Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Review

[PAGETITLE=Introduction, Gameplay][Top Ad] Be it a good thing or a bad thing, no game developer is able to release a kart-racing game and not have it be compared to the ultimate classic: Mario Kart. That's for good reason, of course, as the original title in the series did so many things right. It was colorful, featured characters we loved and tracks that were a blast to race around in. It was a perfect formula, and one that other developers have long mimicked - or at least tried to. When Sega released Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing in 2010, some considered it to be a clone done right. It might not have strayed too far from the proven formula, but with tracks based off of popular Sega franchises, it had won the hearts of many before it even shipped. With the success of that game, developer Sumo Digital wasted no time getting back into the studio to conjure up a sequel; thus Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was born. 28 Minutes of Gameplay - 7 Races, 4 Modes Like the original, Transformed is a game that prides itself on being able to trigger that awesome feeling of nostalgia in anyone who's ever enjoyed a Sega franchise. It's no surprise that a game like this would feature numerous Sonic levels, but who would have expected one based on After Burner or Panzer Dragoon? A particular favorite of mine is Nights into Dreams..., which upon first entry, had me grinning at the screen. The recreations for these levels is just masterful, and while the game can be enjoyed by anyone, those who have fond memories of select Sega franchises are sure to have their enjoyment taken to another level. Transformed adheres to all of the definitive kart racer have-to-haves. The tracks are interesting, sometimes mind-bending and always colorful, chock-full of eye-candy. Things are kept interesting on the racer front, with characters plucked from Sega franchises that might not even have levels based on them in the game. Take B.D. Joe from Crazy Taxi for example, or Ulala from Space Channel 5. PC exclusive racers include characters from SHOGUN: Total War, Football Manager and Team Fortress 2. In all, the game offers 29 different racers to choose from, although half of them will need to be unlocked through game progression. "Transformed" in the game's title refers both to vehicle and track mechanics. On the vehicle front, transformations can occur during the course of a race when the situation requires it, either for road, water or air. These transformations occur as you pass by a blue checkpoint, and the process is very fluid so as to not detract from the momentum of the race. While some races may focus on one vehicle type only, some are the opposite, where all three will be used. One example of this is with the After Burner level. You'll start off driving along the top of a ship, then plunge to the water below and then soar in the air to land atop the next ship. This exact race can be seen in the video at the top of the page at around the 12 minute mark. With the focus on three different vehicle types, I can't help but be reminded of the classic kart racer Diddy Kong Racing for the N64, which did the same thing. The more I played Transformed, the more I found myself thinking back to that game, which might be appropriate since it was one of the best kart racers I ever played. But that being said, Transformed, as mentioned above, does do something else a bit unique: track transformations. Imagine, for example, doing two road laps around a Sonic-inspired level, and then on the third lap, you plunge into the water on your speedboat or into the air in your plane and take an entirely different route. Not all tracks have this sort of mechanic, but the ones that do pull it off extremely well. It's the combination of both the track and vehicle transformations that helps make this game an absolute blast to play. While a couple of levels are carried over from the original title, some have been modified for consideration of these transformations. You might think you know a track, but out of nowhere, you'll be seeing something entirely new. You may be able to tell by this point that this is a game I recommend, and while it's generally in bad form to reveal such a conclusion so early, it can't be helped. The fact of the matter is, there isn't just one thing that helps make this game become a winner, it's a combination of things. Remove the nostalgic value and the transformation mechanics entirely, and it'd still be a great kart racer. So let's talk about the other highlights, shall we? [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Power-ups, Race Modes & Final Thoughts][Top Ad] Like any self-respecting game in this genre, Transformed offers many different weapons and power-ups at your disposal. For weapons, there are homing missiles, straight-firing ice balls, a hurricane, a blowfish that acts as a roadblock, a remote-controlled car that drives towards an enemy (even in water or air) and to deflect all of this, a baseball mitt that affixes to the back of your car. Power-ups come in the form of expected turbo boost strips and a rocket-booster. Tying in with the name of the game, you can also acquire an "All-Star Mode" during the race, based on various factors such as coins picked up and maneuvers executed. While in this mode, you'll be immune to damage, and navigating the track is made much easier. It's not uncommon to find yourself in first place thanks to the help of this mode. On the topic of coins, that's another interesting mechanic introduced here. Throughout each track there will be many coins you can pick up if you're willing to go just outside the center of the track. Coins will also appear when an enemy is hit and stopped in their tracks. Likewise, you can lose one coin at a time if you're the one taking the hit. These coins can then be used in a slot machine before any race for the chance of a bonus that could help make it easier. Bonuses include faster recovery, more effective boosts, the ability to start off with a weapon and so forth. The coin count caps at 99, and can only be used for this purpose, so the game encourages you to use them. In addition to straight races, Transformed offers many bonus events that helps keep things interesting. Drift races are a particular favorite of mine, where you need to be effective at drifting through corners in order to stop the clock to allow you to progress as far as possible, and likewise, turbo races follow the same general scheme. One mode I found particularly fun and challenging is "traffic", where the track is coated with cars that are not adverse to running into you. The cleaner your drive, the further you will get. The most challenging mode is "Time Challenge", where you have three laps to beat a rival's best time. You'll need to use every shortcut and track advantage to win these, because as you'll be racing a ghost, there is no counting on weapons to help make things easier. That helps tie into another important aspect of the game: drifts. Drifting is extremely easy to do here; it's a matter of holding the brake while turning your wheels in the appropriate direction. The longer you drift, the better the turbo boost after coming out of it. There are a total of four drift levels - the highest of which requires a 10 second slide - and taking full advantage of these during the race can either make or break your win. Introducing a bit of RPG flair, those who stick with a single racer will be rewarded. The game awards character levels based on "miles" earned - miles being wins and good performance. With each racer level you unlock both stickers (to apply to your game tag for online purposes) and mods. Mods are simple tweaks of your car configuration; the idea is that at max level, that particular racer will be very well-rounded, ready to tackle any race the best way possible. A level 10 racer is no faster than a level 1 racer, however, unless their mod happens to favor that angle. Transformed offers different online and offline modes, with Grand Prix being the main one for unlocking new tracks and racers. Each "tour" is a world comprised of multiple tracks, and at times, you'll be presented the opportunity to take a different path if you want to do one race before another. Every event offers you the chance to win three stars; one per difficulty, and with these stars you can unlock new tracks, racers and then gates to continue onto the next tour. It's a simple hierarchy, but fits well with the game and Sonic in general. If by this point in the review I haven't convinced you that this game is well-worth picking up, then I've clearly failed. As a last-ditch effort, I'd recommend watching the gameplay video at the start of the review which shows off 7 levels and 4 race modes. If you're a fan of kart racing games, you'll likely be itching towards that wallet. If you're also a Sega fan, you'll have purchased it before you made it to the end of this sentence. Without question, this is one of the best kart racers I've ever played, and totally makes up for the fairly lackluster F1 Race Stars that I took a look at a couple of months ago. For a handful of additional screenshots, be sure to check out the next page. Pros. Three ways to race: road, water and air. Excellent race tracks, made all the more interesting with transformations. 29 different racers to choose from, each with unique transformations and attitude. Good variety of race modes. Many things to unlock - perfect for completionists. Sega nostalgia overload. Had to exercise my brain to come up with a single con. The $30 pricetag. Cons. "Hard" difficulty truly can be, where luck sometimes matters more than skill. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Extra Screenshots]

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Review

Page 3 – Extra Screenshots

Rob Williams