Back in 2010, Sega unleashed Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing on the Playstation 3, XBox360 and Nintendo Wii and while I never got to review it, I thought it was a fairly enjoyable game and one I dedicated quite a bit of time in single-player and online modes. It turns out this was not just a one off release, with Sega Europe and Sega of America announcing Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed. This game will speed onto various consoles including the Playstation 3, XBox360, Playstation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and PC late this year.
The characters now have their own unique transforming vehicles designed to take advantage of the varying terrain across land, air and water. The line up on the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed grid sees SEGA favourites – including Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr Eggman and AiAi – return to battle against newcomersthat include Gilius Thunderhead of Golden Axe and Vyse of Skies of Arcadia. The brand new dynamic environments and tracks in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed are once again inspired by SEGA’s illustrious gaming history. When the road falls away beneath you on Super Monkey Ball’s Temple Trouble track your car transforms into a boat and speeds down the rivers and rapids, whilst the Panzer Dragoon inspired track, Dragon Canyon, takes you into the sky in complete control of your plane, barrel rolling to out-manoeuvre rivals and obstacles before transforming back in to a car and racing to the finish line.
David Corless, Global Sonic Brand Director had this to say on the announcement:
Given the fantastic feedback we received from critics and consumers alike for the first game we really wanted to push the boundaries on our follow up game, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Transforming vehicles allow us to do this – as well as drifting your car around the corners of a track, you get to fly your plane and pilot your boat against others all within one race. Add to this a grid full of star characters, retro IP, fun, fast race modes and cool tracks and racing fans of all ages are sure to love this one!”
Other inclusions include the return of the All-Star moves, with an all new mechanic allowing your All-star bar to power up faster if you race daringly and stylishly. Also, an all new weapon system ensures that you can block or evade weapons fired at you as you develop your skills. The announced game modes seem pretty standard for a racing game – including Grand Prix, Battle Arenas and Online Modes.
