Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed PlayStation 3
User Score
8.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 45
  3. Negative: 3 out of 45

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  1. Funkymonk
    Dec 5, 2012
    8
    Well, well, well it looks like the recent Sonic renaissance isn't slowing down any time soon! After the decent Sonic 4 and the true return to form that was Sonic Generations now Sega produces one of the best kart racers of this generation. Ok, so it hasn't taken Mario Karts crown but it's close enough to be in Marios slipstream!
  2. Tokyochuchu
    Mar 31, 2013
    8
    Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a great evolution of the fantastic original. Adding craft which transform from cars to boats to planes was a great idea, mirroring classic karting games like Diddy Kong Racing. But just like the sterling original Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, Transformed goes far beyond it's influences with it's blistering speed, amazing drifting mechanics and pinpoint perfect track design. The game also has some basic improvements over the original; the much-missed ability to play GP mode in split screen has finally been added and the themes of the tracks are much less repetitive. The only negative thing about this title is the way that you unlock extra characters. In the original you earned coins simply by playing, which you then could spend on unlocking anything you liked. That was a great addictive system. Transformed forces you to play through a world tour, which involves drifting challenges, survival races and other modes which I personally don't find particularly engaging. Not only that, but if you want to unlock all the characters, you have to play it through on multiple difficulty settings. This means that only the truly hardcore players will get the opportunity to play as the dwarf from Golden Axe. I don't appreciate that type of exclusion! That said, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is still far and away the best karting game available.… Expand
  3. Amiganoid
    Jan 11, 2013
    10
    It's Finally comming to Pc ! Thumbs Up ! :) And thanks, Really liked the first one, love the drifting boost aspect of the game, played it on Ps3 the framerate killed it for me ! Still a great game, really looking forward to the Pc release !
  4. GrumpyReviewer
    Dec 30, 2012
    8
    Great arcade racing game. I myself am a 80's gamer, so there's a lot of nostalgia going on for me here. The game plays like a typical karting game - and anyone who's played any Mario Kart game before will be at home. The tracks are a lot of fun and there's a huge variety of racers to choose from. Many unlockables as well and a couple of surprises as well, like Vyse from Skies of Arcadia! A cool game to have at hand when some friends come to visit. Totally recommend it.… Expand
  5. RD74
    Nov 25, 2012
    9
    Well what can I say, but what an ace little game this is. I love the likes of Mario Kart and obviously this title is compared to that series. While Its still not as good as Mario Kart (IMO) its still a fantastic racing game. Its fun, lots of fun and that is all that matters in this type of game IMO. Crank it up to "A" class skill and its also a good challenge. Great adrenaline rush on some tracks. Link the above with the fact that my local supermarket was selling it for £23.50 new, its an absolute must. The best karting game in years I think and what so many other pretenders fail at, Sonic takes a podium finish. The most fun you can have with a hedgehog & monkey without angering the animal cruelty brigade.… Expand
  6. Peskykid
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    Really enjoying this -Beautiful to look at and game play that's genuinely moving the karting genre forward. Sorry Mario, I still love you but you're looking a slow and tired next Sonic Transformed.
  7. ThisNameIsTaken
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    Although this game might seem a bit "childish", it is still rather fun. The characters for the most part are very good, the track designs are very well done (Rouge's landing definitely the best race in my opinion), soundtrack for both the races and characters are good (Amy's voice annoy's the heck out of me though), the control's for land, boat and flying are all very tight, and split screen multiplayer is extremely fun. The online is alright at best, with the occasional lag. A few tiny issues i've experienced with this game are that the AI in offline mode are brutal, regardless of difficulty (which actually makes it funner.....for me), and the (small) number of glitches. One example i've experienced a few times is the vehicle failing to transform, destroying the chance to finish the race entirely. I've had NiGHTS drive through a transform gate to a flying section, only to remain as a car, fall through the ground, and get restarted in the air section, STILL AS THE CAR. It would then repeat this until I had to quit the game. Despite these tiny issues, the game is still very fun.… Expand
  8. bosconian87
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    The first Sega Superstars racing was genuinely refreshing, because Sega's take on the kart-racing genre (shocking to think it has its own genre now!!) had enough of its own flavour to feel somewhat new. This time around Sumo and Sega have served a sequel that is different enough to the first one, whilst still proving to be massively playable. The graphics are mostly lovely (despite the framerate slips at times), the music and FX are awesome, but its the execution of the courses, and the themed-nature between game worlds and courses that really stuns. The courses are huge, and are akin to the freakiest rollercoasters you could ever imagine - then multiply that by ten!! Really worth it, a huge amount of fun, a fitting tribute to Sega, and suprizingly tense too.… Collapse
  9. wesker2012
    Nov 18, 2012
    8
    Great kart racing game like the original. Fantastic graphics. I like how each track is very vibrant and full of color. The tracks are awesome fan service. A great game to play with friends or online.
  10. BobRichardsin
    Dec 28, 2012
    0
    A horrible experience with no redeeming factors whatsoever. Horrible tracks, characters, controls, etc. Please don't waste your money on this trash. I'd have never seen a kart racer this abysmal in my life it is a huge let down for dumb sonic fans everywhere it is overrated and the sonic franchise is on its last leg now.
  11. talisman72
    Nov 21, 2012
    1
    I have to say this is a massive disappointment. The frame-rate is terrible and split-screen is virtually pointless because of this and the sheer amount of garish visual noise being thrown at the screen. The driving mechanic is basic to say the least, the water based game-play feels like a poor mans wave race and the flying is just unbearably sluggish. If you're old enough to get nostalgic about the games this pillages for visual ideas, you're old enough to know that this game lacks any of the characteristics that made those old games great.… Expand
  12. RyanA
    Dec 27, 2012
    8
    This game is extremely well done, all except a few things. 1. Flying on the Jet Set radio stage 2. Drifting while flying 3. Confusing twists 4. failing tricks equals slowing down.The major positives would be 1. World tour 2. No saga miles from previous game. 3. speed, you can tell, is extremely fast. Overall, 8.4/10
  13. BetalootDOTcom
    Mar 24, 2013
    8
    Sonic and Allstars Racing Transformed!” Shouts the title menu as I experience a rather more tolerable announcing voice than the last game. It pretty much sets up the belief that, right from the start this was going to be something with very little comparison to play. There’s nothing ‘Mario Kart’ left about it, even in the sense of ‘MK7’ in which the vehicle transformations in Allstars are llstars are better utilized and crafted; not digging at Mario Kart since it is the older brother of kart games, but Sumo and SEGA need credit where credit is due.

