SONIC & ALL-STARS RACING TRANSFORMED

Two years ago, Sonic the Hedgehog had ventured on the side of crazy races with bonuses galore, in the line of a plumber. Too uninspired to be convincing, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is not sufficiently exploited the Sega universe and relied too heavily on the Sonic franchise. Now on 3DS, this suite can it claim to be better on a console that has eyes for Mario Kart 7?

3DS version: Unfortunately, the good vibes of living versions did not spread to the 3DS. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a port with a trowel, those who disgust you from the first race. It's simple, the frame rate is so much to pick and dull colors so that the original game becomes unrecognizable, who was so brilliant joystick in hand. The result is obviously worse on 3DS XL, because the characters pixellisent more beautiful on the screen. But Sega had the desire to offer a close experience of other versions, with the same range of races, the same career mode to unlock additional characters by gleaning medals, not to mention an online option to find other partners play The arcade driving totally holds up with drifts and persistent IA, and you can still count on the exclusive circuit (Outrun Bay), the presence of Metal Sonic and StreetPass option to exchange the best times with ghosts. Damage to crust for a dark history of technology.


LESS BUT MORE

How to launch a brand new franchise that has missed his departure? After a pit stop, Sonic has thought and seems to have found a partial answer: the transformation. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed indeed has the distinction of offering convertible vehicles, capable of moving the car to the boat or airplane in a wink. If some thought to see a blatant plagiarism of Mario Kart 7, joystick in hand, it is not. Indeed, the title of Sega goes further and offers gameplay and a truly different feel for the three means of locomotion, where he played more Nintendo map gimmick. As for feelings, it is actually closer to a Diddy Kong Racing.

But in practice, no races dedicated solely to the plane or boat: each course alternates segments dedicated to one type of vehicle. The transition from one to the other, marked with a big blue arc of a circle, is fluidly. Better still, the circuits evolve As the race, and they can sometimes make a drive and repeat the same plane, and discovering new passages, but also new challenges. Sonic Racing Transformed performs a true staging of these developments, and the first of the race in general the chance to discover the causes: a bridge collapses, the arrival of a hostile fleet, a raging monster opens new paths ... Nice way to justify the use of different vehicles.


I WAS SPECTACULÉ!

The showmanship was already present in Sonic Racing Transformed exploits but thoroughly. As in the first episode, the flow is not optimal but the result is still very pleasing to the eye, with environments teeming with detail and animation. And especially among the twenty circuits, it is this time of the variety and only Sonic the environment: Golden Axe, Panzer Dragoon, After Burner, Skies of Arcadia ... Note however that four courses are recycled from the previous episode. Like the Sonic levels, different races have many different ways. Side track, it has taken a huge step between the two episodes. Twenty course, it's still not much, but as the towers do not always look the same, it awakens interest.

There are of course most of the drivers of the first episode, although many of them are unfortunately gone by the wayside (farewell Banjo, Ryo Hazuki, the Chu chu, Opa -Opa, guys Virtua Fighter ...). Of course, newcomers arrive: the title eg Nights welcomes the eponymous game, Gilius Golden Axe, Vyse from Skies of Arcadia, Joe Musashi from Shinobi, but Danica Patrick, driver that comes from our "real" world and modeled for the occasion, or Ralph, the video game hero hitherto fictitious the next Disney. In total, no less than 23 characters with whom you can play, which is not much more than in Sonic Racing, but this time they are ten on the track. Well, sure, we would certainly want a larger rather than replacements and characters to limit the duplicate cast, but the choice is already extensive.


I'VE GOT A FEELING

We can say that Sonic Racing Transformed be redeemed is one. If the three means of locomotion prove handy and each have a different approach (grip, cornering speed ...), we also note that driving is less automated than in Sonic Racing goodbye, strange that we collisions remettaient squarely in the right way. To quibble, one might say that it lacks still sometimes a little pep under the hood. If we find the same classic but effective system skids and figures for turbos and the usual items. If representation is a most original hair in the previous episode, the effects have nothing transcendent, and even bonus "all-star" has lost some of its luster.

Sonic Racing Transformed manages to make a little personal touch away somewhat from the hallowed Grand Prix mode (although it is still present) with a main mode consists of 'tests. Specifically, players are invited to unlock game content gleaning stars in different missions, each with three levels of difficulty. If we can pester a little against its linearity, this mode is still well designed and really allows us to experience the game from all angles. It also helps to gain experience for the drivers to unlock mods altering their statistics. What a clever way to overcome the impossibility of separating a driver his favorite vehicle!


THE HOUSE OF THE FUN

Obviously, next to the career mode and prize mode, there is the never-ending race against the clock, as well as the different modes designed for multiplayer who like to fight in arenas locally or online. We will say yes, to many, it will still be shopping, more inventive, hold our attention. The final impression is still that of a game that has learned from its mistakes, despite the flaws that remain entrenched as the loading time really breadsticks or frame rate still too low compared to our requirements . But the effort is there, and they have borne fruit.