The Sonic Riders series.

[Kuzu]

I noticed we don't have a topic about these games, so we may as well talk about them and what we hate about them.

So yeah, Sonic Riders, built on the concept of making Sonic a racing series....with hoverboards. Notably they introduced the Babylon Rogues as an extra(And arguably unnecessary) set of rivals to the Big three, and revolved around a tournament, and the (Very confusing) backstory of the Rogues.

......that's all I got.

[Tori Himemiya]

Sonic Riders:

Love the concept, hate the blistering controls. Its like Sega wanted to make a more complicated Kirby Air Ride and make it cool. I didn't like the whole "air is the new fuel" thing either since running out is a big convience. And the attacks looked cool but I feel like they should had left that to power ups. And they had to reuse the same 6 tracks for the other 6. Cool to use a bike though.

Zero Gravity:

Better on the controls but confusing gimmick at times. More varity on tracks than the first. Also you have to get your class skill (flying, grinding, etc.) by grabbing rings. And so forth.

Free Riders:

Haven't played it yet and I don't think I ever will due to not having a 360.

I did like the Rogues but they suffer from terrible writing as I mentioned before.

[sonfan1984]

I enjoyed the first game, I didn't enjoy the second and the third game I've only played just the tutorials and gave up cause I couldn't get the hang of the Kinect motion controls.

[krazystitch]

These games are alright for what they are. I've really only played the first two in the series and I thought that they were fine. Not amazing, but..not awful. They're just pretty much standard racing games, except with talking animals on flying vehicles. There's really nothing all that special about any of them, as far as I'm concerned.

[Boodendorf]

I liked the first one's gameplay, was pretty fun, didn't try out the other two, I might get Free riders since I have an unused kinect at home.

[ArtFenix]

Basically this

Sonic Riders > Sonic Riders Zero Gravity > Sonic Free Riders.

ZG has the best story though. I'd say it's much better than even some of the recent "main" games......

Didn't play Free Riders, but was very disappointed by the awful story and lack of in-game and CG cutscenes. Gameplay looks fine, but I can't say for sure as I never played it since I don't have neither Xbox360 nor that Kinect thing.

And I like babylon rouges a lot. Cool guys, it's always interesting and funny to watch cutscenes with them. I also love the humor of the first riders game.

Edited January 29, 2012 by ArtFenix

[Sonictrainer]

The original was awesome.

The story in the second one was a little interesting but the Extreme Gear was too expensive and some of the new concepts ruined it for me.

Haven't played the third one yet.

[Indigo Rush]

Sonic and friends on hoverboards, hoverbikes and rocket skates with strategy in choosing characters and gear to make it more than a vanilla racer?

YES, PLEASE!

Slippery controls and convoluted storylines?

SWEET NIBLET-ZOMBIES, NO!

I wish that Sega would dish out a good Riders game. I absolutely adore the concept of Sonic and friends racing on Extreme Gear because it adds variety and depth to racing (not only do you have differences in the character, but the kind of gear they use), pulling off tricks to add to the boost meter, the upbeat music and colorful environments, and it makes the usage of the huge glut of cast members sensible for once.

But... the story has to go, and they need to tweak the system so it's more consistent. The fact that you could run out of air and have to run on foot is silly, the gravity dive isn't necessary, and... Kinect... no.

WHAT I WOULD IMPROVE:

- Use all of the cast (within reason). No excuses, I want to race as Big against Omega.

- Keep emphasis on strategy through shortcuts and handling differences.

- Use familiar levels instead of coming up with half-hearted tracks (racing through Chemical Plant, Seaside Hill and Twinkle Park at high speeds? Yes please!)

- Remove the story mode and focus on multiplayer and racing... online racing is a must.

- Add emphasis on a trick system for boost energy.

- Keep the air system to an extent, using it for boosting only... NO RUNNING ON FOOT NONSENSE.

- Keep some power-ups and weapons in there for added fun.

That being said.... yeah. I like the concept of Riders, but it needs work.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Indigo Rush

[Soniman]

The first one was decent, haven't tried out the second one. Never want to play the third one.

[No more]

I find both Sonic Riders and Zero Gravity frustrating because I can't get a hang of the gameplay, the stories doesn't seem so bad though and I like the Babylon Rogues (apart from Storm).

But I haven't really seen enough of the first game to give an accurate answer but from what I've seen so far it will probably be amongst those games that I will never get the hang of.

Third one I can't write about because I don't have the correct console.

That's my two cents

[redhellc]

I don't have a problem with the riders series, I don't think that they are bad games, but they aren't great ones too.

Like everybody as said for a real good game too came out of it, they will need some work.

I have played all of them, including free riders and I have to say that if it wasn't for the bad kinect controls and lack of any story(because that doesn't really count as story) the game could have been the best of the series. The levels have some number of shortcuts(more than the other games at least), a lot of power ups(some of them somewhat interesting) and the use of the drives is better than other games, and the music is pretty good too, the graphics could have been better but I think it fits the game. Its sad that the controls don't respond as they should and the story is so weak(you don't see any effort on that part of the game).

[HeroMystic]

The original had the faulty turbulence gimmick that made skill more or less null as one can completely catch up to the leader in hardly any time. For this point alone I have to give it to Zero Gravity for being the better game.

Free Riders doesn't come close.

[-Mark-]

Funny you made this topic, since I've just replayed the first two over this weekend. There have been Riders topics in the past, but they're long since dead and buried.

In any case, it's hardly a secret that I'm a die-hard fan of the Riders games (with the first Riders being my seconds favourite Sonic game of all time and Zero Gravity still within my top ten) and absolutely adore both them and the Babylon Rogues (although that probably puts me in a minority). Rather than gush endlessly and basically repeat what I've said many times before, I'll try and keep it brief;

Riders: Almost perfect. Story is just the right tone and done well, gameplay is fine. Super Sonic is difficult to use well and was deemed by many as 'bad' (and I can see why people think that), but it's a case of him sort of being as good as the player.

Zero Gravity: Tries to fix what wasn't broken, and isn't as good as the original as a result. Story over-reaches into the ridiculous and the gameplay has been made overly technical and convoluted due to a borked level-up system. You want me to level up Sonic twice before he can even grind now? Really? Super Sonic is so bad that he's almost impossible to win with.

Free Riders: Dude, where's my cutscenes? Inexcusably shoddy production values evident of a short deadline and Kinect exclusivity hamper what could have otherwise been a solid title. Instead, we get Sonic Heroes 2.0 on hoverboards told through static images with dodgy controls. And half the number of stages that the previous two games had (sorry Sonic Team, 'Expert' versions of the main stages don't count as new stages- granted the previous games had similarities between some stages, but they were never just tweaked versions).

It's not even the Kinect controls that spoil it the most. Sure, they're fiddly, take getting used to and ultimately could work better (and would ultimately be better if you just used a bloody controller), but it's more the fact that the game was so painfully rushed and as such content-lite. It's a shame, because Jet gets some nice character development in it, too.

So yes. First one is by far the best, but the second is still very good. Free Riders is just 'okay', but it just feels so shoddily put together.

The original had the faulty turbulence gimmick that made skill more or less null as one can completely catch up to the leader in hardly any time. For this point alone I have to give it to Zero Gravity for being the better game.

Free Riders doesn't come close.

Not only was the turbulence system still in Zero Gravity (admittedly to a lesser extent), but it really didn't work that way; yes, it helped you catch up if you were lagging behind, but it never just spat you out at the front of the pack.

Edited January 29, 2012 by -Mark-

[Sean]

I had fun with them at the time, but they're really kind of shit. Nothing they do is remotely Sonic-like at all (TrackMania is a better Sonic racing game than Riders is), the controls can be very temperamental and take way too much time to get used to, and there's just so many unnecessary things that shouldn't be there like the first two game's respective fuel supply and needlessly complicated methods of turning.

I've said multiple times before that they should have gotten the guys behind F-Zero GX (Sega Amusement Vision) to develop a Sonic racing game series. F-Zero GX emphasizes speed and uses it as a big part of gameplay, whereas the Riders games are hardly speedy at all. At least All-Stars Racing knew what it tried to be and stuck with it - Sonic Riders tries to be too much and it comes off as painfully awkward and obtuse.

[HeroMystic]

Not only was the turbulence system still in Zero Gravity (admittedly to a lesser extent)

Which is exactly why I put ZG over Riders.

Riders used Turbulence too much. It doesn't matter if you were in 8th place or 2nd place, if your opponent was far back enough, the turbulence mechanic kicks in and you can do a bunch of tricks on the wind and your speed goes into overdrive, nullifying any sense of "catching up" with a broken mechanic.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Marco

[JezMM]

Well, all of them are really inaccessible. That's the series' one major flaw. You have to put time in to really enjoy them and get the hang of the controls and general way the game works.

Riders was really great, liked a lot. Zero Gravity I didn't like AS much but I loved the slightly more surreal and cyberpunk envioronments they used. Utterly fantastic visual design.

Free Riders was just so meeeeeeh. I liked the introduction of Mario Kart-esque elements but yeah just, Kinect did not impress me at all with this. And as said the story mode and lame "alternative" tracks screamed short development time. For shame.

Like most Sonic games though, all three soundtracks are absoloutely boss.

Edited January 29, 2012 by JezMM

[Balding Spider]

I rember playing the first Sonic Riders game, and while not down right awful I did find it pretty mediocre.

[Kuzu]

I was a fan of the first game, but then I got All star racing and it was far more fun and controlled a lot better,

[SuperStingray]

Never really understood why the Riders games don't get more credit. At least the first two; I haven't played Free Riders. But based on what I have played, I actually prefer it to Mario Kart and S&SASR; the levels are so dynamic that you don't even have to take the same path every lap, and the different character types add even more technique, but are balanced enough that there isn't an overwhelming advantage to being a speed, flight or power type on any particular track. And one thing it certainly has over Mario Kart is that the items are far better balanced, but then having a more balanced catalog of items than Mario Kart is like saying your game has more ethically challenging moral choices than inFamous. As for the controIs, I can't remember being particularly vexed by them, but I can't say I was sad to see turbulance go for the sequel. It was a good choice too, considering the addition of the gravity mechanic might have created some conflict with that.

But of all Sonic games with a storyline, I'm going to say this series needs it the least. If there must be something, make it as involving as Sonic Pinball Party's plot. Once you have alien genie birds, it's kind of clear that you don't really have a particular aim with giving the game a story, so you might as well save the budget.

Edited January 29, 2012 by SuperStingray

[Xenos]

I found Riders the best, I never got to play the 3rd, and Zero G I didn't like as much.

Sonic Riders felt like it had a unique style and charm to it. The anime style of everything, and in game I never had a problem with the controls or anything. The graphics were kinda bad when you weren't playing the game with how they made that (Kinda cool) Blur effect depending on how fast you were going. It felt like I was playing an EX Gear Racing title with Sonic. And I enjoyed it for that.

I want to get Super Sonic to see how he feels, but it'll be a pain...

The next 2 Riders game pretty much changed everything for me, while I do like Zero Gravity, it didn't have the same charm on me. Everything felt too slow, the Trick system was... not even a trick system. You held down "A" in my case, and you jumped and watched your character do a rather lazy looking animation. And they continued that in Free Riders. Even though the trick system was wonky in The original, it was at least involving and easier to look at. Nothing felt better then hearing your character say something energetic and do a High trick.

Honestly, I think the Spin-Off series has potential, they just need to refine it.

[Skyward Sword]

Origonal riders Is pretty good. Zero Gravity is excellent. Free Riders feels like a port of a PSP game with better in game graphics and motion controls added.

[Ferno]

I like how even the Riders Games went shallow in the story department starting in '10. Though it's really because of the short development time, so I guess there's that.

That said though, the two previous game's stories weren't all that great, imo.

I actually like Free Riders a lot because of its shallow story, its a racing game, you don't need much story if any. It was just "racing tournament, let's race" hell the different interactions between the teams was more interesting.

I knew my statement wouldn't go unscathed. >w> Solid argument is solid however- this is a spin off and a racing series, so story shouldn't be the priority.

On the subject of gameplay, I thought it was alright in the first Riders, though it could've used alot of fine tuning. The other 2 I haven't played.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Inferno

[Kuzu]

I like how even the Riders Games went shallow in the story department starting in '10. Though it's really because of the short development time, so I guess there's that.

That said though, the two previous game's stories weren't all that great, imo.

I actually like Free Riders a lot because of its shallow story, its a racing game, you don't need much story if any. It was just "racing tournament, let's race" hell the different interactions between the teams was more interesting.

[sonfan1984]

Yeah, I certainly did enjoy the writing and interactions more in Free Riders then the previous Riders games and it makes up for the lack of story and actual cutscenes.

Edited January 29, 2012 by sonfan1984

[Xenos]

Mix the interactions of the teams with Free Riders with real cutscenes and maybe a story about the same as Generations, but the cutscenes are a bit longer with a bit of CGI in there, along with a refined system that bases off of Riders 1 style.

...Better yet, skip CGI and make the cutscenes 2D animation.