Sonic Riders

Would you play a fighting game without learning how the game works, or finding out how to execute each character's special techniques? How about Gran Turismo without learning how each specific car handles? Would you take on a new game by playing it exactly like one that is distantly related to it at best? If you found out that if the game didn't truly play that way, wouldn't you do your best to research?

Simply put, Sonic Riders is a fun, fast paced racer that will challenge the best of us while leaving others exhausted and swearing off games in its wake. It's a bit on the short side, but with such solid difficulty and so many extras to uncover, it should keep us busy until the next great arcade-style twitch racer comes our way.

Sonic Riders is an enjoyable little title with surprisingly good gameplay, and the multiplayer is a must try if you do end up getting hold of a copy. Although the game is a little on the difficult side, I've haven't had this much satisfaction from winning a race since winning Wipeout races on the ole PSOne. Sonic Riders doesn't boast too many tracks, nor does it have an online mode, which is a shame, but a bit of unique futuristic racing with familiar faces is what I'm after these days, and Sonic Riders delivers on that front hands down. I bet Nintendo wish they'd have thought of this first!

Sonic Riders von Sega ist ein klassischer Fun-Arcade-Racer von dem es nicht allzu viele auf dem PC gibt. Gerade wer schnelle Rennen in ungewöhnlichen Umgebungen liebt kann hier seinen Spaß haben, zumal das Spiel auch gerade mal mit rund 29 Euro zu Buche schlägt. Insgesamt ist Sonic Riders auf dem PC ein schönes Rennspiel das nicht unbedingt leicht zu meistern ist, aber dem hartnäckigem Arcaderacer-Fan ohne Angst ein Rennen mehr als einmal zu fahren ein paar vergnügliche Stunden bereiten kann.

Wer sich in der Spielgeschichte auskennt weiß: Für die einen gab es Sonic für die Anderen gab es Mario. Schon damals hat sich abgezeichnet, dass die beiden Spiele und deren Spieler verschiedene Wege gehen werden. Was nicht heißt, dass eine der Spielfiguren als Verlierer dasteht. Beide Figuren haben es geschafft sich in der Spielgemeinschaft zu etablieren. Zum ersten Mal in der Konsolenwelt bekommt Sonic nun mit Sonic Riders auch ein eigenes Rennspiel. Bei Sonic ging es schon immer um Geschwindigkeit in jeder Hinsicht. Er ist in seinem Universum eindeutig der schnellste zu Fuß. Doch jetzt ist alles anders, zum ersten Mal werden Sonics Gegner genauso schnell sein wie er. Sonic Riders versetzt das Spiel in eine neue Geschwindigkeitsdimension.

Kaum aus dem Winterschlaf erwacht, steht Segas Säuger schon wieder auf dem Airboard, um sich mit 15 gegnerischen Fahrern in einem etwas zu simpel gestrickten Rennspiel zu messen. Der adrenalinfördernde Temporausch basiert auf dem Erfolgsrezept von Sonics 3D-Abenteuern: Sonic Riders ist leicht zugänglich, sieht sauber aus und macht auch zu viert ordentlich Laune. Der Steuerung hätte man dagegen ruhig einige Feinheiten mehr spendieren können. So ist doch recht schnell die Luft raus.

There comes a time in the life cycle of every platforming character, where they wake up one morning and take a long look at their life. They aren’t releasing games like they used too, and now the fans that made them big are starting to move on to “mature” games, with “violent” themes. Thus, our cute and warm characters are left with but two options. The first is to hijack a cab and go do some pimp slapping and killin', or, to star in their very own kart racing title. The best of the genre have ventured into this racing world, with varied results. Mario, Crash Bandicoot, and even little Diddy from Donkey Kong have made the transition from leaping platforms, to collecting brightly colored fruit on a race track. The newest mascot putting his license to the test? Sonic, in the aptly named Sonic Riders.

It's not everyday that the world's most famous blue hedgehog trades in his running shoes for an air board. Sonic is known for his unstoppable footwork; his ability to collect rings at NASCAR speeds while running rings around his goofy adversaries. He's the king of organic environments, traversing corkscrews faster than two-wheeler from Extreme-G. The animal kingdom regards him as their savior – instead of spending their lives trapped in circular tanks, birds, squirrels and other woodland creatures can roam freely thanks to Sonic, who graciously took a minute away from his busy schedule to press the release button on top.

