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.

Sonic
Sonic is the world’s fastest hedgehog, capable of running at the speed of sound (768 mph). His other abilities include a “Spin Attack”, a “Spin Dash” and his “Super Sonic” transformation which makes him indestructible and gives him the gift of run-flight. Sonic is not an expert swimmer, but is fearless – even of Dr. Eggman. Alongside his best friend Tails, Sonic runs around the world stopping Dr. Eggman’s schemes. He drives the Speed Star – a car built by his friend Tails – it helps to make a fair race as no one can beat Sonic on foot.

Ulala
Ulala was orphaned at an early age in a spaceship accident in which she was the sole survivor. She was rescued from the void of outer space by a Space Channel 5 reporter and ten years later, she’s now their top reporter. She shot to fame when she confronted the Morolians, who imprisoned humans and forced them to dance against their will. She out-danced them at the same time as presenting her Swingin’ Report Show. What a gal! Ulala races in her Astro Glider, a kind of floating pod.

AiAi
AiAi – A monkey hero, who has a destiny to marry MeeMee, and be father to a baby boy called – wait for it – Baby. In his monkey ball AiAi is fast, nimble and not too light. As the hero of the Super Monkey Ball series, he must save both Jungle Island and MeeMee from the wrath of the evil Dr. Bad-Boon. In his spare time, he likes to eat bananas, spend time with his family, play games and live easy. AiAi and friends have tried to design the fastest banana ever: his car – the Blazing Banana.

Jacky & Akira
Jacky’s a skilled racecar driver and powerful martial artist. He was once seriously injured in a racing accident and took two years to recover from his injuries. During that time he discovered a mystery group was behind his crash and it was no accident. He believes this same group is responsible for the disappearance of his sister, Sarah, but will he ever learn the truth? Akira was winner of the second World Fighting Tournament. He strives for perfection and trains relentlessly. He is currently the Master at Yuki Budokan. Jacky and Akira join forces to create a formidable racing team, competing in Jacky’s muscle car Red Lightning.

Amigo
Amigo is one maraca-wielding, party-loving monkey! Along with his sister Amiga, and their friends Linda, Bingo, Bongo, Rio, Chumba and Wamba, Amigo’s life is a non-stop carnival and the more skillfully he shakes his maracas, the hotter the party gets! Amigo’s car is built into a giant maraca keep an eye on this guy, he’s likely to break out the samba at any point!

Amy
One-time leader of Team Rose, Amy and her friend Big the Cat are no strangers to speed. She is always running after Sonic, and in love with love. She’s all about competition and style which is why her car, the Pink Cabriolet, is kitted out for speed and to look good. It’s also designed to stay steady enough when she unleashes her lethal Piko-Piko Hammer.

Bonanza Bros.
Mobo and Robo are a pair of burglars who target a bank, a mansion, a casino, a mint, an art gallery and a treasury on their crime spree. With a combination of stealth and slapstick they escape with all the loot in their trusty blimp. Racing in their Get-a-Way Wagon, they’re sure to have plenty of sneaky tricks under the hood.

Dr. Eggman
Sonic’s arch-enemy, and a genius to boot, Dr. Eggman loves whipping up crazy robotic armies that look like him to help with his dastardly schemes. In his evil genius mind he dreams of creating a place called Eggman Land – and he will destroy anyone who tries to stop him. Dr. Eggman’s all-terrain vehicle, the Egg Monster, has large wheels and an extra high riding seat so he can look down on everyone he overtakes and enjoy it!

Zobio And Zobiko
He, Zobio, was a prison guard. She, Zobiko, was an inmate thrown into jail by a mad doctor. Zobio decided to break out Zobiko, so that they could start a new life together. But will either of them ever really be free? They race in their Hotrod of Horror, a turbo-charged, armor-plated monstrosity.

Ryo
Ryo Hazuki dropped out of Yokosuka High School to embark on an epic journey to avenge his father’s seemingly senseless murder. Trained in martial arts and driven by revenge, he hunts his father’s killer, Lan Di, and seeks the Dragon Mirror that Lan Di took. Ryo can call on the help of many childhood and family friends, in particular Nozomi Harasaki who harbors a deep love for Ryo. But Ryo’s quest will always take precedence for him.Ryo’s wheels are a motorcycle he borrowed from close friend Naoyuki Ito.

