Monday, March 1, 2010

Quick Review: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Wii)

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing for Wii drifted into stores this past week and it couldn't have arrived at a better time. I love racing games and if you're a fan of Mario Kart Wii and you love Sega characters, then you'll love what Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing has to offer. While this game is a lot like Mario Kart, it isn't a total clone like some reviews may make it seem. Sure it plays like Mario Kart, looks like Mario Kart, and is Wii Wheel compatible like Mario Kart, it's different in it's own ways. For starters, the power-ups are unique to this game featuring only some of the same type that are in Mario Kart games. Sega introduces new things to throw you and other players off track like my personal favorite, the blow horn. It's a quirky little power up that, when used, throws your opponents off track by exerting a loud horn sound along with a graphic and animation that takes up most of the area in which their vehicle is located, catching you by surprise and making it hard to see where you're going. And it's just plain funny to be driving and then all the sudden set on of those off on someone else. So other then the power-ups, this game has other differences from Mario Kart. It gives the player the option to buy characters and levels instead of having to complete parts of the game in order to unlock them. This makes is so much easier to unlock all of the game because the player is rewarded with Sega Miles for nearly every race they complete and you can spend these on characters, levels, and music. Other then that, this game is a lot like the Mario Kart series and that's not a bad thing. When it comes down to it, your decision will depend on which you like playing a kart racing game with more: Nintendo or Sega characters. If you're like me and you love Sega's line-up of characters, and you're a huge fan of Shenmue and Ryo Hazuki, then you'll diffidently want to pick yourself up a copy of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing for the Wii.

Final Thoughts:
While this game is in many ways a clone of Mario Kart, it's still a lot of fun and plays a lot like Mario Kart which is awesome because there is not a huge learning curve. The graphics lack HD being on the Wii, but besides that, visually this game is very impressive. The only downside is the fact that this really is a Mario Kart clone and offers little exclusive features aside from the difference in characters.



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