The year was 2009, where I’d been getting deeper into gaming culture thanks to the Official Nintendo Magazine. One of the games advertised in there had been a Sonic racing game. Now, at this point in time, the only real experience I’d had with the rest of the Sega back catalogue was with Sega Superstars – a game that used the EyeToy of the Playstation 2 to bring motion-controlled gaming to the living room before the Wii made it popular.
It wouldn’t be until 2011 where I’d start to go deeper into that back catalogue, but I was still excited to be getting into the first Sonic All-Stars racing game that released in early 2010 – or whenever I got around to owning it. I found it to be a good game with a lot of good stuff about it, but I never really got invested in it. I put that down to not being familiar with any but the Sonic cast.
I would still enjoy the races, with the variety they offered, along with the announcer who would chime in with a snarky quip on occasion. The Sonic characters had the most representation, as you’d expect, so I would be choosing them for whatever races I did play. The mission mode meant I would be using others as well, and slowly – despite still never getting invested in the game – my recognition of the other characters and their series grew.
With new consoles arriving, the Wii would quickly get forgotten – aside from Wii Sports Resort and using it as a Gamecube, which meant I would never return to the game until years later. With the recognition of the Sega characters and my love of Sonic going beyond what I’d had for the franchise before thanks to Generations, you would think I’d be gunning for the second game. But no.
Having not been invested in the first, I didn’t feel the second would manage to hook me, either. So November 2012 came and went without me buying it. Then came March of 2013, where I felt it would be good to get the Sonic Hits Collection on Steam, which would enable me to play or re-experience plenty of the history of the franchise. The collection also included both of the Sonic All-Stars racers, so it was the second game of those racers I started with, just to see if it could hook me.
I enjoyed it more than the first on the occasional plays I had with it through the years. Each race felt more dynamic with the changes that occurred during each lap. There was more representation for other Sega series – and even a few non-Sega reps such as Wreck-It Ralph. Along with all that, though, was the transforming of vehicles.
The regular karting was still as great as ever – now with stick trick control to execute them faster, but boating sections took races onto the water (or lava) for plenty of trick combinations, and flying sections opened up more positioning possibilities to avoid items that would be sent your way. Boating felt more natural than flying, more fluid, with flying feeling sort of stilted in comparison. I never really got used to it.
It was still a great game despite that, though. The gameplay was the best it could be, and it seemed inevitable that expansion of this formula would be the way to go. That we’d see a new game some time in the future. 2014 to 2017 passed with nothing regarding any kind of Sonic racer. Then, the rumours started in 2018, based on several leaks. A tease happened in March that all but confirmed a new racing game was in development – which also got me to concept an idea for such.
Again, leaks meant we now had the full story – with the game being confirmed as Team Sonic Racing. Sega then confirmed its existence, with it also appearing at E3 the same year. It wasn’t meant to be part of the All-Stars series, but with returning tracks and the same control systems in place, it felt it in all but name.
With Wisps being used as items and a team mechanic in place, this racing game felt like it belonged in Sonic’s world. Could have done without the story being nothing but an excuse to take us on a world tour of all the tracks. And that’s only one reason this felt like a half-hearted effort.
Sure, focus had been put to the team mechanics, which were fun to use. The whole game still had the same charm to it that the other two games had. But some decisions just didn’t feel right. There’s a whole history of level themes and locations to be working with, yet the most we get are seven – with three tracks per theme. And with three of those themes returning from the first game, it felt even more lacking in variety.
Even the characters felt safe choices. There might have been fifteen of them, with most of the Heroes Majority being here, but those missing were felt. Stripping Vector away from the rest of his team has always felt odd – especially when the reasonings for such are always so feeble. Cream has always been neglected since she had a significant role in the games, but the same could be said of Big – yet he’s here (if only because of his meme-worthy status).
The numbers should have been increased. There should have been a lot more representation for the series in general. And so – despite the gameplay still being as good as it was, it was always destined to fall to insignificance. Those who have played it certainly enjoyed it, but there was nothing special about it. Sumo Digital tried something new with the team mechanics, and they worked. But no-one was willing to give them a chance – especially if you compare it to what released a month later (CTR: Nitro-Fueled) or even going back to 2017 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe).
The legacy of Sonic racers still holds weight, though. Some might see it as the series can’t sell without the rest of the Sega representation, but that’s not the case. Team Sonic Racing failed because it went against what the series is known for. Celebrating the history of its focus. Now, with interest in the franchise higher than ever thanks to the movie, upcoming TV series and sequel to the movie, along with a game that looks to be reinventing the formula, it would be wise to give a Sonic-focused racer another go. But this time, don’t forget what made the All-Stars games popular in the first place.
It could even be possible to attach the rest of the Sega cast into the team mechanics brought about by Team Sonic Racing. If Sega is serious about revisiting its back catalogue of games, a racing game that doubles down on their history would be a great way of introducing newcomers to it.
Images Taken From:
–Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Steam Store Page
–Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed Steam Store Page
–Team Sonic Racing Steam Store Page
