Sonic Riders
Encyclopedia
is a video game spin-off produced by Sega and developed by Sonic Team
in cooperation with NowPro, for the Nintendo GameCube
, PlayStation 2
, Xbox
and PC
. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift
, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R
.
The game was released to start off the 15th anniversary
of the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. For a short while, the Microsoft Xbox
version of the game was released with a free Sonic X
DVD. This game introduces five new playable characters, the Babylon Rogues and the E-10000 series. A sequel to Sonic Riders, entitled Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
, was released in 2008 for the Wii
and PlayStation 2
and then Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect. This was the last Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Nintendo GameCube
and Microsoft Xbox
worldwide, and the last Sonic the Hedgehog game released for PS2
in Japan. Work on this game began in 2000
A key component of the game is the air tank, displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Air serves as the fuel for Extreme Gear, and is depleted gradually as the race goes on. and by certain maneuvers. These include cornering, allowing the player to round sharp turns with ease, and building tension before a jump, which involves using the air to propel the player higher off of ramps. If a player runs out of air, their character will start running, putting them at several disadvantages; they can't boost, attack, corner easily or use charged jumps. After going off ramps, players can perform various tricks, which refill the air gauge according to their rating.
In the Story Mode, players take part in consecutive races, one after the other, based on the storyline, in order to defeat the Babylon Rogues and win the Grand Prix.
As of January 2009, Game Rankings
ranks Sonic Riders as 63.1% for the GameCube
, 59.7% for the PlayStation 2
, 59.0% for the Xbox
, and 43.3% for the PC
.
, was released in 2008 for the Wii and PlayStation 2. A third title, Sonic Free Riders
, developed by O-Two, is a launch title for Xbox 360
's Kinect peripheral which was released on November 4, 2010.
. The Babylon Rogues make appearences with their Extream Gear and Airship in Sonic Universe
issues 23 and 24. They also have an arc in Sonic Universe issues 33 - 36.
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
in cooperation with NowPro, for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift
Sonic Drift
The Sonic Drift games were a series of two racing games that featured characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released for the Sega Game Gear in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and later re-released many years later in several other compilations.-Sonic Drift:Sonic Drift is a kart racing...
, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R
Sonic R
Sonic R is a racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn and PC, the latter version being ported to the GameCube and the PlayStation 2 in Sonic Gems Collection. It features characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
.
The game was released to start off the 15th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. For a short while, the Microsoft Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
version of the game was released with a free Sonic X
Sonic X
is an anime series based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. It was produced in Japan by TMS Entertainment with the partnership of Sega and was created by Sonic Team and Sonic Project. In the United States, 4Kids currently owns and manages copyright and branding of the series.- Series 1 ...
DVD. This game introduces five new playable characters, the Babylon Rogues and the E-10000 series. A sequel to Sonic Riders, entitled Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity released in Japan as , is a hoverboard racing video game published by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders...
, was released in 2008 for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and then Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect. This was the last Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and Microsoft Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
worldwide, and the last Sonic the Hedgehog game released for PS2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
in Japan. Work on this game began in 2000
2000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
Plot
This game splits the story into two halves, the Heroes Story (Team Sonic), and the Babylon Story (Babylon Rogues). all of the stories start differently, and eventually overlap. Both stories are only told from the point of view of the specified characters and Omochao. The Babylon Story also includes an epilogue.Heroes
While tracking a Chaos Emerald one night, Team Sonic realizes that the Emerald was stolen by a group of thieves called the Babylon Rogues. After Knuckles punches Storm off his board, Sonic takes it and chases Jet, but he escapes. The next day, Team Sonic sees Eggman on a digital billboard, adverising for the World Grand Prix. When Sonic realizes that the entrants are the Rogues, Team Sonic enters as well. Race after race, Team Sonic continues to defeat their opponents. However, during the final race, Wave activates a bomb she planted on Sonic's board, allowing Jet to win the World Grand Prix and the Chaos Emeralds. Using their power, Jet manages to make Babylon Garden appear. Eggman then takes the cube Jet used and flies to Babylon Garden, with Amy grabbing onto Eggman's ship at the last minute. Team Sonic heads to Babylon Garden as well, when Tails gives Sonic a new board to catch Eggman. Unfortunately, Jet wants to defeat Eggman first, and challenges Sonic to a race. After Sonic wins, both teams find Eggman, who is holding Amy hostage. Combining their powers, Jet and Sonic manage to retrieve the cube and Amy. After Team Babylon leaves, Amy gets mad at Sonic and chases him with her hammer.Babylon
