What Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is
This is an arcade combat racer from Sumo Digital where you pick a character from across the SEGA universe and race their own unique vehicle. Cars, bikes, monster trucks, planes and even a giant banana are all on the roster, and there are 20 characters to choose from, including Sonic, Tails, Ai Ai, Amigo and Dr. Eggman. The 27 tracks take you over medieval castle ramparts, under rain forest canopies and through busy city scapes, with circuits like Sonic Seaside Hill, Curien Mansion and Blizzard Castle among them. Alongside plain racing you have pick-up weapons such as missiles and mines, plus each character's own All-Star move — Super Sonic, Tails' Tornado, the Banana Blitz monkey ball assault and others. Watch for secret short-cuts on every track, and use power-ups to get back up to speed after a bad hit.
Playing together
Four players can race on one screen in split-screen, which is the straightforward way to run a session: everyone picks a character, picks a track and fights it out to the finish. Remote Play Together is also available, so people who are not in the same room can join in. The racing is fast and the weapon play means positions change constantly, so a group can keep rematching and swapping characters without much setup. Single player is there too for when the group is not around.
Before you start
Expect a combat racer rather than a simulation: you will be dodging traps, trading missiles and trying to land your character move at the right moment, and getting hit is a normal part of a race rather than a sign you are doing badly. Learning where the short-cuts are on each of the 27 tracks is what separates a good run from a great one. The tone is bright and family friendly, and the soundtrack covers the SEGA back catalogue. Controller support is listed, which is worth sorting out before a four-player split-screen session.