Сборник стандартных идей с наклейкой «про Соника», вряд ли заинтересует любителей традиционных гонок, реалистичной физики или роскошных авто. Ее аудитория — почитатели веселых аркадных «догонялок», ищущие, чем бы занять себя на пару вечеров. Большего из Sonic Riders не выжать при всем желании. Даже мультиплеер — и тот стеснен скромным «сплит-скрином».

Like most popular platformer franchises, the Sonic series has dabbled in the racing genre in the past with games like Sonic R for the Saturn. Despite the fact that Sonic's already-speedy nature might seem like a perfect fit for a racing title of some sort, the results of these attempts have been disappointing thus far. Sonic Riders is the latest attempt to get Sonic back on the race track, though this one eschews the typical kart- and foot-racing brands of racing one would usually find in a racer starring popular platformer heroes. Instead, Riders gives Sonic and pals their very own Back to the Future II-style hoverboards, which they can use to dart and dash around wacky tracks of varying levels of difficulty. Unfortunately, Sonic Riders isn't really all that much better than any of Sega's previous attempts to make Sonic a racing hero, simply because it can't quite manage to keep its diverse and chaotic racing mechanics together into one cohesive package.

Like most popular platformer franchises, the Sonic series has dabbled in the racing genre in the past with games like Sonic R for the Saturn. Despite the fact that Sonic's already-speedy nature might seem like a perfect fit for a racing title of some sort, the results of these attempts have been disappointing thus far. Sonic Riders is the latest attempt to get Sonic back on the race track, though this one eschews the typical kart- and foot-racing brands of racing one would usually find in a racer starring popular platformer heroes. Instead, Riders gives Sonic and pals their very own Back to the Future II-style hoverboards, which they can use to dart and dash around wacky tracks of varying levels of difficulty. Unfortunately, Sonic Riders isn't really all that much better than any of Sega's previous attempts to make Sonic a racing hero, simply because it can't quite manage to keep its diverse and chaotic racing mechanics together into one cohesive package.

Like most popular platformer franchises, the Sonic series has dabbled in the racing genre in the past with games like Sonic R for the Saturn. Despite the fact that Sonic's already-speedy nature might seem like a perfect fit for a racing title of some sort, the results of these attempts have been disappointing thus far. Sonic Riders is the latest attempt to get Sonic back on the race track, though this one eschews the typical kart- and foot-racing brands of racing one would usually find in a racer starring popular platformer heroes. Instead, Riders gives Sonic and pals their very own Back to the Future II-style hoverboards, which they can use to dart and dash around wacky tracks of varying levels of difficulty. Unfortunately, Sonic Riders isn't really all that much better than any of Sega's previous attempts to make Sonic a racing hero, simply because it can't quite manage to keep its diverse and chaotic racing mechanics together into one cohesive package.

Sonic Riders can occasionally be quite entertaining, but too many of those entertaining moments are overridden by bouts of frustration and weak mechanics.

Someone at Sonic Team has really got to lay off the Marketing for Dummies books. Undoubtedly discovering that players sometimes gravitate toward games with guns, the pioneering Japanese studio last year created Shadow the Hedgehog, which was more or less Sonic Adventure with weapons. The added shooting mechanics were arguably the weakest additions to the formula. Now comes the racer Sonic Riders, a concept that initially seems to make sense for SEGA's speedy mascots. After all, Sonic R for the defunct Saturn console had potential and the best bits about recent hedgehog games have been the frenzied, rollercoaster areas. Unfortunately, the developer once again opened up its marketing book, took a look at the success of EA's SSX franchise, and decided that its blazing fast characters would be better served on snowboards.

Someone at Sonic Team has really got to lay off the Marketing for Dummies books. Undoubtedly discovering that players sometimes gravitate toward games with guns, the pioneering Japanese studio last year created Shadow the Hedgehog, which was more or less Sonic Adventure with weapons. The added shooting mechanics were arguably the weakest additions to the formula. Now comes the racer Sonic Riders, a concept that initially seems to make sense for SEGA's speedy mascots. After all, Sonic R for the defunct Saturn console had potential and the best bits about recent hedgehog games have been the frenzied, rollercoaster areas.

Someone at Sonic Team has really got to lay off the Marketing for Dummies books. Undoubtedly discovering that players sometimes gravitate toward games with guns, the pioneering Japanese studio last year created Shadow the Hedgehog, which was more or less Sonic Adventure with weapons. The added shooting mechanics were arguably the weakest additions to the formula.

"Sonic Riders" supostamente foi feito para ser um jogo de corrida cujo atrativo é a diversão simples e a velocidade supersônica habitual da turma do ouriço-terrestre, mas essa pretensão encontra obstáculos logo na primeira curva. Ainda sobra muito para explorar e se distrair, mas quando finalmente você conseguir dominar as curvas, talvez o jogo já não tenha mais nenhuma surpresa.