One day, Jet is doing nothing in his ship, when Storm announces that there's a visitor, who is Eggman. Eggman knows that Jet has the key to Babylon Garden, and tells him that he needs the Chaos Emeralds to make Babylon Garden rise. After stealing an Emerald, the Rogues enter the World Grand Prix to get the other Emeralds. Prior to the second race, Wave goes over to Team Sonic and Amy, where she makes fun of Tails's work, implanting a bomb in the process. Following Storm's loss to Knuckles, Jet orders him to infiltrate Eggman's factory, and he returns with Eggman's electronic diary, which speaks of a legendary treasure that was made by the Babylonians, which let a boy conquer the world. Seeing the value in this, Jet defeats Sonic in the final race (due to Wave's bomb), follows Eggman to Babylon Garden after he steals the cube. While Jet and Sonic are racing, Wave, Storm, Knuckles, and Tails meet again in Babylon Garden. However, Eggman's robots start chasing them, forcing them to flee. After Eggman is defeated and the cube is given back to Jet, they proceed to open a secret door using the cube, which leads them to a strange room. When Team Sonic hears a loud growling, they proceed to follow, finding the Rogues and the Babylon Guardian. After defeating the Guardian, a chest appears, and Sonic and Jet open it, revealing a carpet. Unfortunately, Eggman followed them in as well, and forces Sonic and Jet to give him the treasure. When they give Eggman the carpet, he is uttely confused, under the belief that the Babylon treasure was an item of great power, and he passes out. Under closer inspection, the carpet is actually an EX Gear, and using the cube, it starts flying, hence the name "Magic Carpet". After this, Team Sonic and the Babylon Rogues depart and go their own ways.Gameplay
The game is played in its entirety using hover boards, which function largely like skateboards. Players must race seven other competitors on a total of 16 tracks, 9 of which must be unlocked through progress in the story mode, and two of which must be unlocked by winning Gold in each World Grand Prix (5 tracks per Grand Prix). Each individual character has different statistics, altering their performance slightly in races.A key component of the game is the air tank, displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Air serves as the fuel for Extreme Gear, and is depleted gradually as the race goes on. and by certain maneuvers. These include cornering, allowing the player to round sharp turns with ease, and building tension before a jump, which involves using the air to propel the player higher off of ramps. If a player runs out of air, their character will start running, putting them at several disadvantages; they can't boost, attack, corner easily or use charged jumps. After going off ramps, players can perform various tricks, which refill the air gauge according to their rating.
In the Story Mode, players take part in consecutive races, one after the other, based on the storyline, in order to defeat the Babylon Rogues and win the Grand Prix.
Reception
Sonic Riders had mixed to positive reviews:- Nintendo PowerNintendo PowerNintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
: 8.0/10 - GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
: 6.6/10 - GamesmasterGamesMasterGamesMaster was a British television show, screened on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998, and was the first ever UK television show dedicated to computer and video games.-Origins:...
: 65% - IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
: 6.2/10 - GamesRadarGamesRadarGamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
: 5/10 - X-PlayX-PlayX-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
: 3/5 - Game InformerGame InformerGame Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
: 5/10
As of January 2009, Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
ranks Sonic Riders as 63.1% for the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, 59.7% for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, 59.0% for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and 43.3% for the PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Sequels
A sequel to Sonic Riders, entitled Sonic Riders: Zero GravitySonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity released in Japan as , is a hoverboard racing video game published by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders...
, was released in 2008 for the Wii and PlayStation 2. A third title, Sonic Free Riders
Sonic Free Riders
is a motion controlled racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the third installment in the Sonic Riders series, following Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. The game utilizes Microsoft's Kinect peripheral...
, developed by O-Two, is a launch title for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Kinect peripheral which was released on November 4, 2010.
Archie comics adaptation
The Archie Sonic Comic issues #163 and #164 include a loose adaptation of Sonic Riders, even using the same art style used in the game's title sequence. Two characters are also seen riding Extreme Gear in issue #173. Bark the Polar Bear and Bean the Dynamite also use Extreme Gear in the Archie ComicsArchie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. The Babylon Rogues make appearences with their Extream Gear and Airship in Sonic Universe
Sonic Universe
Sonic Universe is a comic book series set within Archie Comics's Sonic the Hedgehog continuity, designed to expand the horizon of that fictional universe. Sonic Universe deals with various characters throughout the fictional universe, including Shadow the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna and many more...
issues 23 and 24. They also have an arc in Sonic Universe issues 33 - 36.