I only rented the game and will probably buy when the price drops, but it is a great racing game. I really didn't see any flaws. I think the only thing I would have really liked to of seen is some customization in the vehicles.

Being able to use your XBOX Live avatar is pretty cool, but you don't get to choose what vehicle to drive. It would be nice to either be able to customize or upgrade the vehicles or at least have more than one to choose from for each character.

It's very fun for what it is though.

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When I first saw Sonic and Sega All Star Racing I was excited and skeptical. Excited to finally having a cart racer on the 360, but skeptical about the Sonic and Sega in the title.Over the last few years Sega has turned out some less then admirable games featuring their iconic star. Fortunately for me and many others it seems like they took their heads out of their asses and put out a very good cart racer.

Presentation

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing doesn't shy away from Mario Kart instead it took what Mario Kart does well and built on that formula. Even the power ups one gets as they race around the track have direct similarities to Mario Kart. The red homing shell is replaced by red homing rockets, the green shells are green boxing gloves even the mushroom speed bursts are replaced by Sonic shoes.

The player is also given a great deal of variety with 20 playable racers and 24 tracks (21 and 25 with the new DLC). Besides the variety of players and tracks there are multiple game modes. In single player you have the typical Grand Prix in which the racer enters into the racing circuit winning a series of races to complete the cups. There is mission mode where the player must complete challenges or specific tasks: one example is drifting as much as possible around a track in a minute's time. Earning an "A" Rating or higher will unlock the next mission. They are great fun when you are not up to entering into a full race.

The multiplayer is a joy and also disappoints. There are a plethora of options and game modes to choose from in the multiplayer. You have racing which includes 4 person split screen and competing over live. There are also several battle modes: Regular "death match" battle mode where you compete against your opponent and try to knock them out using the games power ups and then there are King of the Hill, Diamond Grab, and a twist on the racing called knockout. I found all of the modes enjoyable, but the one issue I have with the Arena is the lack of maps. While the racing boasts 24 tracks the battle mode only has three, I assume that more will be released in the form of DLC.

Game Play

What makes the game great and a hell of a lot of fun to play is the game play itself. The controls are very tight and responsive which allows for anyone to easily pick up and play. In fact my four year old has no problem playing and winning races. The tracks are superior to any in the cart racer genre. They are well design and are different enough to make you feel like you are playing twenty four different tracks.

What really separates Sonic and Sega All Star Racing is the all-star moves. When a player falls behind they have a chance to pick up an all star in one of the item boxes which gives the player super speed and the ability to knockout any player in their way. Banjo and Kazooie whip out Mungo's wrench and begin to have "jiggys" fall from the sky. It a great part of the game and keeps the player who falls behind in the race. What the game doesn't have is the hail storm of blue turtle shells the leaders normally get in Mario Kart. If you get the lead you still have to play defensive, but you don't have to worry about a player in 6th place knocking you out to allow the player trailing you to take the lead.

Intangibles

While most racers/Cart games require a player to win certain races and cups in order to unlock the extra characters and tracks Sonic's racing game take a different approach. Every race, mission, and battle game gives the player "Sega Miles" which can be redeemed as cash to "buy" the characters and tracks in any order you chose. So if there is a certain track you want to race right away...just earn enough "Sega Miles" and it will be yours. What I did find interesting was for 400 Microsoft points you could unlock all the characters and tracks right off the bat. A great feature for some, but I preferred "earning" my unlockables.

Final Verdict

Buy...this game is loads of fun especially any variation of the multiplayer. There is enough variety and great controls to keep you coming back for more. For me nothing was more fun then trailing behind as Big Cat getting the All Star and hopping my way to the lead only to be overtaken by Beat. For cart racers who don't have a Wii you will not find a better game version.

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My husband wasn't a big videogamer until I got him hooked on Mario Kart a few months ago. Then he began wondering if there were any similar games out there he could play, that involved cartoony characters and neat, varied courses with big jumps.

After searching high and low (and trying some pretty lame games) I finally bought Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and it is a blast!! The thing he likes most about it, besides the fun of the racing, is the fact that you don't have to win cups to unlock characters and other courses. You rack up what are called Sega Miles, and you get those by playing anything, even time trials. You buy new courses, characters, and music with the Sega Miles.

There are several modes of play. There are the standard cup races, of course, and then there are time trials. There is also a single-race option, where you only race one race, and if you win you get a ton of miles. Also, there is a challenge mode where you have different goals to accomplish to move on to the next challenge. And there are multiplayer options as well but since we only have one controller I haven't tested those out.

The characters are fun, the vehicles very different and neat, and the courses are a blast. It is easy to steer and use the power-ups, and the music is peppy. My husband still prefers Mario Kart, but he ranks this game a very close second. Highly recommended!!

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This is a really fun game. It has it all; nice graphics, tight controls, well designed tracks, tons of characters with unique all star moves, various multiplayer modes and online play.

