"Sonic Team Racing": Not everything is stolen from "Mario Kart"
22.5.2019
Translation: machine translated
"Sonic Team Racing" has unmistakable similarities with the top dog "Mario Kart 8". However, the game stands out with its unusual mechanics.
Many have tried, but none have been able to hold a candle to "Mario Kart". There were promising contenders in the form of "Diddy Kong Racing" and "Crash Team Racing". But even they couldn't quite reach the level of the great role model. The next to enter the duel is, of all things, Mario's old arch-rival Sonic. Sonic Team Racing" has already got off to a turbo start. The fun racer from Sega and Sumo Digital is at least as much fun in the first few hours as "Mario Kart 8". One reason for this is the many obvious similarities. "Sonic Team Racing" has almost brazenly borrowed from "Mario Kart":
- Same graphic style: check
- Drivers in different weight levels: Check
- Turbo start: Check
- Drifting for turbo: Check
- Jump tricks for Turbo: Check
- Very similar arsenal of weapons: Check
- Upgradeable vehicles: Check
- Collect coins and rings: Check
- etc
You are strong in a team
The list goes on and on. However, Sonic and his cohorts also have a few tricks of their own up their sleeves. The main difference is the team mechanic. You can compete in races with three players. You can throw items at each other, get a turbo boost by following the yellow glowing track of the car in front of you or give a crashed team member a quick start by racing past their team mate. All these things fill up your shared Ultimate Metre. If you activate it, you are invulnerable and much faster. It is thanks to this team mechanic in particular that "Sonic Team Racing" does not degenerate into a test-tube baby.
In addition to the multiplayer modes, there is also something of a campaign in which you have to complete various races. There are also various challenges to keep things interesting. Sometimes you have to collect as many coins as possible before the time runs out, other times you have to drift through gates to get bonus points. This requires a surprising amount of skill and is a welcome change. In all activities, from solo to team to online play, you earn coins that you can use to buy new tuning parts or jewellery for your racers.
Although "Sonic Team Racing" undoubtedly borrows generously from "Mario Kart", the game feels independent enough. And the main thing is that it's fun. "Sonic Team Racing" is fast, colourful and chaotic. And not everyone has a Switch. "Sonic Team Racing" is also available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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