Sonic R is a game that I've been trying to play for the longest of time, but only recently got to.

When I was a kid I had nowhere near enough cash to afford a Saturn and not enough smarts

to get an emulator working. Because of this I had a negative view on the game, just sort of

going off of what the general public's opinon was. But after finally getting to play it

I was pleasantly suprised as it turned out to be a lot of fun.

STORY

During their time off from adventuring Sonic and Tails find an advertisement for the "World Grand Prix".

While initially not interested, after seeing that Sonic's nemesis Dr Eggman will be taking part in the race

they speed off to participate. Little did they know - the doctor was spying on them the entire time using

a spy satellite! He knows the locations of the Chaos Emeralds which just so happen to be scattered across

the race tracks. He plans to beat Sonic while also collecting them to take over the world. Can Sonic

and his friends beat Eggman and his robotic creations and stop their plans?

GAMEPLAY

In this game despite (mainly) racing on foot, all characters control similar to how a car would.

This means that you accelerate using the 'B' button and turn using the D-PAD. The tracks are

designed around this having many twists and turns.

But running alone won't get you to the finish line in the number one spot, as there's plenty of

obstacles you have to jump around. Different characters have different ways of interacting

with the tracks. Some can fly over big chunks of the course, and others can mess with other

contestants by firing missles at them.

TRACKS

There's a lot of variety in the stage selection. From the pinball themed Radical City

to Eggman's ship dock in Reactive Factory. The tracks also have some set pieces

to help them stand out even more like the loop in Resort Island or

the shiny road of Radiant Emerald.

CHARACTERS

Sonic - Main dude, can double jump. Oddly enough I wouldn't recomend him for beginers, as

it can be a bit hard to control him when he reaches top speed.

Tails - Has good acceleration and turning as well as "flight". It's more of a short hover after

which he drops like a rock.

Knuckles - The GOAT!!! Best normal character in my opinion. His glide can let you skip big chunks of

tracks and he's got well rounded stats. Good pick for first time players.

Funny concidering his role in Sonic 3.

Amy - Good luck winning as her. She's got horrible speed, which she tries to make up with a boost

ability, but it still comes short. Would maybe make for a fun challange run to get all 1st places as her.

Eggman - Fast guy with probably the best handling out of the main cast. He's got a missle attack

that's meant to slow opponents down, but it moves too slow and never hits.

COLLECTABLE AND SECRET

The main collectables are the Chaos Emeralds. There's one or two hidden on

a stage and they're hidden behind Ring Gates, requiring a certain amount of rings to open.

Once all emeralds have been collected, Sonic will be able to transform into Super Sonic

by pressing down on the D-PAD. He's the fastest character in the game and can easily

come in first place most of the time. Be careful when playing against him!

The other collectable is the Sonic Coins. There's five of them in each level and after you

collect all of them while finishing in first place, you will enter a special race.

It's a one-on-one against one of Eggman's machines. If you can win, the robot you beat

will become playable!

UNLOCKABLE CHARACTERS

Metal Sonic - Sacrified his jump for his speed. Did it work out for him? Not really. He's faster than Sonic though

so has HE become the real one?

Tails Doll - "My childhood nightmare." Now unlike Tails, this's guy's hover lasts forever

making it much more like flight. Only reason I got scared of him was because of that Sonic Shorts jumpscare.

Metal Knuckles - The GOAT (part 2). Basically a better Knuckles, plus he also looks really cool and awesome and-

Eggrobo - We go from best to worst. Slow, bad handling, and he's got the worst special ability.

Concidering he's based off of Eggman, you'd think he could run a bit faster!

Super Sonic - Warning! If you want to have fun as other secret characters, don't get this guy!

He WILL beat you up. Besides that he's obviously the best character in the game. Easily beats most of the roster.

TIPS AND TRIVIA

- When the countdown begins, hold down on the D-PAD to spindash and get a boost of speed at the start of the race.

NOTE: Not all characters can do it! Only the ones that go into a ball when they jump.

- This is the one and only game in which Tails Doll and Metal Knuckles appear! They have however made appearances

in the Archie and IDW Sonic Comics.

- The first Segata Sanshiro commercial was about Sonic R!

- The game got released on the PC in 1998. This version adds new features like weather conditions and 4 player multiplayer.

- It also got featured as a part of the Sonic Gems Collection!

DEVELOPMENT

Too much info to put here, so click here instead!

PLAYTHROUGH AND SCREENSHOTS


Sources and Links

Sonic Retro GameHut The Cutting Room Floor Hidden Palace Sonic Wiki Zone

Sonic R Official Website