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SEGA and All Stars Racing is your regular Kart game, unlike Mario Kart, ASR (All Star Racing) has SEGA characters on them, with beautiful graphics and most importantly EASY to pick up and play.

Best Kart racing on Teh 360, PS3 and PC

XBOX360 version has Banjo Kazooie, exclusive.

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Since we got the Wii a year ago, we had Mario Kart from day one and love it! It was probably the premier karting game, so it is nearly impossible to describe this game without comparing the two. I also have not tried the Wii version of the game, but considered buying it.

We got an Xbox for Christmas and the trailer for Sonic & SEGA Racing looked pretty fun, but I was torn over getting it for the Wii or Xbox, so I downloaded the demo on Xbox Live and tried it out. My kids loved it, so I decided to get the game for Xbox so that we can race in Hi-Def and play against friends over Xbox Live as well.

First of all, the real game is WAY better than the demo! SEGA could have sold more with a better demo, in my opinion. Why is it more fun than Mario Kart Wii? Well, I think the racing action is a little easier on the Xbox controller than the Wii-mote. Additionally, each character has their own unique abilities and "All Star" moves, which are hilarious for some of the characters, such as AIAI the monkey! The Bonanza Bros. also perform silly antics throughout each race, which made for lots of laughter from everyone in our house. :-D Some characters are clearly better than others, which is a shift from the "one size fits all" or "win with anyone" gameplay in Mario Kart.

One of the best differences is how you earn new tracks and racers. As you race, you earn "SEGA miles" points, and I believe you earn more points per race if you have more players in multi-play. With the SEGA miles, you purchase new tracks or racers. This is a HUGE improvement over Mario Kart, where you had to unlock everything in single-player mode to be able to race with them in multi-player mode! That process took hours for one player, and if the license got accidentally erased by a kid, those hours were lost forever. With SEGA miles, everyone can keep racing and you have the freedom to choose new tracks and characters as you wish!

You can also choose the number of laps per race, rather than the standard 3. My 10-year-old said that more laps = more SEGA miles. Another fun thing is that being in 1st place on the last lap does NOT put a bullseye on you, with the unrelenting barrage of "blue shells" (missiles, bombs, boxing gloves in Sonic) like in Mario Kart.

Pros:

- Unique characters with their own special All Star moves and fun vehicles

- Ability to "unlock" new characters and tracks in multi-player mode

- Some characters are very silly and/or have silly antics which boosts the fun factor of the game :-)

- Improved steering control while drifting (over Mario Kart) = longer drifts and bigger speed boosts

- Items on the track are dispersed evenly--no last lap onslaught against 1st place = fair racing throughout

- Xbox version is Hi-Def with the ability to race friends on Xbox Live or as your avatar

Cons:

- Some tracks have a really bright racing surface, which kind of hurts to look at sometimes

- Some "haunted" tracks such as Curien Mansion, Deadly Route, have zombies walking around (nothing gross or gruesome, just creepy), which bothered my younger racers; this can easily be avoided by not racing those tracks

- When you cross the finish line, you don't know what place you got until everyone finishes and it shows the final results

- No track maps while racing, just a timeline in the center of the split-screen which shows your position relative to the whole race and other racers

All in all, very fun!

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This is one of the most exciting, fun, tantalizing games that I have played in a long time. Great action, great technology and great quality.

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If you keep up on video games at all, the words: "Sonic all star racing" immediately strike dread, fear, sadness, frustration, or disappointment in your heart. How many Sonic games have promised to bring the blu blur back to his former glory but failed utterly? Racing games in particularly have been hard for Sonic to nail (ironic,isn't it?) with the last two "Sonic Riders" being tolerable but still providing enough frustration and disappointment to be worthwhile entries in the Sonic Hall of Infamy.

Apparently, Sonic needs some outside help.

Enter Sonic All star racing. Arguably the best kart-racer since Mario Kart Double Dash.

-Smooth, precise, controls? Check

-Plenty of variety ins racers? Check (with the exception of Big)

-awesomely cool, zany race tracks? Check (almost too much so)

-crazy cool unique catch up moves? check

-local four player mode? check

-Easy to learn? check

-plenty of depth for masters? check

-no insane requirements for unlockables? check

-sweet soundtrack? check

-cool, useful items? check

-FAIR, EVEN, distribution of said items? Check and check

This game may merely be a mario kart clone, but honestly, what kart racer isn't? What matters is that this clone is nearly as good as the original with nearly no dis-functioning parts. There are some minor flaws: racers occasionally fall through the track. Big the Cat. Sonic still needs a vehicle to race.(maybe he's handicapping himself?)

All in all, if you want a great racing game to play with your kids (or your parents) you can't go wrong with Sonic All Star Racing.

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Story / Level Design:

The racers and stages are all from the Sega universe, not just Sonic's world. It's not an evenly weighted ratio with more Sonic levels available than others. It makes sense since the typical gamer is only really familiar with the blue needle mouse.

The tracks are brilliant. The stage designs feel like F-Zero / Wipeout meshed with a high definition coloring book wrapped in familiar surroundings.

