Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed also included a far wider variety of game levels. The original had several based off Sonic, but then had some tracks from Samba de Amigo, Super Monkey Ball, Billy Hatcher, Jet Set Radio and Curien Mansion. Transformed gives new tracks to all of these series, but also highlighting some of Sega’s older, and perhaps more forgotten like NiGHTS, After Burner and Golden Axe.
The transformation mechanics help to make tracks feel so much more dynamic, something Nintendo has begun to experiment with tracks in Mario Kart Tour, with the routes taken each lap changing. Rogue’s Landing, a track based on Skies of Arcadia, follows a town in lap 1, before it gets attacked during lap 2, and forces you to fly during the final lap. The storytelling behind some of the levels is just magnificent. In fact, the developers were asked to show tracks they created to the original developers of the games the tracks were based on, to ensure they were as faithful as possible. Every single level feels truly fantastic and different to the last.
"The transfomation mechanics help to make tracks feel so much more dynamic"
I returned to the game over the last few weeks while writing this article, and the expert difficulty is truly brutal, particularly due to the tight and twisty nature of most of the tracks beyond Ocean View, the first track of the game. This is by no means a bad thing, the fact that there’s so little room for error makes the races exciting. Race of Ages, the final new track in the game is the best example. It is extremely tough, one requires a supreme amount of concentration to dodge fast moving items from opponents and deal with the track’s twisting layout getting more difficult as the laps go by.
"One requires a supreme amount of concentration to dodge fast moving items from opponents and deal with the track’s twisting layout getting more difficult as the laps go by."
Whilst it is exclusive to the mission mode (World Tour), Transformed does contain possibly one of my favourite racing game modes of all time, being the Battle Races. Racing against opponents around the track, firing items to take health off them, first to the finish line or last player standing wins. I just wish it was something you could pick up at any time, without having to start one of the missions. There are also a few notable omissions from the character roster. Despite getting tracks, both Billy Hatcher and Zobio (Curien Mansion) didn’t make the cut, which is just baffling, instead NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick made it in through a collaboration with Hot Wheels.
Transformed continues to be one of several games I consistently come back to, despite its Wii U online support coming to an end in April 2024, I will consistently look back on this game with fond memories.