Sonic Riders is far from the worst example of a platformer-turned-racer we’ve seen (anyone remember Bomberman Fantasy Race?), and it’s definitely a better outing for the series than Shadow the Hedgehog. Just the same, this is a highly flawed game. There’s a lot to do and see here, but the gameplay and mechanics can be frustrating and annoying, the story mode is pointless, and the voice acting is truly bad.

Een schizofreen Racegame ter ere van Sonics vijftiende verjaardag. SEGA's blauwe egel had een beter cadeau verdiend dan dit...

While Sonic Riders is quite colorful and features some of the gaming world's most beloved and cool characters, it leaves you puzzled as to why Sega would bother even advertising this stinker. Save your bucks, folks, and get a better game. You'll thank yourself later.

Wirres Leveldesign, ungenaue Steuerung und schlechte Spielballance vermiesen Sonics Raserei.

Irgendwie habe ich das Gefühl, dass Sonic auch ohne mich ins Ziel kommen würde. Abschnittweise zwängt mich die Airboard-Hatz regelrecht auf Schienen. Die Herausforderung besteht weniger in gekonnten Fahrmanövern oder spektakulären Stunts, sondern im vielmehr Auswendiglernen der wenigen Strecken. Wo gibt's Extras zu holen, wo Abkürzungen zu nehmen, wo kann ich mit Schanzen Abgründe überbrücken. Gut gefallen mir die wenigen, aber ebenso abwechslungsreichen wie quietschbunten Kurse, die mich durch Tunnels, über Brücken, auf Förderbänder, Loopings und Sprungrampen jagen. Mit etwas fordernderen Rennen und präziserer Steuerung hätte ich micht Sonic und seinen Kumpels bestimmt viel Spaß gehabt. So motiviert Sonic Riders nur für einen Nachmittag.

The majority of your gameplay time will involve trying and retrying the courses, feeling out the alternate routes. Sure, you've got to pull off a few tricks here and there to keep up your momentum, but SSX it ain't.

The majority of your gameplay time will involve trying and retrying the courses, feeling out the alternate routes. Sure, you've got to pull off a few tricks here and there to keep up your momentum, but SSX it ain't.

The majority of your gameplay time will involve trying and retrying the courses, feeling out the alternate routes. Sure, you've got to pull off a few tricks here and there to keep up your momentum, but SSX it ain't.

SEGA is 0-for-2 on good Sonic games in the last few months. Aside from Sonic Rush on the Nintendo DS, they haven't put out a fantastic, or even acceptable, Sonic game for years. What's the deal? Is it really that hard to take such an iconic, impressive, and lovable character and make a good game out of his speed and intensity? Is it really a better idea to throw a hover board underneath him and his friends and take away any feeling of control? Seriously, what were they thinking? Sonic's creator Yuji Naka should be so ashamed. I really don't like being so harsh on a video game, but Sonic Riders isn't worth your money. It isn't worth your time, and it isn't worth having Sonic's name and image plastered on the cover. If you want to play a mean trick on your kids, buy them Sonic Riders - they might enjoy it just as much as Shadow the Hedgehog.

Sonic Riders is not without value, especially for the Sega hardcore. However, its balance is ultimately flawed and the inclusion of jet-boards feel almost arbitrary. It could have been a novel new twist on the character racer, but instead Sonic Riders falls flat.

I really don't like being so harsh on a video game, but Sonic Riders isn't worth your money. It isn't worth your time, and it isn't worth having Sonic's name and image plastered on the cover. If you want to play a mean trick on your kids, buy them Sonic Riders - they might enjoy it just as much as Shadow the Hedgehog.

The general feeling this game conveys is confusion and chaos, akin to being flushed down a jet-powered toilet. If that sounds fun to you, I say go for it.

The general feeling this game conveys is confusion and chaos, akin to being flushed down a jet-powered toilet. If that sounds fun to you, I say go for it.

Sonic Riders a pour lui sa réalisation en plus de quelques idées intéressantes comme le système de turbulence et les figures à réaliser indispensables pour faire remonter sa jauge d'air, mais tout cela est en grande partie gâché par une jouabilité vraiment médiocre, par un nombre de circuits assez faiblard aux tracés mal pensés et par un niveau de difficulté trop élevé.

