Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Review for Wii U

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Box Art

System: Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS, PS Vita
Dev: Sumo Digital
Pub: SEGA
Release: November 20, 2012
Players: 1-8
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Animated Blood, Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Language

And as long as I had both versions running, I decided to compare the visuals. The Wii U’s visuals look a tiny bit better due to some better quality lighting. Glowing objects look slightly glowier on the Wii U. But don’t get too terribly excited about it; had I not been swapping back and forth between versions on the same TV, I wouldn’t have even noticed the difference.

Additionally, the Wii U includes some minigames that utilize the GamePad. Of course, these minigames can only be played multiplayer, and thus this feature becomes slightly more depressing to the perpetually lonely.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Screenshot

And speaking of multiplayer, the Wii U will allow up to five players to play simultaneously—four on the TV’s splitscreen and a fifth on the GamePad. So that’s one more player than the PS3 and 360 versions.

So all these additional features make the Wii U version seem like a no-brainer. It just has more stuff.

But there’s one drawback, and this is actually major enough to be game-breaking. The Boost races are completely broken. See, this game mode has you race against a countdown timer, which will freeze whenever you are boosting. You will go through a series of checkpoints, which add time to the clock. Pass through a set amount of checkpoints without the clock hitting zero and you win. Unfortunately, the checkpoints are missing from the Wii U version. That’s right, they’re completely absent. This means that these races are literally impossible to finish.

It’s a shame, because this one flaw is so game-breaking that I can’t recommend this version of the game until that’s fixed. And otherwise, this is by far the superior version of the game. It looks better (though just barely), it handles smoother, and it has features that the other consoles legitimately can’t even support.

I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for a patch, but until then, you should probably hold off on the Wii U version.

By
Josh Wirtanen
Editor / Social Media
Date: November 27, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.8

Graphics
A slight touch better than the other versions, though you won’t notice unless you compare them side by side.

4.2

Control
The standard controls just feel better than the other versions. Unfortunately, the motion controls could use some work.

4.1

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Same great sound as the other versions.

2.0

Play Value
There’s so much potential here, but the broken Boost races make some of the races completely unplayable. If this gets fixed in a patch, this will definitely be the superior version of Transformed.

3.2

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

This is no ordinary race. Each character is equipped with their own unique vehicle that can transform into a car, boat, or plane to take advantage of the changing terrains. Each vehicle handles differently and players must master all three to triumph.

Over 20 legendary All-Stars are back. The starting line-up has been transformed as new iconic characters from the world of SEGA join the race. What other game sees a hedgehog battle it out against a monkey, a sky pirate, and an axe-wielding dwarf?

Take to land, sea, and air as you race through 16 dynamically changing courses inspired by SEGA's illustrious gaming history. Discover alternate routes, find new power-ups and avoid emerging hazards as you race to victory; every track feels different.

The All-Star Moves also return, this time the more daring and stylishly you race, the more your All-Star meter increases, allowing you to unleash carnage on your opponents!

Old rivalries can be settled and new ones created in up to 8-player online. Journey through the All-Stars' world to take on a huge range of modes and challenges, including Grand Prix, Battle arenas, and an incredible world tour.