Tails
Tails is a two-tailed orange fox, equally at home on the ground, in the air or in the water. He’s super-smart and likes nothing better than inventing and fixing planes, cars and all things mechanical. He’s an honorable and courageous friend in the face of danger. He teams up with his best friend Sonic – and their other friends – to help save the creatures of the South Island from Dr. Eggman. Tails built his own plane, the Tornado Racer, from parts found after an attempted invasion by Dr Eggman. Its short-winged design allows it to execute sharper turns than ordinary airplanes.

Banjo & Kazooie
Banjo and Kazooie are an adventurous bear and bird duo, always on hand to thwart the schemes of their nemesis, the rhyming hag Gruntilda. Banjo himself is a big, amiable Honey Bear, polite and well-mannered – in stark contrast to the Red-Crested Breegull Kazooie who lives in his backpack. Loud, sarcastic and rude, Kazooie’s inability to keep her beak shut often lands the pair in trouble. Together they race in the Bolt Bucket, a quirky vehicle custom-built by their longstanding ally (and a real wizard in the garage) Mumbo Jumbo.

Opa-Opa
Opa-Opa is a sentient spacecraft, battling to stop the planet Menon from stealing the other planets’ currency to build a huge fortress. In winning this battle, Opa-Opa hopes to restore peace to the Fantasy Zone. Opa-Opa can hover and fly using its wings or sprout feet to walk on the ground.

Shadow
Shadow is an artificial life form, created by Dr. Eggman’s grandfather. His initial hatred of Sonic has now developed into a friendly rivalry. Like Sonic, Shadow is about speed – his acceleration and “Spin Attack” coming from his rocket skates. With Chaos Emeralds he can power up his Chaos Control and warp time and space. If he has all seven emeralds he can transform into Super Shadow – which, like Sonic, makes him invulnerable and gives him run-flight. Shadow uses a modified G.U.N. motorcycle known as the Dark Rider.

Alex Kidd
Alex Kidd spent seven years living on Mt. Eternal, on planet Aries, studying Shellcore, an ancient art of shattering rocks with bare fists. Alex is a Prince of planet Aries, son of King Thunder and twin brother of Prince Egle. Alex must stop the evil Janken the Great and his minions from usurping his father. Battles are fought with a best-of-three game of rock, paper, scissors! Alex’s vehicle of choice is his Sukopako Motorcycle – don’t underestimate this small but very nimble motorbike.

B.D. Joe
Always friendly and cheerful… that’s B.D. Joe. He’s at his happiest when he can bring a smile to the face of the customers in his ‘crazy taxi’. B.D. Joe is master of driving – and talking. But that’s not all. He can drum with just about anything and he’s not too sloppy at card tricks either – anything to help fill other peoples’ days with something a little special. He drives a customized yellow cab with the plate number ‘2HOP260’ – ‘To Hop To Go’ – see? He’s always ready to get things moving!

ChuChus
The ChuChus are cute space mice who use their super quick rockets to escape the jaws of the hungry space cats known as KapuKapus. The ChuChus race in a ChuChu Rocket, modified for maximum horizontal propulsion while comfortably seating four ChuChus for cat n’ mouse chaos in space!

Beat
Beat was a young “rudie” who ran away from home to join one of the gangs of Tokyo-to. He impressed fellow “rudies” Gum and Tab with his skating and graffiti skills in Shibuya bus station, and joined as a member of the gang, the GG’s. Beat spends his time skating around fighting for turf with rival gangs by marking his territory with graffiti and eradicating others’ tags. This attracts the attention of Police Captain Onishima and his S.W.A.T. team, who relentlessly pursue Beat and his friends. Beat drives a heavily customized street racer, with all the extras – including an extra bass system and neon under-lights!

