Sonic R (0)

Overview

Sonic R is a 3D racing game for the that was developed by and , and is the third Sonic racing game to be created in the franchise, the first two being and for the . Other racing games based on the Sonic franchise include , , , , and more recently .

Sonic R was also released on the and within the game compilation for the and PS2 (Japan only).

Gameplay

Unlike , the main characters of Sonic R, with the exception of and , do not drive a car, but instead run through the stages. The stages themselves are more epansive than traditional racing courses and offer many different routes through each level, leading to hidden short cuts and areas which can be explored. These hidden areas also contain collectable items, such as finding special emblems and Chaos Emeralds which unlock extra characters and stages.

As in most Sonic games, rings are an important element of Sonic R. As well as offering protection, rings are used to open up gates that lead to hidden areas and Chaos Emeralds, and are also used on speed boosts to increase the player's speed. Power ups are also a key feature of Sonic R, such as the lightning shield and water shield from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

There are multiple game modes within Sonic R. Most notably is the Grand Prix, where all four stages can be played in order. There is also a Time Attack mode and a host of multiplayer options including a standard versus race, a tag style race where player's must chase after each other and capture them, and a balloon game, where the player must find and pop five balloons before their opponent.

Characters

There are four playable characters available at the start of Sonic R, with five more that can be unlocked. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, such as increased speed or the ability to run or glide over water. The playable characters are:

Sonic is the fastest of the characters available at the beginning, with quick acceleration at the expense of handling. He has the ability to perform a double jump.

Tails has fairly good speed and acceleration and also retains his trademark ability of flight, enabling him to reach areas other characters may not.

Knuckles is an all round character with decent speed and acceleration. He also retains his trademark ability of gliding, allowing him to create his own short cuts.

Amy is one of the characters that uses a car to race, which can float over water. Her car is quite slow but has the ability to boost.

Dr Robotnik is the other character that uses a car to race, which is slow with poor acceleration but can float over water. He has the ability of shooting missiles. He is one of the characters.

The Metal Sonic is a robotic version of Sonic that can jump higher than other characters. He is one of the unlockable characters.

Tails Doll

The Tails Doll is a robotic version of Tails that can float over water without slowing down. He is one of the unlockable characters.

EggRobo

The EggRobo is a robotic version of Dr Robotnik with similar abilities and speed. He is one of the unlockable characters.

Mecha Knuckles

The Mecha Knuckles is a robotic version of Knuckles which is slightly faster than Knuckles. He is one of the unlockable characters.

Super Sonic is arguably the best character of the game and also the hardest to obtain, as he requires all of the Chaos Emeralds. Super Sonic is the fastest of all the characters and can run across water. He is one of the unlockable characters.

Stages

There are four initial stages within Sonic R to choose from, whilst the final stage is unlocked when all four stages are completed in first place. Those stages are:

Resort Island

A traditional tropical stage based around the beach and mountains with a waterfall at the beginning of the stage.

Radical City

A city at night based around old Sonic leves such as Casino Night. Within the middle of the stage is a pinball-style area.

Regal Ruin

A ruined Egyptian themed stage at sunset, which contains imagery similar to Angel Island from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Reactive Factory

A futuristic factory, similar to the fortresses of Dr Robotnik's lairs of previous Sonic games.

Radiant Emerald

A beautiful stage set in space with a transparent ground, this is the longest of the stages and must be unlocked.

Soundtrack

The music in Sonic R was composed by Richard Jacques and features pop-heavy songs performed by the British singer, TJ Davis. Those songs include:

Can You Feel the Sunshine?

- For Resort Island.

Living in the City

- For Radical City

Back in Time

- For Regal Ruin

Work it Out -

For Reactive Factory

Diamond in the Sky

- For Radiant Emerald

Super Sonic Racing

- The Sonic R main theme and course track for Radiant Emerald if playing as Super Sonic

Numer One

- The Sonic R Ending Theme and Credits

Plus two extra bonus tracks:

Super Sonic Racing - X-Tra Club Mix

Work it Out - Red Raw Mix

Each stage also has an instrumental version which can be switched on and off within the game options menu.

The Tails Doll Legacy

Easter Egg

Putting the game disk into a standard CD player would play the in game soundtrack. This is possible because the in game music was stored as standard CD audio tracks on the game disk.

Game Credits

• Executive Producer - Shoichiro Irimajiri
• Product Manager - Youji Ishii
• Producer - Yuji Naka
• Game Design Directer - Takashi Iizuka
• Head Artist - James Cunliffe
• Lead Artist - Dave Burton
• Graphic Advisor - Naoto Ohshima
• Lead Programmer - Jon Burton
• Character Designer - Yuji Uekawa
• Music & Sound Producer - Richard Jacques
• Music Vocals - T.J. Davis
• Map Design Director - Hirokazu Yasuhara
• Additional Artwork - Shigeru Okada
• Additional Artwork - Sean Naden
• Artwork - Bev Bush
• Terrain System Programming - John Hodskinson