Controls:

The 360's controls are sharp and responsive. The button layout isn't in any way cumbersome or complicated to master.

RT = gas

LT = drift

A = weapon drop

Drift through corners to build boost. When airborne, LT again to do tricks.

Gameplay:

The game engine isn't something completely revolutionary ... it's an updated Mario Kart. Much like the plumber's clones (Crash Team Racing, Diddy Kong Racing, NASCAR Kart Racing, etc), there are power-ups (missiles, stationary bombs, screen distorters), track shortcuts, and ground boosts / obstacles.

Where this game differs from the past is in something completely unheard of ... fairness. When in the lead, you're given the opportunity to really drill the competition. NO flood of blue shells during lap 3. There are no triple heat seeking red shell combos. There is no CPU assault of power-ups to lessen your lead. No matter when in first or last, you have the same opportunity to play.

Final thoughts:

As of today, this game is the undisputed king of racing games. The graphics, gameplay, and overall presentation is spectacular. I tried to not make so many comparisons to Mario Kart Wii, but it's hard not to. This game smokes Nintendo's offering. This game is what people want, a kart racer that feels familiar but is presented in 2010 gaming standards.

Again, this review is for the 360 version. I'm sure the Wii will try to incorporate some goofy Wiimote motion controls with washed out graphics, so don't apply these comments to that version.

With the PS3's exclusive ModNation Racers due sometime this year, Sega's Kart offering might not stay king for long, but it's definitely worth a play. If you enjoy Mario Kart Wii, this is a must play. If you hated Mario Kart Wii because of its flaws, Sonic Racing feels redeeming.

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This is my five year old son's favorite game, by far. The game is challenging enough for him in beginner mode yet he still wins many races. Winning races is a BIG deal for him! The unlocks are frequent and he's completing new achievements every day.

The game is tons of fun. Highly recommended.

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i usally dont like racing games but this one pulled me in. its soo much fun, i love the tracks there so detailed.the characters are cool .some i never even heard of but theres a lot of them. this game has a lot to offer,and once you beat it you can jus play the tracks with your friends. i deffintly recommend this game especialy people who like racing games.

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Finally there is a game that can compete head to head with Mario Kart as a fun mascot racing game. Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing is a fun racing game that anyone can pick up and play right away. There is a very good selection of racers at the start as well as many unlockable ones which provides an incentive to keep playing. Despite being easy to jump right into, it can also provide a challenge on the higher difficulties. The game contains a fun and interesting selection of tracks based on various Sega franchises, with Sonic being the most represented.

There are also a good selection of game modes. The usual cup races which gives points based on which place you finish in each of four races, with the highest total being the winner is the standard. It also includes Time Trial, Single Race, Multi-player modes of most of the other modes, and a Mission mode which gives you a unique task to do on the various courses. There is a lot to play here.

If you like racing games with weapons and powerups I would recommend this game.

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-Fun and challenging achievements

-High number of achievements to obtain incrementally

-High replay value

-Good multi-player

-High speed thrills

-Rich art/graphics

-Tight controls

-Fair racing system

-Lots of characters

-Lots of tracks and missions

-Successful themes

-Good music tracks

-Excellently developed

-Intense

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Kart racing is a niche that's been woefully void on the Xbox 360, so I'm thrilled this game (whose name is way to long to repeat here) has arrived and does nearly everything right. I've been looking for a fun racer for my kids (3 and 4 years old) for several months, and this is the only one I've found that fits the bill. It's a blatant knockoff of Mario Kart, but that's exactly what we've needed for the 360. It's easy enough that my kids can play without my help, and fun enough that my wife and I want to play it with them (and then for a few hours after they've gone to bed)!

Pros (especially for kids):

* The tracks are fun and varied.

* 4 player split screen is fun for the whole family.

* The menus are very visual and easy to navigate for kids who can't read.

* The controls are easy to use.

* If a racer gets stuck, they're reset to middle of the track already moving. This is so nice for my 3-year-old!

* After any player crosses the finish line, the race ends in 30 seconds. Brilliant because my older son doesn't end up waiting for 25 minutes for the younger one to finish the race like on other games we've tried.

Cons:

* This game freezes up pretty frequently, requiring a restart of the Xbox. Totally unacceptable, and the reason I'm docking a star. I use the Xbox a lot, and I never see other games crash like this.

* The framerate is a little low on some tracks. It's a small complaint, and certainly still playable, but it's annoying nonetheless.

* You have to pay $5 through XBox live to unlock all the tracks in multiplayer (if you don't have the patience to go through the whole single player campaign). I would prefer them all be unlocked in multiplayer by default, or let you choose to unlock them like in Rock Band.

Overall, with the exception of crashing and freezing up, this game has far exceeded my hopes for a family racing game on the 360. If you have kids, you won't regret this one.

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Purchased this game for my 6 year old son. He loves it. He likes all the characters and is full of happiness and laughter when playing.

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