Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing review (Wii)

The two main single-player modes are Grand Prix and Mission. Grand Prix comprises six different cups with four tracks each, and you test your mettle against seven computer-controlled opponents. Beginner difficulty is easy enough, but advanced and expert pose a much stiffer challenge. The computer is without mercy, so expect to be peppered by items, shoved off cliffs, and given the sort of respect usually reserved for the likes of Shadow. Mission mode is objective based and has you striving to complete bite-sized tasks. Being asked to perform a certain number of boosts within a lap or collect coins as quickly as possible isn't too difficult, but to really prove your worth as an all-star racer, you'll have to earn a triple-A rating. This takes a bit of practice, and getting top marks in the more than 60 missions can take a fair amount of time. It's just a shame you have to play through these modes by your lonesome. There is no way to team up cooperatively with a buddy, which is a disappointment because previous kart racers have let you take on the uncaring computer with your best friend in tow.

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Thankfully, there are enough competitive modes to almost make up for the lack of co-op play. Online, you're restricted to just racing, but because that is the best element of All-Stars Racing, it doesn't feel too limiting. Eight players can compete at one time, and you have the option to allow computer drivers or banish them from the track. Toggling items or rubberbanding on or off is also an option, so you can keep things hectic or make sure that skill is the sole determining factor. Sadly, there is no way to set up a Grand Prix of your own, so you're stuck with a series of one-off matches. The four-player split-screen mode works in much the same way, and in addition to races it supports a number of different battle modes. There is King of the Hill, Capture the Chao, and a few others, but they aren't all that fun. The items lack impact, so these modes feel like minor diversions rather than something meaty. All-Stars Racing is at its best when you're striving for the checkered flag, and the competitive races do a great job of bringing this excitement to the forefront.

The final piece that ties this great experience together is the impressive visuals. The courses are jam packed with details, some of which you're unlikely to notice until you've raced them many times. The Samba De Amigo levels are overflowing with chaotic images. Cardboard-cutout suns smile down at the player, wooden kiosks line the track, and every inch is bursting with vibrant colors. Every course follows a similar mindset, packing the environment with so many little touches and nostalgic imagery that longtime Sega fans will swoon with delight. All of this detail does hinder the frame rate a bit, though. During particularly hectic sections, the game will stutter at times, though it's not enough to ruin your chance at victory. This is more noticeable on the PlayStation 3, especially online, but it ultimately isn't a huge deal. The game usually runs smoothly despite having so many elements burst off the screen, and the fancy graphics do a fine job of tying this entire package together.

Although the core of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is obviously pulled straight out of Mario Kart, this wacky racer can stand on its own four wheels. The tight controls and excellent track design ensure that head-to-head competition is always exciting, but it's so fun just to play around with these karts that it's easy to lose hours climbing the online leaderboards in Time Trial mode. All-Star Racing may not push the genre forward in any meaningful way, but it builds so well on established themes that it doesn't even matter.