The Mario Kart franchise has ruled the kart-racing streets of gaming for nearly two decades now, and all its rivals have slowly given way to the recent DS and Wii incarnations, which- put simply- took the formula and weaved it into the two best racing games on the consoles. SEGA, a close rival of Nintendo, refuses to be beaten, however, so has concocted Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing in an attempt to win back the market. Whether this was the best of moves is debatable, as while the track and character selections are varied and somewhat interesting, none of SEGA's mascots (bar Sonic) have become the icons that Mario and co are in the gaming world of the 21st century. Game-play wise, this is good as kart-racing gets, but that's only because Sega All Stars steals its interface from Mario Kart, a trait which becomes immediately obvious upon entering the first race. There's no plot drawing SEGA's cast together, but that's normal for this genre anyway! The main problem here comes from the fact that while Mario Kart is famous for its colourful landscapes and power-ups, this entry isn't, so playing it just feels like putting off the real thing, and is nowhere near as nostalgic. That's not to say that All Stars Racing is bad, but the formula is really starting to tire now, and the potential sequel needs to find something interesting to make of the genre if it wants to win 1st place. Unless you're desperate for a kart-racer on 360 or PS3, stick to Forza; Gran Turismo & Mario.
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