Sonic Riders a pour lui sa réalisation en plus de quelques idées intéressantes comme le système de turbulence et les figures à réaliser indispensables pour faire remonter sa jauge d'air, mais tout cela est en grande partie gâché par une jouabilité vraiment médiocre, par un nombre de circuits assez faiblard aux tracés mal pensés et par un niveau de difficulté trop élevé.

What’s that feeling? It’s strange…unfamiliar. Could it be…nostalgia for Sonic Heroes? As sad as it sounds, I think Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Riders have finally made me look back with affection for a time when Sonic games at least managed to achieve mediocrity. Sonic Riders places the usual gang atop some sci-fi hoverboards and sends them through a series of races conceived by Eggman in service of some rather incomprehensible and silly plot points. I shan’t waste your time with the details.

Sonic Riders a pour lui sa réalisation en plus de quelques idées intéressantes comme le système de turbulence et les figures à réaliser indispensables pour faire remonter sa jauge d'air, mais tout cela est en grande partie gâché par une jouabilité vraiment médiocre, par un nombre de circuits assez faiblard aux tracés mal pensés et par un niveau de difficulté trop élevé.

As in traditional skateboard and snowboard titles, players can perform a number of grabs, spins, and other tricks, but the air boards have the added ability to create turbulence, which players can strategically use to draft behind their rivals. Another feature of the game is an air meter, which is filled by performing tricks and unleashing massive jumps. Players can use the stockpiled air at any time during the competition for more precise cornering, a speed boost, or to create a tornado to temporarily stun pursuing rivals. Up to four speed demons can compete in racing, battle, and tag modes, with the latter supporting cooperative play.

Sonic Riders a pour lui sa réalisation en plus de quelques idées intéressantes comme le système de turbulence et les figures à réaliser indispensables pour faire remonter sa jauge d'air, mais tout cela est en grande partie gâché par une jouabilité vraiment médiocre, par un nombre de circuits assez faiblard aux tracés mal pensés et par un niveau de difficulté trop élevé.

Eventually, every gaming icon grows tired of saving the world/girl/humanity from harm. Over the years, Mario, Crash, Jak, and Mega Man have felt the need to develop some kind of new, interesting method to combat evil. Unfortunately, the bone they usually get tossed is shaped like a go-kart, and now one more is added to the list with Sonic Riders, where the world's fastest mammal tries to go faster, with mixed results.

Sonic's lost a little bit more of his zip here with the second failed Hedgehog title out of the Sonic Team camp in less than a year. Sonic Riders tries to put some zesty racing action on the line here, but suffers due to inadequate gameplay and the kind of AI that makes you want to bash your controller into pieces with a hammer. If you want frenetic racing action that's actually fun, I recommend Sonic R in the Sonic Gems Collection. Riders goes off the mark far too often to give you any kind of smooth ride.

Think back to the heyday of SSX, Tony Hawk and all things extreme. Talk about missed opportunities. Sega could've named this Sonikk Riderzz XXX. Cross-promotional tie-ins with Mountain Dew, Johnny Moseley and Jackass could have had all the kids in line to buy Sonic's madcap racer. If only someone had foresight, maybe we wouldn't be receiving a lukewarm, SSX clone-ish, Sonic racing game in the year 2006. Still, I didn't even see one Sonic Riders billboard during any of the snowboard events of this winter's Olympics…which causes me to question Sega's enthusiasm for its hero's latest exploits.

Sonic Riders' box touts the blue speed demon's fifteenth anniversary, but recent years have been unkind to his reputation. Between uneven adventures and a lousy gun-toting spin-off, one had to wonder if designers had lost sight of what made Sonic appealing.

Think back to the heyday of SSX, Tony Hawk and all things extreme. Talk about missed opportunities. Sega could've named this Sonikk Riderzz XXX. Cross-promotional tie-ins with Mountain Dew, Johnny Moseley and Jackass could have had all the kids in line to buy Sonic's madcap racer. If only someone had foresight, maybe we wouldn't be receiving a lukewarm, SSX clone-ish, Sonic racing game in the year 2006. Still, I didn't even see one Sonic Riders billboard during any of the snowboard events of this winter's Olympics…which causes me to question Sega's enthusiasm for its hero's latest exploits.

Think back to the heyday of SSX, Tony Hawk and all things extreme. Talk about missed opportunities. Sega could've named this Sonikk Riderzz XXX. Cross-promotional tie-ins with Mountain Dew, Johnny Moseley and Jackass could have had all the kids in line to buy Sonic's madcap racer. If only someone had foresight, maybe we wouldn't be receiving a lukewarm, SSX clone-ish, Sonic racing game in the year 2006. Still, I didn't even see one Sonic Riders billboard during any of the snowboard events of this winter's Olympics…which causes me to question Sega's enthusiasm for its hero's latest exploits.

