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Sonic Riders for PlayStation 2
Sonic Riders for the PlayStation 2 is a racing game in which Sonic and his rivals ride Extreme Gear around futuristic tracks. The hovering boards give speed a different form from the platform games. In the story, Sonic faces Jet and the Babylon Rogues as Dr. Eggman organises a World Grand Prix. You seek the fastest line, use jumps and try to leave other racers behind.
Your air supply determines how long you can use certain actions. Boosting costs air, while successful tricks and refill points help replenish the tank. If it runs out, you continue on foot until you have air again. An opponent's turbulence can also help: you surf that airflow and use its movement to gain speed. A good lap therefore takes more than steering.
Different character types offer their own opportunities on the track, such as grinding, flying or breaking obstacles. You learn which racer suits a route and where to gain time. Alongside solo racing, up to four players can play locally on a split screen. Three or four players require a PS2 Multitap and enough controllers. Learning the circuit and managing air remain important in every race.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
Sonic Riders for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Sonic Riders
Sonic Riders was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. SEGA published it and announced it in 2005 as a Sonic Team project. Its presentation combined extreme sports, racing and head-to-head encounters with familiar Sonic characters. It reached Europe in March 2006. Extreme Gear provided a recognisable foundation: races used hovering equipment with room for jumps and tricks.
The Sonic series had explored racing earlier with Sonic R in 1997. Riders developed the idea differently by placing racers on Extreme Gear and making air part of riding. The track became a place to balance supply against speed. Following an opponent could help because their turbulence formed a usable path through the air.
Jet, Wave and Storm appeared as the Babylon Rogues, giving Sonic new rivals within this sporting setup. Their quest and the tournament provided the reasons for racing. Extreme Gear then remained the foundation of Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity in 2008. That sequel made gravity a new central tool. The first Riders preserves its combination of air management, tricks and using another racer's airflow.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity also uses Extreme Gear and fast tracks but makes Gravity Points important for turns and acceleration. In the first Sonic Riders you mainly manage air and use turbulence. Both demand track knowledge, but their distinctive racing moves use different systems.
Crash Nitro Kart for the PlayStation 2 combines colourful racers with weapons and turns where you can build speed. Its karts keep control closer to road driving. Sonic Riders adds hovering equipment, air management and turbulence surfing, giving jumps and air currents a larger part in each lap.
Crash Tag Team Racing adds another layer by letting two cars merge, with a driver and gunner. Between races you also explore a theme park on foot. Sonic Riders concentrates its extra options within racing itself, through tricks, character types and choosing a helpful airflow.
Jak X: Combat Racing on the PlayStation 2 mixes vehicles, weapons and a story about a dangerous tournament. Attacking and surviving while driving are central. Sonic Riders uses Extreme Gear for jumps, air supply and routes, giving movement mastery more attention.
SSX 3 shares the combination of racing and board tricks. You find lines down snowy slopes and use jumps for speed or points. Sonic Riders moves that idea to futuristic tracks with Sonic characters, tying abilities to air supply and the turbulence other racers leave behind.
