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Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Wii U

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A new trailer and details about the Wii U version have surfaced.

 

 

First up, as with most Wii U games, the action can be pulled down from the TV onto the GamePad. This is done rather simply by swiping your finger down on the controller’s touchscreen, as if you’re ‘dragging’ down the game onto the smaller screen. Conversely, if you want to resume playing on the big screen, flick your finger in the opposite direction. It works well, though I doubt people will use it mid-race; it’s too disorientating, but once you’re playing on the GamePad, the game looks good and handles well.

 

Allowing you to play the game on either screen, Wii U presents developers with the opportunity to transform (sorry) any console game optimised for large HD televisions into something more akin to a handheld experience. But is this not also a curse? Is something not lost in the transition from the big to the small screen? SUMO – the developer behind the game – doesn’t think so. “I don’t think it’s compromised,” says Steve Lycett, executive producer on the game. “For a start we’re already building the game across a selection of handhelds, on 3DS and Vita, so we consider it one more option the players has.” And compared to these handhelds, the Wii U’s screen compares favourably. “Put it this way, when I’m kicked off the TV as the latest soaps need to be caught up with, I certainly won’t complain about being able to seamlessly carry on playing!”

 

Seamlessly. That’s the crucial word with the Wii U. Used smartly and sensitively the Wii U’s controller allows the game to expand in novel and curious ways; otherwise, it just feels gimmicky and forced. When you’re in a race, jockeying for position, the screen displays a range of pertinent information – the current order of racers, a mini-map of the course. It’s all unintrusive and useful, but I expect most people to keep their eyes firmly on the race. Similarly, when you unleash one of the game’s eccentric power-ups, you’ll be able to see its destiny on the GamePad’s screen. Launch a remote-controlled car loaded with a stick of dynamite and you can watch it travel towards its unfortunate target. Again, it’s unlikely you’ll divide your attention, but if you’re the kind of person who revels in the misfortune of others, the GamePad’s screen will accommodate your sadism.

 

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the GamePad is not its touchscreen or its gyroscope (incidentally, you can also steer using the GamePad like a wheel, rotating it left and right) – it’s the ability to open up weird and wonderful forms of asymmetrical gameplay. Yes, I know it was one of the most of overused and mocked phrases of this year’s E3 but with one person using a GamePad while others use more traditional controllers – Classic Controllers or the new Pro Controller – new types of gaming experiences become possible.

 

Depending on the circumstances, a GamePad can prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, and All-Stars Racing Transformed smartly uses this discrepancy as the basis for its mini-games.

 

I only saw one during my time with the Wii U version, called ‘Super Monkey Ball Arena’, and whomever had the GamePad took control of AiAi, who was as usual encased in his perspex sphere. Meanwhile, opponents using Classic Controllers played as Sonic and Tails in racing cars. The aim of the mini-game was simple: before the time ran out, squash the tiny versions of Sonic and Tails, who were driving around attempting to collect as many bananas as possible.

 

The GamePad “gave us a reason to think about how we can use the fact one player has an advantage (or disadvantage!),” says Lycett. And the source of inspiration behind many of these games is an interesting one. “We came back to game you’d play as school kids. So things like Tag, British Bulldog, Hide and Seek, all the classics basically, became the inspiration for what we’d prototype and try. Then it’s how you bend that into something SEGA themed, and luckily we’ve had a bit of experience of doing that.”

 

That’s how the game plays but Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed also looks good on Nintendo’s latest console. I only saw two tracks: Adder's Lair, inspired by Golden Axe, and Seaside Hill which is based on a level from last year’s Sonic Generations. Both looked good – like its predecessor, the visuals are bright and chaotic – but things were obviously still being fine-tuned for Wii U. Ocean View was nicely designed, especially as the level slowly crumbled around you, forcing you to hit the waves, where you weave in and out of the flailing tentacles of a huge mechanical cephalopod. The game is “easily on a par [with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions],” says Lycett. “We’re still very much getting to grips with what we can make the hardware do [...]. So it’s hard to really answer that right now, but yeah, I think once we’ve had a bit more time finding our way around it, chances are you can look to do things that you may not be able to do before.”

