Gravity Control

Gravity Control is a move used by all playable characters in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, which is granted by wielding an Ark of the Cosmos (or a Gravity Band in Free Play mode). This move serves as a vital game mechanic for the player, especially in single-player mode, and is often required to win several of the game's races. When performing this move, the user can manipulate gravity, thereby allowing the user to quickly change his/her directions when riding an Extreme Gear at high speeds. This allows the user to either make sharp turns or to select an alternate course through the racing tracks.

Description
Story-wise, in order to allow a user to perform Gravity Control, the user must possess an Ark of the Cosmos/Gravity Band which is required due to their gravity-altering properties. In order to perform Gravity Control in gameplay, the user must have accumulated enough Gravity Points (GP) in his/her GP Gauge by performing tricks, grinding, opening certain Item boxes etc. If the user has even a little amount of GP, they can perform Gravity Control.

When performing Gravity Control, the user activates his/her Ark of the Cosmos/Gravity Band, which is signified by a small wave of light and ripples erupting from the Ark of the Cosmos/Gravity Band, followed by the Ark of the Cosmos/Gravity Band itself glowing. This causes the gravity in the user's nearby vicinity to be negated, causing nearby objects and the user itself to enter zero-G, though the user will still move in the same direction as when the Gravity Control was activated (albeit at a slower pace). Once in mid-air, the user can directly select any new direction to head towards, even when the user were going at full speed at his/her Extreme Gear. Once the direction has been selected, the user propels himself/herself forward at high speeds with a quick shift in gravity, allowing the user to resume racing on his/her Extreme Gear at high speeds. This is performed in gameplay by pressing the 1 button and tilting the Wii Remote in the direction you want to go (B trigger if the Wii Remote is in vertical position) on the Wii version, by pressing the square button while tilting the left analog stick in the direction you want to go on the PS2 version, or the B button and tilting the analog stick in the direction you want to go for the GCN Controller.

Gravity Control is foremost used to give the players an advantage in Extreme Gear races; when the player is about enter a sharp turn at high speed, Gravity Control can be used to quickly alter the player's direction when entering this turn, allowing the player to pass through the turn without ramming into the walls and lose speed. However, Gravity Control can also be used to select alternate routes on the racing tracks which is located on the walls; if the user is send into the air by a quarter-pipe nearby a "wall route", the player can use Gravity Control to redirect himself/herself towards this route and race down it vertically. Also, by using Gravity Control in the same manner during mid-air tricks, the player can also use it to send himself/herself flying towards a possible shortcut on the racing track that would otherwise be unreachable by normal means.