What was once a great and respectable franchise has now become a dumping ground for half-baked games. Sonic Riders straps the world-famous, sonic-booming hedgehog onto a hoverboard in the hopes of creating a blow-your-hair-back, thrill-a-minute mix of Mario Kart and snowboarding trickster SSX. It's fast all right. And loud, too. But everything else that matters (control, course layout, decent multiplayer ... you name it) comes up dead last.
The various hoverboards, or "Extreme Gear," ...
The game that's otherwise known as 'Sonic Air Ride'. No, wait - come back!
Feb 23, 2006
Three dreaded words pop into your head the first time you see Sonic Riders in action: 'Kirby', 'Air' and 'Ride'.
Characters ride around on floating surfboards without an accelerate button, there are twisty-turny tracks and auto-guiding rails, and even the cornering technique (hold, skid aaand boost) is reminiscent of that certain Nintendo game.
Thankfully, that's where the similarities end. Sonic Riders is a fun, hair-rustling rollercoaster of a racer, where things happen so fast that your ...
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Sonic goes Tony Hawk(ish) in this hyper-real boarder
Feb 22, 2006
It's hard to believe it took until March of 2006 for Sega to strap Sonic's feet to a plank and point him downhill. Everyone from Final Fantasy VII's Cloud to Solid Snake have already geared up for some video grinding over the years. It's not exactly skateboarding or snowboarding, but Sonic Riders is close enough. You'll choose one of 16 characters and guide them down a mountain, through a steamy jungle or into a machinated wasteland while busting tricks and staying ahead of the pack. These ...
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ESRB Rating
Sonic Riders is rated: Everyone
Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief