Back in 1992 the racing genre was introduced to what would become one of it's strongest pillars(sub-genre), the kart racer. A plucky plumber, his girlfriend, his brother,  a green dinosaur and a host of others drifted all over the SNES and became one of its most popular titles. Since then the kart racer has been a must for console and handheld gamers alike. Unfortunately no other kart racer has been able to capture the quaility or attention to detail like the series that started it all. There have been countless mario kart clones spanning almost every dedicated gaming console, handheld or even cellphone.

Not since the Saturn's Sonic R, released in 1997(PC port in 98), has Sega put out a mascot kart racing game. Having never played Sonic R I am in no position to comment on its' quality. However I am anxiously awaiting Sonic & Sega All-star Racing being a huge Mario Kart fan. SSAR will be developed by Sumo Digital, the creators of Sonic's Superstar Tennis. 

SSAR will feature a pretty predictable list of Sonic characters including: Tails, Amy, Big the Cat(gotta have him), Shadow and Knuckles. Aiai, Ulala, Amigo, Ryo, Beat and othersfrom various Sega titles will be joining the roster. The Wii version will allow Miis and the 360 version will include avatars as well as BanjoKazooie. Rare has said that it will be lending its virtually unknown, when compared to a Mario or Sonic, roster of characters to other developers should the inclusion make sense. The beloved martians, Toe Jam and Earl, were also slated to make an appearance but due to some contractual issues they will be sitting this race out. Other characters from Sega owned properties are rumored to be making appearances but it has not been determined whether they will be playable.

SSAR will be taking most of its' cues from other established kart racers. That certainly is not a bad thing, if one is going to borrow why not do so from the best. Vehicles will be from one of four classes: racing, off-road, bike and hovercraft. Different racing environments will affect the the vehicle class either positivley or negatively with one exception, the hovercraft. The hovercraft will not be affected by by any racing terrain however they will have lower top speeds and cannot drift. Players will earn Sega miles and can use them to unlock more game content. The modes of play offered will be available for up to four players split screen and eight players online. Supposedly DLC is possible but that will be based on sales. With very few, if any, kart racers on the HD systems I for one cannot wait to run circles around my friends as Big the cat.