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| | Title:
Sonic Riders
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System:
Xbox
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Genre:
Racing
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Publisher:
Sega Corporation
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Developer:
Sonic Team
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Release:
February 21, 2006
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Everyone (E)
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Sonic certainly knows how to get around. Since his debut on the Sega Genesis the blue hedgehog has appeared on several consoles, including the very popular Dreamcast and now Microsoft’s first video game console the Xbox. No matter the genre of game that Sonic is put into there is one thing they all have in common, speed. Whether it is the good-old platforming of the original Sonic franchise or the more recent Sonic games found in this generation of consoles, one thing is certain; the blue guy is wicked fast. Taking this core idea, Sonic is about to grace the Xbox console once more with another one of his original titles.
Properly named Sonic Riders, this game is putting a hoverboard under the feet of our blue hero and letting him blast across various tracks. Yes, this is a racing game and one that looks to be surprisingly well made. The gameplay mechanic that has always separated Sonic from his competitors (Mario/Crash) was that Sonic was lightning fast. Mario may have challenged your wits but Sonic made your reflexes whimper. This is the goal with Sonic Riders, to give the most intense hoverboard racing action ever seen. Since this is one of the few games that features hoverboarding, that may not be too lofty a goal. Players will take control of Sonic as well as many of his friends that have been introduced to gamers over the years. A few of the returning characters include the orange fox known as Tails, the red high-tempered Knuckles, and some of the newer characters from the latest of Sonic games. Die-hard fans of the Sonic franchise will obviously pick the characters they came to know back when Sonic first debuted.
The tracks in Sonic Riders look to be varied as well as fun. While the final number of tracks for Sonic Riders has yet to be officially stated, screenshots have confirmed at least two very promising tracks. The first is a jungle level that is complete with dirt roads, lush trees, wooden structures, and the obviously crystal clear water falls. The second track looks to be a metropolitan area complete with tall buildings and blue skies. The overall graphical quality of these levels is not amazing but it is very had to find a racing game where the environments are detailed. The only game that comes to mind is Project Gotham Racing 3, which can only be found on the Xbox 360. The character models of Sonic Riders though are very well done. Each model is true to the look of the characters and they react according to the lighting in the level. In short the models “glow” appropriately. There are even some additions to the models to make the game seem more laid back and fun. One example would be Sonic who is sporting a pair of sunglasses.
The racing itself is going to be lightning fast. Sonic is known for his speed and Sonic Riders is no slouch when it comes to making speed that would make eyes bleed. But Sonic Riders is going to incorporate some entertaining game mechanics into the racing to make it more enjoyable and give the game good replay values. Thanks to screenshots the first up, is the collecting of gold rings (would it be a Sonic game without the gold rings?) in order to purchase power ups later in the game. Also it can be inferred that gamers are going to be able to pull off a variety of tricks while racing. Many screenshots released have shown Sonic and crew in a variety of posses. Whether or not these tricks are merely for show or if they actually contribute to winning the race is unknown at this time.
When you add up the idea of blazing across beautiful levels with detailed character models, all the while, pulling off tricks and collecting gold rings, Sonic Riders looks like it will be a blast to play. Sure it is on the Xbox instead of the Xbox 360, but there are quite a few good games coming out for Microsoft’s first gaming console. If you are looking for a game to satisfy your need for speed then Sonic Riders may be right up your alley.
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