A fresh spin-off on the classic racing genre, sometimes frustrating but full of spunk.
To say the least, I was pretty excited when I brought it home.
The concept of using surf-like boards on solid tracks without wheels ( for the most part) was an appealing spin-off the ever-popular kart-based racers.
The introductory cut was impressive and a welcome blast from the past, since, as far as I can tell, Sonic CD was the last Sonic themed game to sport cell-animated cuts. The main menu was plain and straight forward though the continual re-routing to the 'press start' screen was a little agitating after a while of exploring all the options. The overall use of bright colour sets the cheerful tone that dominates all Sonic games. Not finding any tutorials (not until after the many hours of trudging through story mode, finding it hidden in the theatre extras option) to help clarify the manual's rather obscure playing tips, I dove into story mode. The opening cinematic was lavish and technically impressive; however, the terrible voice-overs and off lip-syncing made me cringe. Never before had the blue-blur been bestowed with such a horrible voice-actor, and Jet's was even worse, grating on the nerves like nails on chalkboard.
To say the least, I was happy for the game to finally start. Running for the starting line proved to be a problem for the first few attempts, with the blinding brightness of the first track obscuring the electric barrier. The first track, in my opinion, was not made for beginners at all. The constant threat of becoming road-kill while still trying to get a hang for the viscous controls was a little daunting.
Next up, the in-game cuts were well done, though longer than needed. The story was interesting and kept me from quitting out of frustration of what currently seemed like impossible goals. The sound effects were straight out of the SA package and the background music fit well with the various tracks.
Learning the basics was fairly easy, while getting a grip on the type specials took a little more practice. The trick system, after much experimentation, is surprisingly basic, the overall score rewarded being based on the number of tricks are performed and in what combination.
Mission mode was a welcome spin on the original 'get in first place' theme, and helped immensely in building game play skills. Grand Prix is a classic addition though it may just be me, but the characters seem a lot more aggressive than in the other modes. Accumulating rings for the shop takes a while and generally not worth the time, since the gear you start off with, aside from the unlockable bike, are the best suited for the racers to begin with. The varied modes of 'normal', 'tag', and 'survival' racing are nice ways to vent any rapidly mounting frustration; the best part being that they're all one player enabled, something that was sorely lacking in SA 2 and Heroes, limiting the player to only the story levels. Camera angles are not as much as a hindrance as before, though the ingame signal instructions quickly prove to be angering visual obstacles, often blocking out what it is you should be looking out for (such as the 45 degree turns). The 'start' signal can sometimes obstruct any immediate obstacles in tracks like White Forest. The minimal use of in-game character voice thankfully reduces exposure to the poor voice acting, though unfortunately the player cannot escape the irritating OmoChao announcer except in Grand Prix and Free Race.
All in all, Sonic Riders is a notable attempt to make Sonic the literal racer he is and is varied enough to keep players of all ages busy. This is a must for any Sonic fanatic.