(This is an old review that I happened to salvage. And I still agree with most of it. Will say I've gotten slightly tired of it, but I can always pop it in for a good time. Also, I forgot to mention that the game teaches you jack in the nitpicks section.)
PLATFORM: PlayStation 3 via backwards compatibility on a modded Slim
GOAL: Clear both Story Mode campaigns
WARNING: This is one of my favorite games of all time. Gushing is imminent!
Ah... Sonic Riders... I can't believe I missed out on you for this long. Published in 2006 as part of Sonic's 15th anniversary, it's a new type of racing game, headlined by the Extreme Gear. It ended up being not only the best part of the 15th anniversary, but upstaging pretty much every other Sonic game. Some may say Sonic 3, some may say Sonic Adventure 2, some may say Sonic Unleashed, but my heart is in this little racer.
MAKE THE WORLD
Without a doubt, the thing you'll notice first is that Sonic looks a little different here. Sonic Riders has some of the best aesthetics in a Sonic game, I swear to god. Everything has this sick mid-2000s aesthetic, and I am ALL for it. The new designs also look amazing, some of which I wish replaced the modern designs!
The visuals might not have aged well as some other Sonic games, but the audio sure has. The audio feels really immersive, and you can tell why a lot of these sound effects ended up in the modern games. Oh, and Omochao makes his first appearance in a 4Kids-voiced game as the announcer, and it's his best portrayal yet! Neat! Music also slaps. Just wanted to tell you.
IT JUST FLOATS
The Extreme Gear is the definitive tool for Sonic to race on. Sonic Riders takes the high-speed action of 3D Sonic and seamlessly converts it into a racing game with multiple playable characters, all with a single board. If it were like Sonic R, some characters would be horribly unbalanced (why is Amy in a car?), but Extreme Gear gets rid of this issue.
The controls of Riders take a while to get used to, but when you're in the groove, you feel powerful. You should probably look up a guide online or something if you need help, it'll be worth it! Managing to slip past the finish line at first place has never been so damn satisfying! Funnily in hindsight, some of these moves ended up making their way into the 3D Boost games!
NEW COMPETITION
Joining the franchise are the Babylon Rogue: Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross! I'm... not really good at character or story explanation, but I just like them anyway!
WORLD DOMINATION
The track designs go from fairly standard to downright brutal. Sand Ruins, Babylon Garden, and Dark Desert are soul-crushing, but getting past them feels almost legendary. I still struggle with that one turn... but that's okay! I love difficulty in level design!
THE BEST TECHNOLOGY
Sonic Riders runs like a dream. Even the PS2 version is at an acceptable framerate, which I just can't say about Sonic Heroes or Shadow the Hedgehog. And the game is so polished! Even Sonic games released today don't come close to the level of polish in Riders.
FINALLY, SOMETHING INTERESTING
The campaign takes a turn that's quite interesting for 3D Sonic.
HOLY SHIT THERE'S NO WEIRD ALTERNATE GAMEPLAY STYLES OR BLATANT PADDING THIS TIME HELL YEAH!!!!!
It's the closest to a Classic game a campaign will ever get. It's short, but sweet! I also loved the story, but like I said, I'm not exactly good at explaining things. The differing characteristics and varied track designs validate the Babylon Story taking place at the same time as the Heroes Story, I suppose.
THAT ONE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
What about Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed? Well, I see that as the best racer with Sonic, and Sonic Riders as the best Sonic racer. Transformed is great, but the cars are better left to crossovers.
Keep that in mind when I review Team Sonic Racing.
THE DIRT SUITS YOU WELL
Okay, Sonic Riders has some flaws. There's a lack of tracks, some characters are rather unbalanced (sorry Cream), and... uh... that's it!
THE NEXT RACE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
Play Sonic Riders DX. Trust me. It's the .5 stars this game was missing. It balances the game, making it more competitive, and adds some more trinkets. Also check out Sonic Riders: Tournament Edition!
EVEN WITHOUT WINGS, I CAN STILL FLY
I guess this mountain of gushing is finished, right? It probably would've been longer if I knew story analysis. Might make a new section for that later, who knows? Anyway, go learn Sonic Riders. Please. It's the best thing since sliced bread. You'll understand me more!
