| Sonic Rivals | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Backbone Entertainment Sega Studio USA |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Takashi Iizuka |
| Producer(s) | Takashi Iizuka Taylor Miller |
| Artist(s) | Ryan Slemko |
| Writer(s) | Takashi Iizuka |
| Composer(s) | Chris Rezanson |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Action, racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Sonic Rivals is a racing video game, part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series that was released in late 2006. It is the first Sonic game developed by Backbone Entertainment, for the PlayStation Portable. The game was also supervised by members of Sega Studio USA including Takashi Iizuka.
One year later, a sequel was developed by the same company for the same platform.
Gameplay
Sonic Rivals is a side-scrolling video game similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis, but with a 2.5D perspective.[1] Characters race to the finish line while avoiding the level’s obstacles. The game contains six zones, each with three respective acts, the third being a boss battle, totaling in 17 stages.[2] Boss battles at the end of levels require the player to defeat the boss before the competing character does.[3]Five different characters are playable; Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow the Hedgehog, Silver the Hedgehog, and Metal Sonic, but gameplay is identical for all characters. The game features power-ups to collect that offer additional offensive and defensive abilities.[4]
Sonic Rivals features several different modes. In Story Mode, each of the four playable characters have separate story lines, and must race each other to the finish line in each stage in order to thwart Doctor Eggman’s various schemes. In Challenge Mode, the player is given a goal to complete, such as hitting your opponent a certain number of times during a race or battle.[2] Wireless Play Mode features multiplayer games and races whereby players can wager cards, or just race for fun.[2][5] It is played ad hoc, and players can customize their racers using collectible cards won in Single player, trade cards with friends, and wager cards on races. Also a cup circuit mode is available where players race a rival for the chance to win a specific cup.
The game includes an extensive collectible card system that spans a total of 150 cards. Performing specific objectives throughout the game will give you collectible cards. Such tasks include finishing a level, getting a certain number of rings, hitting your rival a certain number of times and getting to the goal within a certain amount of time. The cards themselves feature pictures of characters and boxart from a variety of past games in the Sonicseries. The cards themselves are used to unlock secret costumes and items that alter the appearance of the characters. While they add a customizable aspect to the game, they are merely aesthetic; they do not affect gameplay.
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