 

2012 is shaping up to be the year of the console racer, with LittleBigPlanet Karting and F1 Race Stars also lining up on the grid. But Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the only one heading to Wii U, and it seems to be intelligently embracing the new console’s capabilities. It’s there during races, but in a subtle ways, expanding the game beyond the narrow confines of your television screen.

 

 

Looking and sounding great!

Edited by Retro_Link

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Aircraft is off Afterburner and the other is supposed to be based on Asteroid Coaster off Sonic Colors.

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Ah cool.

 

Thought it might be Sonic Colours, but I thought they'd go for a more 'Sonicy' style level... unless there are a number of Sonic levels what with there being 4 or 5 characters from Sonic in this.

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As expected, you can use your Mii in the game.

 

British developer Sumo Digital has found the Wii U's graphical capability to be "on-par" with current generation consoles - "or maybe even better".

 

The Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed developer divulged the information to Eurogamer as we tested out the upcoming racer's Wii U version.

The 3DS and Wii U versions will exclusively support Mii characters, Sumo also confirmed.

 

The racer allows you to pilot both aircraft and boat forms of your vehicle - necessary for each course's airborne and aquatic sections. It's similar to Nintendo's own racer Mario Kart 7 in this regard, although Sega said that their project was started first.

 

The Wii U version allows players to use the GamePad screen for Remote Play, or alternatively as a second display offering a rear view.

 

You can even use the GamePad screen as a weapon-cam, allowing you to guide homing rockets around the course. But this feature can also demonstrate the perils of glancing from screen-to-screen: Eurogamer saw one racer look down to fire his rocket, stop racing, and manage to shoot himself instead.

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All sounds very nice regarding the Wii U's functionality. Nice to see that the main game doesn't really use the UPad for anything massively substantial outside of the typical mini map stuff and off TV play, while the mini games take full advantage of it. I like the sound of Super Monkey Ball Arena too!

 

Classy of Eurogamer to twist the words of the original source for hits though...

 

As expected, you can use your Mii in the game.

 

British developer Sumo Digital has found the Wii U's graphical capability to be "on-par" with current generation consoles - "or maybe even better".

 

The Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed developer divulged the information to Eurogamer as we tested out the upcoming racer's Wii U version.

The 3DS and Wii U versions will exclusively support Mii characters, Sumo also confirmed.

 

The racer allows you to pilot both aircraft and boat forms of your vehicle - necessary for each course's airborne and aquatic sections. It's similar to Nintendo's own racer Mario Kart 7 in this regard, although Sega said that their project was started first.

 

The Wii U version allows players to use the GamePad screen for Remote Play, or alternatively as a second display offering a rear view.

 

You can even use the GamePad screen as a weapon-cam, allowing you to guide homing rockets around the course. But this feature can also demonstrate the perils of glancing from screen-to-screen: Eurogamer saw one racer look down to fire his rocket, stop racing, and manage to shoot himself instead.

 

 

Here's the original source http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/08/13/sonic-all-stars-racing-transforms-on-wii-u and what he actually said regarding the Wii U's capabilities...

 

The game is “easily on a par [with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions],” says Lycett. “We’re still very much getting to grips with what we can make the hardware do [...]. So it’s hard to really answer that right now, but yeah, I think once we’ve had a bit more time finding our way around it, chances are you can look to do things that you may not be able to do before.”

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I didn't bring focus to the power issue because quite frankly nobody seems to know/be able to say what the deal is. At this point I don't really care.

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I didn't bring focus to the power issue because quite frankly nobody seems to know/be able to say what the deal is. At this point I don't really care.

 

Fair enough. I don't really care that much about the power stuff myself either, I just don't like bullshit Daily Mail journalism (and wanted to stop the spread before it started!)

 

Anyway! Here's some more goodies from the original article...

 

First up, as with most Wii U games, the action can be pulled down from the TV onto the GamePad. This is done rather simply by swiping your finger down on the controller’s touchscreen, as if you’re ‘dragging’ down the game onto the smaller screen. Conversely, if you want to resume playing on the big screen, flick your finger in the opposite direction. It works well, though I doubt people will use it mid-race; it’s too disorientating, but once you’re playing on the GamePad, the game looks good and handles well...

