Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed [Vita/PC] Two Platform - Game Review

Reviewed On: Vita, PC
Also On: PS3, 360, Wii U, 3DS

"Kart racing... transformed."

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed adds new elements to the kart racing genre that make it an absolute blast of an experience, for fans of the genre this is a must play.
Difficulty: Scales (Easy - Very Hard) 
Time Spent Playing To Date: Vita - 11 Hours  PC - 28 Hours 
Worth Playing?: Yes
The Bottom Line: "Instant Classic"

Gameplay:
Sonic ASRT achieved something that for a long time I didn't think was possible: innovation to the kart racing genre. In this game, races take place not only on the road, but also in the water and sky. That's right, your kart has the ability to traverse different types of terrain making races all the more interesting.
Coming off of jumps also allows the player to perform tricks, successfully landing tricks can reward you with a boost. On the other hand, failing to land a trick will slow you down. This adds a little bit more diversity to the gameplay keeping things fresh every time you reach a jump.
Tricks are performed using the right stick, and for each direction there is a different kind of flip/roll (front, back, left, and right).
Drifting also will land you a boost bonus, the longer you hold a drift the larger the boost will be. This is measured based upon the color of your exhaust and on screen prompts. 

PC Screenshot - NiGHTS' All-Star Form

In the typical kart racing fashion, random boxes containing pickups (and some super pickups, with specific items in higher quantities) are placed at regular intervals throughout each track, in this game your arsenal consists of Ice, Firework, Drone, Blowfish, Glove, Twister, Boost, Hot Rod, Swarm, and the All-Star power-up. All-Star mode places the character in an invincible state at a higher speed where they can easily attack other drivers. 

Controls:
PC:
On PC there is of course keyboard support, as well as native Xbox controller support. The game is easily playable with the keyboard but of course a controller is a much better alternative and will put players at an advantage. The controls are tight and responsive and the karts handle great.
Vita:
The Vita version controls just as you'd expect it to, everything transfers over well from the console version. Without grips for the Vita, the game can cause some strain on the hands though as you'll need to rely heavily upon the L and R buttons to slide around turns. 

Difficulty:
This game can become very challenging at the higher levels of play. Some of the expert ghosts are especially frustrating. On the Vita in particular, I kept wishing I had a controller. Because of the sheer difficulty the game provides... I'd have to say if you're aiming for the Platinum Trophy on Vita it's at least a 9/10 difficulty rating from me, even with the glitched trophy for beating all expert ghosts.

Vita Screenshot

The challenge definitely exists, and yet at the same time, there are lower difficulties available that make entry into the game painless. As a result, the whole family will be able to enjoy Sonic ASRT. The game definitely allows players to develop their racing skills over time and appropriately test their abilities. 

Multiplayer:
Sonic ARST uses matchmaking for its multiplayer on each of the platforms. There are three modes: races that rely solely on speed and contain no weapons, traditional races with weapon pickups, and battle mode which unlike Mario Kart 8 actually has appropriate arena levels. The network connection on both the PC and Vita proved to work quite well.

Local split-screen is also great fun. The Vita features ad-hoc play to cover for not being able to provide this feature.

So all in all, what is left to be said about this game?

Pros -

+ Well designed and responsive controls
+ A wide selection of characters
+ Dynamic courses and vehicles
+ Matchmaking/Invite system that functions properly
+ Wide range of difficulty to cater to all levels of players
+ Good amount of tracks to race on including mirrored versions
+ Visually the Vita version is almost on par with its console/PC counterparts

Cons -
- Limited graphics options on PC indicative of a console port
- Vita controls can feel a bit tight with heavy reliance on the shoulder buttons


Vita  -  8.5 / 10 - Great
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PC -    9 / 10 - Superb