But, in the end, it's the gameplay that matters most. That's where Sonic Riders fails. Racing games are supposed to be games of skill, not chance. Sonic Riders, despite all of its shortcuts and power-up items, feels like a game of chance. What's more, it's also a real pain in the ass to play.

The game does deserve props for its innovative approach towards drafting and the starting line, but the remainder of the content is a mangled mess of blue fur and something rank.

The game does deserve props for its innovative approach towards drafting and the starting line, but the remainder of the content is a mangled mess of blue fur and something rank.

The game does deserve props for its innovative approach towards drafting and the starting line, but the remainder of the content is a mangled mess of blue fur and something rank.

Like SSX on Pixie Stix, Sonic Riders is basically a tricked-out snowboarding game, but it's played over mixed terrain with "Extreme Gear," which is just a fancy way of describing the hoverboards from Back To The Future Part II. In story mode, the precious Chaos Emerald is swiped from Sonic and his buddies by the Babylon Rogues, a group of thieves with connections to the ancients. While Sonic and co. mope over their loss in Metal City Plaza, the diabolical Dr. Eggman announces an Extreme Gear event called the "Ex World Grand Prix," in which the first prize is a Chaos Emerald. Facing off against their nemeses from the Babylon Rogues, Sonic and friends alternate racing over various tracks in a no-holds-barred contest with jumping, drafting, shoving, and numerous shortcuts and bonus rings.

Sonic Riders for PC isn't mindless fun, it's just mindless. The game seems to run terribly on some systems, which for a game so dependent on speed is a stake to the heart. However, some rigs apparently don't suffer from such graphical obscenity, so it seems like a hit or miss affair. The gameplay is a sloppy mess, which is what truly drives this game into the ground. While quite a few modes of play are offered, none of them are really worth playing. Either way, there's no real reason to buy this game. Should you ever see it running on any PC, the quit command is Alt-F4.

Eine mittelmäßige Grafik, eine Musikuntermalung, bei der man sich wie in der Kinderdisko fühlt, und eine Steuerung, die am besten mit dem Wort „Seife“ in Verbindung zu bringen ist – solche Zutaten machen den schwer genießbaren Sonic Riders-Drink aus. Und dabei hätte man mit ein paar Kniffen den Spaßfaktor gewaltig anheben können. Aber Sega hat es wohl in einem halben Jahr nicht geschafft, die etwas zu starke KI und das unausbalancierte Luftfeature in den Griff zu kriegen. So bleibt der Arcarde-Racer nur ein weiterer unter vielen – auch wenn er für Sonic-Fans, die nichts gegen die hanebüchene Storys einzuwenden haben, sicherlich einen Blick wert sein dürfte.

On the surface, you see most of the elements needed for a successful title. Sonic lovers will find doses of blinding speed; you have a bevy of modes to choose from, both single- and multiplayer; it's not a bad looking game, and runs at a steady framerate; and you have plenty of courses, characters, and unlockables. It's when you actually pick up a controller and try to have fun that you realize these things are mere Scotch tape attempting to hold together the busted plate that is Sonic Riders' gameplay.

Let's not beat about the bush here; Sonic Riders is awful. It's the kind of game that copies from all sorts of other games without realising what made any of them any good - taking all the worst bits from superior titles like a pinch of SSX, a great wodge of F-Zero, and a few steals from Kirby's Air Ride.

Si aujourd'hui Sega ne produit plus de console de jeux, la firme reste toujours sous les feux de la rampe, en éditant ou en développant de nombreux titres, tel ce Sonic Riders, qui viente raviver le souvenir du glorieux passé de Sonic. Le terme passé est tout à fait approprié, car si une nouvelle aventure du hérisson bleu aurait tout à fait pu nous enchanter, le concept (qui n'a d'ailleurs rien de neuf ) des courses d'aéroglisseurs parait complètement hors de propos dans l'univers de notre héros survolté...

Five flashy courses wind through a city, factory, desert, river, and a jungle track that looks as if it was lifted from Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic Riders includes a four-player split screen mode, but based on what you're heard so far, would you really expect it to be any good? I had a Sonic fans over to give this game a good workout, but after a few minutes their eyes glazed over as they looked on in bewilderment. Sonic Riders is a complete mess. This hedgehog will require a complete overhaul if he's bound for the next generation of systems.