 

When you’re in a race, jockeying for position, the screen displays a range of pertinent information – the current order of racers, a mini-map of the course. It’s all unintrusive and useful, but I expect most people to keep their eyes firmly on the race. Similarly, when you unleash one of the game’s eccentric power-ups, you’ll be able to see its destiny on the GamePad’s screen...

 

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the GamePad is not its touchscreen or its gyroscope (incidentally, you can also steer using the GamePad like a wheel, rotating it left and right) – it’s the ability to open up weird and wonderful forms of asymmetrical gameplay. Yes, I know it was one of the most of overused and mocked phrases of this year’s E3 but with one person using a GamePad while others use more traditional controllers – Classic Controllers or the new Pro Controller – new types of gaming experiences become possible.

 

Depending on the circumstances, a GamePad can prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, and All-Stars Racing Transformed smartly uses this discrepancy as the basis for its mini-games.

 

I only saw one during my time with the Wii U version, called ‘Super Monkey Ball Arena’, and whomever had the GamePad took control of AiAi, who was as usual encased in his perspex sphere. Meanwhile, opponents using Classic Controllers played as Sonic and Tails in racing cars. The aim of the mini-game was simple: before the time ran out, squash the tiny versions of Sonic and Tails, who were driving around attempting to collect as many bananas as possible.

 

The GamePad “gave us a reason to think about how we can use the fact one player has an advantage (or disadvantage!),” says Lycett. And the source of inspiration behind many of these games is an interesting one. “We came back to game you’d play as school kids. So things like Tag, British Bulldog, Hide and Seek, all the classics basically, became the inspiration for what we’d prototype and try. Then it’s how you bend that into something SEGA themed, and luckily we’ve had a bit of experience of doing that.”

 

Sumo Digital are good folk and it all sounds very nice thus far. Nice to see the Asymmetrical Gameplay concept being explored by someone other than Nintendo or Ubisoft! :D

 

Also interesting to see that devs can utilize different ways to swap screens (so it isn't all done with a standardized button, like what I figured it might be)

Edited by Dcubed

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The thing that excites me most about this game is the online. If we do get the ability to chat via headset on the Wii U then I predict some good fun to be had with the Mario Kart crew on here. :D

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The thing that excites me most about this game is the online. If we do get the ability to chat via headset on the Wii U then I predict some good fun to be had with the Mario Kart crew on here. :D

 

That's if we can get them to put down their Nintendo banners and embrace the BLUE BLUE SKIES OF SEGA!

 

I'll probably pick it up myself. The original game was great and this one looks even better! Plus it fills a nice gap in the Wii U's library :)

 

Here's hoping that we (FINALLY) get online details from this month's Nintendo Direct (assuming that it's not been cancelled in favour of the usual September/Octoberton conference)

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The thing that excites me most about this game is the online. If we do get the ability to chat via headset on the Wii U then I predict some good fun to be had with the Mario Kart crew on here. :D

 

I'll be picking this up on the Wii U at launch, I saw this at an Expo last month, looked very impressive and I agree, voice chat = epic N-E nights.

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Confirmed for launch day.

 

Chalk up another big-name title that's going to be ready for the launch of Wii U in Europe. SEGA has confirmed that Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be ready to ship alongside the Wii U on Nov. 30th. No word on the title being available at NA launch at this time.

 

Man, the launch day is looking great....and expensive. :weep:

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All copies from the first batch are the limited edition. It's essentially just a pre-order bonus.

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Exclusive Outrun Bay Track + Challenges & Time Trials

Exclusive Metal Sonic & Transforming vehicle + Metal Sonic Mod Pack

Exclusive Stickers for your in-game license

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I'm considering canceling Rayman and getting this instead at launch...

 

... but then I could just get it on the 360, but it is better suited to the Wii U.

 

Hmm decisions... :hmm:

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Decisions indeed, I've been chopping and changing my pre-orders because I had far too many games. I want no more than 3 or 4. But now I'm considering this, maybe I'll pick this up around christmas.

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