Although only focussing on Single Event and Circuit Mode races (which are the fun bits anyway), the frame-rate remains smooth and the action intense. Indeed, there are 150 collectable cards to discover: a strangely addictive pursuit given that they are included merely for vanity in the Options menu.Īll the rivalry is expertly managed in the Story mode but there's also a solid ad-hoc multiplayer feature so you can test your skills against human opposition. This adds tonnes of replay to the package and enables you to either beat your best time or locate a number of Chao to unlock even more features.
SONIC RIVALS 2 PSP MULTIPLAYER FREE
Thankfully, once you've reached a race stage you can enjoy it in Free Play mode without having to endure the duels or boss levels. Take Tails through a level, for instance, and he'll be able to access hard to reach areas with his nifty helicopter tail. Playable rivals include Tails, Rouge, Knuckles, Silver, Espio, Metal Sonic and Shadow, all with their very own special abilities. Now he's got so many hangers on it's hard to keep up. When the blue hedgehog started out he was an independent spirit, kept himself to himself and knew only one thing: his nemesis was Dr Robotnik. But your rivals are always quick to get their revenge.Īnd the range of opponents is extensive. These include the ability to freeze your rival in a block of ice or whirl them around with a mini tornado. Another excellent addition is the power-ups you can collect and unleash on your opponent to scupper their progress. The sense of speed is exceptional and the inclusion of a rival definitely adds greater impetus to the contests.Įvery level has been designed with great care and once you begin to spot shortcuts and secret areas you'll be hooked on trying to bring your stage time down. In an event against one of several opponents (depending on the story arc) you'll need to negotiate loop the loops, speed burns, hidden tunnels, rail slides and bumpers to get to the finish line first. It's in these races where Sonic Rivals 2 excels. Particularly when the rest is classic Sonic, with every stage a breathless and wonderful dash to victory. It's all very predictable and unnecessarily long.īut let's not dwell on the game's weaker levels too much as they only comprise around 15 per cent of the whole experience. In classic Sonic fashion, you then need to find the chink in the armour and score a hit. Bosses do their usual thing: charge around the screen attempting to knock rings out of you and then pause for a breather. The boss stages are only marginally better, with banality replacing frustration. Finding and unleashing power-ups, then going in for the kill is generally the best method but wins are mostly achieved with a combination of pain and luck. Because the characters are so small and nimble it's hard to develop any particular attack or defence strategy. The duels are by far the worst, consisting of random jumping and kicking until a knockout is achieved. Worst of all, you can't even progress in Story mode until you've endured five to ten minutes of button mashing or annoying arena battling. While these additional elements are not so intrusive as to ruin the experience, you'll get a horrible sinking feeling whenever one of them turns up. However, interspersed throughout these race events are some generally banal boss fights and infuriating beat-'em-up-inspired duels. You have familiar themed zones such as Blue Coast, Neon Palace and Sunset Forrest, but there are also some excellent additions like Frontier Canyon (a Wild West-style area). Structurally, the Story Mode is a traditional level-by-level dash through classic Sonic territory. Of course, the temptation to refine, tweak and overhaul must be overpowering, especially given that Sonic is now 16 years old, but there are certain elements in Sonic Rivals 2 that just don't work. It's advice Sega should also heed if it wants to get the most from Sonic The Hedgehog going forward. Anyone who's ever heard Victoria Aitken trying to rap, seen Davina McCall hosting a chat show or Gyles Brandreth talking politics will understand the wisdom of the motto 'stick to what you know'.
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