Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Sonic, what has happened to you lately?

Where is the adorable blue hedgehog that sped through countless platform games in a search for golden rings as well as doing away with the bad guy that always seems to pose a threat to the colorful world Sega has created? There has been some weak titles connected with our dear Sonic including one that featured a gun-packing hedgehog (the awful Shadow the Hedgehog), a poor sports game featuring our favorite Italian plumber (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games) and even a racing title called Sonic Riders. Taking a second stab at the racing genre, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity for the PS2 is a sequel to the original yet without the speed.

That’s right; Zero Gravity takes the speed out of the Sonic Riders series to make a game that only allows top speed in short, controlled bursts. The original Sonic Riders at least had speed on its side and that somewhat distracted gamers from its poor controls and inconsistent opponent AI. This sequel moves at a slower pace and thus makes the game feel a tad sluggish. The only real time Sonic or his friends do manage to speed up is if they encounter a speed burst power-up or if they just so happen to glide over a spring or catapult plate. In other words, speed takes a backseat in this one.

Still, despite this major hurdle, Zero Gravity does manage to bring new elements to the series and those things include different types of gear for your characters, a few new tricks to pull off and the titular gravity-defying ability that is connected to the game’s main theme. You see, as the single-player Story Mode tells us, a small donut-shaped meteorite falls from the sky and it’s Sonic and his pals Knuckles and Tails that find it. Suddenly, they are attacked by robots that are attempting to steal the meteor from them so it’s up to Sonic and his friends to erase this new threat in a number of races that make up the World Grand Prix. I mean, why fight when you can race your enemy instead, right?

Sonic and his furry friends each sport their own stylized gear and so each one plays somewhat differently. Knuckles, for example, rides an air bike while Sonic and Tails use a type of hover board. You start the single-player game as Sonic as you attempt to win the race against computer-controlled opponents that move unfairly faster than you. You can even pull off some tricks such as grinds (when you get too close to a curb or rail) as well as air tricks that earn you Gravity Points (or GP) for pulling them off successfully. With enough GP points you can purchase new gear parts to upgrade your board or wheel-based rides. You can even change the gear type you think would fit your character better.

The 16 or so race courses are actually designed wonderfully enough to fit the racing style. Each course inserts plenty of places to grind, speed burst platforms to make huge jumps and a number of obstacles that can either get in your way or get in the way of an opponent if you, say, push one into an obstacle. Thanks to the power of the meteorite, however, obstacles can be levitated so you can shave time off your lap or clear a path that is normally cluttered. There are also power-up items scattered throughout the course, allowing you to temporarily pick up speed, obscure the vision of the opponent behind you or even turn you into a magnet for picking up the familiar rings.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, speed is an issue that makes Zero Gravity such a sluggish racing game. There’s a point in the game where Sonic can actually outrun his opponents on-foot instead of on his board. This, of course, will have you scratching your head wondering why bother with an air board in the first place. Secondly, the opponent AI is clearly given the unfair advantage of never making a mistake and always going faster than you. Last, but most importantly, once again the controls are an awkward mess that makes this game feel too jerky. It’s almost impossible to clear sharp turns successfully or without hitting the wall or other barriers. Even the cool new Gravity Dive function is a hassle to use.

When you’re not zipping through the game’s story in Story Mode, there’s also Normal Race (which allows you to play through a Free Race or Time Attack). In both these modes you can mix and match characters and gear so you can play as Amy using roller skates or Wave the Swallow using a yacht. Then there’s Survival Mode that includes Survival Relay (using gear as batons), Survival Ball (shoot a ball into a series of rings using gravity control) and Survival Battle (where you get to use gravity control to slam rivals during a race). Of these game modes, Survival Mode is actually the most fun you’ll have and worth sharing with a friend in multiplayer.

Visually speaking, Zero Gravity looks good and displays some colorful character models and backgrounds that are diverse and stand out nicely. I wish I could say that the sense of speed is there but it isn’t but then again there are some neat little visual effects that make the gravity tricks look good. Even the cut scenes really deliver some sharp animation that will not fail to impress. On the sound front, however, the soundtrack is still quite dated so Sonic fans won’t find any new tunes to go with the action. There’s also voice acting in the game but it’s not anything to write home about. Even the sound effects need an upgrade.

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity for the PlayStation 2 just doesn’t cut it as a racing game but thanks to some changes it does manage to be just a wee bit fun but not as good as the original. As a Sonic fan and a racing game enthusiast, Zero Gravity is a real disappointment but there are a few fun moments to be had in this game … even if those moments are fleeting and occasionally a tad jerky in the control department. Sorry, Sonic fans, but just like the first Sonic Riders game you will want to forget this one completely.

Gameplay: 5.5
Sonic has always been about speed but somehow the game feels way too slow and way too clumsy for a game that stresses speed and finesse. The controls can also be a bit on the awkward side thanks to the fact that some power-ups require you to press multiple buttons. On the plus side, though, the level design is intriguing.

Graphics: 7.5
The graphics are actually handled quite beautifully and the colorful characters and backgrounds do justice to the franchise. With smoothly animated cut scenes and flashy visual effects, Zero Gravity looks way better than the first game. Who says the PS2 isn’t capable of some good-looking graphics in a next-generation market?

Sound: 6.0
Heavy guitar riffs make up most of the game’s cheesy soundtrack but there are tunes that are typical to the Sonic franchise. There’s also voice acting and it’s somewhat decent despite a few corny lines. At least the sound effects are actually good.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
This is one seriously challenging racing game and it’s also not an easy game to get comfortable with thanks to the somewhat awkward controls. The opponent AI is also quick to pick up on any mistake you make during a race so messing up once can lead to you restarting the race.

Concept: 5.5
It’s Sonic and he needs a hover board to zip through the racetracks and you can even pull of some sweet Zero-G tricks. Plus, you can also play as Sonic’s friends like Amy or Knuckles. Other than this, there’s very little here that will have you excited about playing this over and over again.

Multiplayer: 6.0
There’s not online multiplayer but you can play against three other players (using the PS2 Multitap, of course) and things run pretty smoothly. Just about the only thing that can slow you and your friends down are the controls.

Overall: 5.5
Zero Gravity is a large step behind the first Sonic Riders and it’s still a flawed racing title that makes this a Sonic game fans of the loveable blue hedgehog should skip altogether. Sure, it has great level design and the power-ups are neat but it’s not able to save this game from being a weak racing title.