    Often a cliché reviewer will point out that sonic doesn’t need a car to win the races, but as stated in the previous games manual (I admit I’m still sad enough to read character bios and manuals) Sonic made it fair on the others, and well… in this one, unless he can fly he really does need the vehicle regardless of fair play. So just to get this out early, I will not be taking easy and/ or ignorant stabs at the supposedly obvious flaws which counterproductively mean nothing at all with this particular titles fun factor.

    Okay, so the weapon system is completely different from before, The useless rainbow has been removed with a tornado attack which flips vehicle controls, and projectiles vary a lot more than just being homing and precision. A really cool move being the baseball glove, which absorb an enemy projectile and allow the receiver to send it back.

    Boosting is no longer broken, whereas in the last game I exploited the ability to level 1 boost round a track and win, the boost requires more charge time and thoughtful use, partnered with an all knew trick system that flows through certain transform stages, boost can even be “Combo’d” up for greater speed and advantages. In fact this is where it gets better than Mario Kart, as the game is much faster and tracks are much tighter, requiring a greater attention span and overall fun factor. I’m not trying to dig at Mario Kart as I stated before, but parts of it just feel clunky and slow compared to Allstars.

    Some tracks in Allstars Racing have an evolution to them in each lap, consisting of more and more changes to the layout as time goes by. The most notable to me being the stage from ‘NiGHTS’ where you enter various dream worlds each time; a close second to this being the ‘Burning Rangers’ stage where the base slowly floods more and more each round.

    There’s even two levels that some would call a “Rainbow Road Clone” in there, but to be fair, starlight carnival was a level imagined for use outside of Kart racing, and the second potential offender is more likely to be an equivalent since it was Sumo made and inspired, but I couldn’t care less what any level is similar too; if we’re having more fun on it, then we shouldn’t care less what came first, as it’s obvious that the formula is an improvement; and that’s what a review should focus on.

    So if you have one of the many consoles this game is on, buy it and enjoy it; I’ve played The Vita, 360 and PS3 versions personally, and there are barely any differences between any of them; there’s literally no loss to be made from purchasing this title, and though I’ve yet to mention the Allstar moves and online mode, I often believe the player deserves at least a few surprises round the corner. Especially if you’re looking for something other than Mario Kart; this game ticks all the boxes there.    … Expand
  14. BDarius213
    Mar 27, 2013
    8
    I like this game. Very fun & addicting. Character selection is good n' you'll more than likely find your favorite driver. Only complaint is not switching the driving stick with the item button. (Trigger-X button)

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Jan 24, 2013
    80
    A must play for Sega stalwarts, and damn good fun to boot. Mario best watch his arse. [Feb 2013, p.76]
  2. Play UK
    Jan 23, 2013
    88
    An ace little racer. [Issue#227, p.76]
  3. PSM3 Magazine UK
    Dec 23, 2012
    90
    Skilled, stylish, well-balanced kart racing. [Jan 2013, p.101]
See all critic reviews »