Big The Cat
Big is a large, purple, long-eared cat. He’s laid-back, easy-going and has a gentle nature despite his prodigious strength. He loves to fish and is never without his trusty rod. He lives in the jungle near the Mystic Ruins with his best friend, Froggy, a small, green frog with a pointed tail. Big’s adventures often involve him trying to find Froggy, who has a tendency to get himself lost or swallow a chaos emerald. Big’s motorbike is called the Green Hopper. The bike may be small, but Big’s size makes sure he won’t be easily pushed around.

Billy Hatcher
Billy Hatcher’s an inquisitive boy from the human world. After saving a helpless chick from an attack by crows, Billy and his friends are transported to Morning Land by the Chicken King. With the courage bestowed upon him by the chicken elders, he dons the legendary rooster suit and embarks on a grand adventure to save Morning Land from eternal night. Billy must stop Dark Raven or the darkness will spread to the human world. Billy’s Racing Rooster car is highly maneuverable, so watch out – he may wear a rooster suit, but nobody calls this boy chicken!

Knuckles
Knuckles is the guardian of the Master Emerald, which gives Angel Island its power to float in the sky. He is the last of the Echidnas opa the island’s native people. His name comes from his powerful fists, which allow him to punch through rock and make him a skilled burrower and climber. He can also use his dreadlocks to glide for short distances. He drives a tough little all-terrain vehicle called the Land Breaker.

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. Sumo Digital executive producer, Steve Lycett, said that 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. According to Lycett:

"Our main problem was that all the characters were different sizes. Sonic was Sonic sized, but he was really small compared to Eggman and Gilius on their rides. Worse still was Tails Tornado – it was huge! The wings made it really wide."

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 Alister Brimble.

Theme Song
The theme song for the game is called "So Much More" sung by Bentley Jones. It is in the "So Much More" album of Bentley Jones as well. The song has different versions:


 * So Much More... (Fantazia Projekt Radio Mix)
 * So Much More... (Ballad Version)
 * So Much More... (Main Theme)

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. However, Ratchet & Clank were ruled out for whatever reason. 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.

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, but these characters are on the disks and do not have to be downloaded.

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.

It has been officially confirmed that additional characters and Tracks will be downloadable in the future. Steve Lycett of Sumo Digital, has said that NiGHTS could possibly be added as a Downloadable character, if the game is successful.

Reception
GamesMaster gave the game 83% for the console versions and 70% for the DS version, calling it 'the best kart racer on 360/PS3, but not quite the Mario Kart-beater we hoped for'. Nintendo Power gave the Wii version 8/10 and the DS version 6/10. Official Nintendo Magazine gave both the DS and Wii version 75% saying they were both a little bit empty and Mario Kart was just a little bit better. Computer Bild Spiele, the top videogame magazine in Germany, rated the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions a score of 2.32, which is about an A grade. The Wii version was given a 2.46 score.

Merchandise



 * Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing's theme is "So Much More..." and is on the So Much More Bentley Jones album.


 * The game also has released posters and stickers in UK.


 * It has been announced that the game will have toys as well by Jazwares. The toys will be released in May. Currently, the ones that are known are Sonic, Knuckles and Shadow.


 * The Wii version of the game will also feature it's own WiiWheel.

Trivia

 * The game has a sound effect from Pac Man: World Rally, another popular racing game.
 * Ever since this game has been announced, fans have been complaining and constantly asking, "Why is Sonic in a car?" Executive producer, Steve Lycett, answered the question, and said that they originally tried making the game with Sonic and friends racing 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 appearance in any Sonic or SEGA game.
 * This marks Billy Hatcher's first appearance on the Xbox 360, DS, PC, and PS3 and his second appearance on the Wii.
 * This is Big the Cat`s first playable appearance in a Next-Gen game.
 * NiGHTS won't appear as a playable character but instead will take the role as the referee who flys & swings the checkered flag to start the race.
 * Europe and Australia will get Ryo Hazuki's Forklift as a regular Vehicle offered as DLC.
 * Zobiko and Zobio were officially confirmed in a special Halloween-themed trailer on said date of 2009.

Character Artwork
Sonic Characters