Also similar to Mario Kart is the inclusion of Sega-specific power-ups, which can be driven through to give players that extra edge. Much like Mario Kart, players can also drive over turbo pads, which gives another boost and, combined with the boost gained from drifting, gives Sonic And Sega All-Stars Racing a greater sense of speed than its Nintendo equivalent. Mastering this technique ensures players can hang with the big boys on any one of the game's three levels of difficulty. The boost comes in three strengths, and the longer you drift, the more powerful the boost when you let go. Players must hold B to accelerate, and upon entering a corner, can hold down RT to drift, which leads to a handy boost. The controls are fairly basic and straightforward, allowing for rookies and those used to Mario Kart, to play on a fairly level playing field. Or to be able to play as a Bonanza Brother and race on a psychedelic and colourful Samba De Amigo level, complete with music from the game itself. It's a real joy to be able to play as characters such as Alex The Kidd and race on tracks such as the creepy and sombre Curien Mansion, which features obstacles such as zombies at every turning. The courses on offer also come from these games, and reflect the style, design, graphical and audio influences of the games they mirror.
The characters celebrate the history of Sega, and see players select playable avatars from series such as Sonic, Monkey Ball, Jet Set Radio, Shemnue, House Of The Dead and even Billy Hatcher. These consist of multiplayer - which can be played against friends - perform time trials, conduct a single race, or take part in a variety of challenges that set players specific tasks to complete.
Players select one of a number of Sega characters to participate in four Grand Prix modes. The DS version of All Star Racing is very close to its console counterparts, as well as the Mario Kart series it's based on. The premise is very simple, take a heap of Sega favourites and make them duke it out on Sega-themed race tracks, throw in plenty of power-ups, special moves and short cuts, and you have a suitable rival for Nintendo's racer, albeit a very similar one. Sega has gone back to the drawing board and now brings us Sonic And Sega All-Stars Racing - a celebration of all things Sega, and to be perfectly honest, the finest Mario Kart clone that's ever seen the light of day. Sega has toiled with the idea of bringing its own version of the popular battle based racer to consoles before, but the likes of Sonic R have failed miserably to recreate the magic that can be found in Mario Kart and all of its instalments. Many have tried, but few have succeeded in creating their own version of Mario Kart, which will forever be regarded as one of Nintendo's finest franchises. Also available on: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC