"Very addicting, but still rather mediocre..."

Introduction

Over the past decade or so fans have complained over Sega making mediocre Sonic games that don't live up to the Sonic games for the genesis. Sonic Rivals is a game that had potential to be one of the best but failed to do so (and it wasn't even created by Sonic Team).

Story (6/10)

The story in this game isn't exactly that well thought out of (Eggman turning people into cards), especially considering that you will run into the same scenes with one character you play as just as you did with another character you played as previously. The story is still decent enough to get you to finish the Story Mode and reflects upon the Card Collection mode though.

Gameplay (7.5/10)

I can assure many that when you start playing the game (such as me), you will find the gameplay REALLY annoying. Why is the gameplay annoying at first? Simple, it's because the whole racing concept gets some getting used to mainly because of the log-like "Boosts" this game introduces that will slow you down and stop you in your tracks until you memorize the level designs a bit and learn how to use these Boosts properly.

The racing in general is also one of this game's flaws ironically. This is because you do not get to enjoy the stages the way you should, as a side-scrolling Sonic game. Racing should have been part of some other mode in the game. Heck, even the AI in this game isn't very good. When your "rival" is ahead of you, he will become stupid and slow until you pass him; when you are far ahead of your rival, he will LITERALLY warp right behind you. During races you can also jostle (hit) your rival and use power-ups against him which can actually be pretty fun and plays a significant role in the Challenge mode, it also makes races more enjoyable. Racing has some serious getting used to but once you become good at it, the rivals will become non-existent and the game WILL become much more fun.

Another aspect of this game's gameplay would be the large 3D bosses you get to fight at certain parts in the game. The bosses in this game are generally very easy; the main point in most of these boss battles is to beat the boss before the opponent does (not hard at all considering the opponent's lack of decent AI).

Graphics (8/10)

The graphics in this game are 3D and I personally like them. This game also combines some elements from the 3D Sonic games for the consoles in that it contains huge (character controlling) 3D loops.

Music/Sound (7/10)

I personally did not find anything bad with the music or sound. Music isn't out of this world, but it certainly isn't repetitive either. Sound is loud and clear as it should be.

Replay Value (8/10)

If you enjoy the game enough, you WILL become addicted. This game offers a load of stuff to do after you beat the Story Mode with every character; including completing all 225 challenges in the Challenge Mode to unlock new cups for Cup Circuit mode, collecting all 150 cards by winning races to unlock new costumes and features, getting all S-Ranks for self satisfaction, or simply playing against a friend in the multiplayer mode.

Sadly, to become addicted to this game, you must actually enjoy it (like with every other game). This is one of those type of games that you will either become addicted to or find really repetitive from the start (like New Super Mario Bros. was to me, but not to others).

Conclusion

This is a good and VERY addicting Sonic game, but it isn't for everyone and many will stop playing the minute they start due to some of the game's flaws. I personally believe they should have taken out any racing (and log-like boosts) this game has to offer and have made it into a side-scrolling Sonic game, THEN it could have been one of the best Sonic games if they just added more levels/stages.

If you're a Sonic fan, you should buy this game. If you're just looking for a decent game for your PSP, rent first. Either way, I give this game a 7/10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/06/07, Updated 04/30/07