... Please?
PLATFORM: PlayStation 3 via backwards compatibility on a modded Slim
GOAL: Clear both Story Mode campaigns
WARNING: This is one of my favorite games of all time. Gushing is imminent!
Ah... Sonic Riders... I can't believe I missed out on you for this long. Published in 2006 as part of Sonic's 15th anniversary, it's a new type of racing game, headlined by the Extreme Gear. It ended up being not only the best part of the 15th anniversary, but upstaging pretty much every other Sonic game. Some may say Sonic 3, some may say Sonic Adventure 2, some may say Sonic Unleashed, but my heart is in this little racer.
MAKE THE WORLD
Without a doubt, the thing you'll notice first is that Sonic looks a little different here. Sonic Riders has some of the best aesthetics in a Sonic game, I swear to god. Everything has this sick mid-2000s aesthetic, and I am ALL for it. The new designs also look amazing, some of which I wish replaced the modern designs!
The visuals might not have aged well as some other Sonic games, but the audio sure has. The audio feels really immersive, and you can tell why a lot of these sound effects ended up in the modern games. Oh, and Omochao makes his first appearance in a 4Kids-voiced game as the announcer, and it's his best portrayal yet! Neat! Music also slaps. Just wanted to tell you.
IT JUST FLOATS
The Extreme Gear is the definitive tool for Sonic to race on. Sonic Riders takes the high-speed action of 3D Sonic and seamlessly converts it into a racing game with multiple playable characters, all with a single board. If it were like Sonic R, some characters would be horribly unbalanced (why is Amy in a car?), but Extreme Gear gets rid of this issue.
The controls of Riders take a while to get used to, but when you're in the groove, you feel powerful. You should probably look up a guide online or something if you need help, it'll be worth it! Managing to slip past the finish line at first place has never been so damn satisfying! Funnily in hindsight, some of these moves ended up making their way into the 3D Boost games!
NEW COMPETITION
Joining the franchise are the Babylon Rogue: Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross! I'm... not really good at character or story explanation, but I just like them anyway!
WORLD DOMINATION
The track designs go from fairly standard to downright brutal. Sand Ruins, Babylon Garden, and Dark Desert are soul-crushing, but getting past them feels almost legendary. I still struggle with that one turn... but that's okay! I love difficulty in level design!
THE BEST TECHNOLOGY
Sonic Riders runs like a dream. Even the PS2 version is at an acceptable framerate, which I just can't say about Sonic Heroes or Shadow the Hedgehog. And the game is so polished! Even Sonic games released today don't come close to the level of polish in Riders.
FINALLY, SOMETHING INTERESTING
The campaign takes a turn that's quite interesting for 3D Sonic.
HOLY SHIT THERE'S NO WEIRD ALTERNATE GAMEPLAY STYLES OR BLATANT PADDING THIS TIME HELL YEAH!!!!!
It's the closest to a Classic game a campaign will ever get. It's short, but sweet! I also loved the story, but like I said, I'm not exactly good at explaining things. The differing characteristics and varied track designs validate the Babylon Story taking place at the same time as the Heroes Story, I suppose.
THAT ONE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
What about Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed? Well, I see that as the best racer with Sonic, and Sonic Riders as the best Sonic racer. Transformed is great, but the cars are better left to crossovers.
Keep that in mind when I review Team Sonic Racing.
THE DIRT SUITS YOU WELL
Okay, Sonic Riders has some flaws. There's a lack of tracks, some characters are rather unbalanced (sorry Cream), and... uh... that's it!
THE NEXT RACE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
Play Sonic Riders DX. Trust me. It's the .5 stars this game was missing. It balances the game, making it more competitive, and adds some more trinkets. Also check out Sonic Riders: Tournament Edition!
EVEN WITHOUT WINGS, I CAN STILL FLY
I guess this mountain of gushing is finished, right? It probably would've been longer if I knew story analysis. Might make a new section for that later, who knows? Anyway, go learn Sonic Riders. Please. It's the best thing since sliced bread. You'll understand me more!
... Please?