft terrain such as mud, sand or snow. The opposite is true for off-road type vehicles. Hovercraft are not affected by any terrain and are able to perform multiple boosts after a jump, but they are unable to drift and have low acceleration. All of the vehicles also have their own specific engine sounds. By playing through the game, players can earn Sega Miles that can be spent in the in-game shop to unlock additional content such as characters, tracks, art and songs.

The game will have customizable multiplayer options for up to four players on split-screen and eight players online, including Free Races and Arena Modes. There will also be Grand Prix, Time Trials and Mission mode.

The game was showcased at E3 2009, where it was stated that the final version of the game will have over 20 different characters.

Characters drive vehicles that relate to the character. Courses that appear in the game are slated to be references to various Sonic and SEGA titles.

On November 25, 2009, a special press event about the game was held in France, where the DS version made its Playble Debut.

Development
Following the release of Sega Superstars Tennis, Sumo Digital decided to do a racing title, based on their experience with recent Out Run titles. In an early prototype of the game, Sonic raced on foot, Dr. Eggman rode an Eggpod with legs, Tails flew in a biplane, Amy Rose drove a car, and Gilius Thunderhead, from Golden Axe, rode one of the Chickenleg creatures from the game. This version, however, was reportedly not fun to play, largely due to the varying sizes between the different characters, but also because the drift mechanic wouldn't work with racers who were on foot. It was later revised so that everyone would be in cars, bikes, or modified flyers.

The soundtrack for the game will consist of various old and new tracks from the various Sonic and Sega franchises, though it will also feature original songs by various artists including Richard Jacques. Each course will start with one track, with more being unlocked as players earn Sega Miles. The Nintendo DS version of the game will feature Musical Instrument Digital Interface versions of the tracks composed by.

The game will also have a theme song called "So Much More..." by Bentely Jones. On the official website it is mentioned that there is a poll for the best pack of the sound tracks. The ones who win will get Sonic, SEGA and Bentely Jones related prizes.

Downloadable Content
On September 22, 2009, Sega accidentally leaked top secret information from a corporate meeting with Sony Computer Entertainment America, in which it was revealed that characters from non-Sega IP were being considered as platform-exclusive DLC for the game, such as Ratchet & Clank. In addition to discussing PS3-only downloadable characters, the notes also mention having characters from Rareware properties and the Fable universe, ostensibly for the Xbox 360 version of the game. So Since it seems Sega may be interested in adding downloadable characters for all the Next-Gen Consoles this may lead to the possibility of characters such as Mario being added for the Wii & Nintendo DS or Sackboy For The PS3.

Banjo & Kazooie and the Xbox 360 Avatars have been confirmed for the Xbox 360 version. And The Mii's From The Wii Are On The Wii Version.

In a Q&A with Development Director, Craig Duncan, it was said that DLC would only be made available if the game becomes a commercial success.

Trivia

 * This is Second time That Sonic is in a Car since Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic Adventure 2 (The Kart Racing Mini-Game).
 * The characters in this game perform different animations/poses whenever they pass a racer or get passed by a racer, Some of their animations/poses causes the character to let go of the wheel for a moment yet the player still has complete control of the racer/car.
 * This is Big the Cat`s first appearance on the Xbox 360 and PS3 game consoles as well both first time being playable on Wii & first time being playable in a console game since Sonic Heroes
 * The game has a sound affect from Pac Man: World Rally, another racing game.
 * In the first stages of development, Sonic and friends did not race in vehicles but on foot instead. Size and proportion issues occured however, and drifting was deemed impossible for characters outside of vehicles. After several attempts at tweaking the engine, it was decided that all characters should have a vehicle for easier play.
 * Banjo & Kazooie are playable in the 360 version, making it their first appearence in any Sonic or SEGA game.

Video and Screenshots
thumb|300px http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZFj7xYNMcM