Gameplay - 10/10
Storyline - 6/10
Graphics - 8/10
Game Score : 24/30
If you are a console gamer or a PC gamer at some point or another you will have come across a kart racing game of sorts in your life span of gaming. Whether it be the old school Mario Kart, the later on Crash Team Racing or the new kid on the block Mod Nation Racing; kart racing games on a whole tend to have their own portion of the gaming genre to themselves without actually being a genre. I for one have played most if not all kart racing oriented games out there and Mario Kart is undoubtedly the king of that castle. Sadly as I moved away from being a console gamer to a PC gamer I quickly realized that there were no such games readily available on PC. As such people contended to play Nintendo 64 emulators with Mario Kart 64 for their enjoyment. As great as Mario Kart is in this day and age we are moving forward in terms of graphics and game engines and such so you can imagine my sorrow at having to stick it out with Mario Kart 64. Thankfully Sonic & Sega All Star Racing was made finally and gave us the chance to experience something new and fresh helping many rediscover the joy that Mario Kart introduced us to all over again.
This game is undeniably fun, and if you grew up knowing a Sega Mega Drive, Saturn, Game Gear or Dreamcast you are bound to recognize many of the characters with the XBOX 360 version of the game having an extra special non-Sega affiliated addition to the racing roster. I really like how this game is structured and the impressive selection of racers that the game offers not to mention the individuality and game-play of each being a different experience in and of its own right. The main selling point of this game for me however is the fact that winning races depends more on skill than on the luck of a good power-up. Unlike Mario Kart where a blue shell or lightning strike can more or less guarantee a top 3 victory; Sega & Sonic All Star Racing offers no such guarantee. By playing through the game, players can earn Sega Miles that can be spent in the in-game shop to unlock additional content such as characters, tracks, and songs. The game features a total of 24 tracks based on locations from Sonic Heroes, Super Monkey Ball, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, Jet Set Radio Future, Samba de Amigo, and The House of the Dead.
