-- International Info --
Area	Title	Debut
USA	Sonic R	November 18, 1997
Europe	Sonic R	November 21, 1997
Japan	Sonic R	December 4, 1997

   The two Sonic Drift games could only go so far due to the platform they appeared on; this is the real Sonic racer. True, 3D courses and no dinky cars (except for Robotnik's Egg Typhoon and Amy's racer, of course).

   The object, logically, is to beat your four opponents to the finish line. This can be done straight-on, or by taking shortcuts (and on the tougher difficulty setting, it can pretty much only be achieved by taking shortcuts...). Since the courses are pretty complex, it usually takes some races sacrificed in the interest of exploring and memorizing the course.

   Explorers will also be rewarded with Sonic Tokens...find all five of these in each Zone (and then beat the race with first, second, or third), and you go one-on-one with that level's hidden character. Beat that hidden character, and he becomes playable.

   Also hidden around the levels are the seven Chaos Emeralds...there's none in Radiant Emerald and only one in Resort Island, but the other three Zones have two each. They are usually hidden behind doors which require 50 Rings to open, and always off the main track...not only do you have to get off, nab the Emerald, then get back into the race, but you have to place first if you want to keep the stone. Collect all seven Chaos Emeralds, and Super Sonic becomes playable.

And now, a list of the playable characters and their abilities:

• Sonic the Hedgehog -- As usual (and predictably), high on speed and low on handling. His special move is a Double Jump. Playable from the start.
• Miles "Tails" Prower -- Average speed, but he accelerates and corners well. He can also fly short distances with his Heli-Tails move. Playable from the start.
• Knuckles the Echidna -- The most balanced character in the game, Knuckles is equally as adept in all categories, but doesn't excel in any of them. Good for beginners, and has his trademark Glide move. Playable from the start.
• Amy Rose -- The slowest character of the group, but also has the best handling. Her car can hover right over water, and her special move is a Turbo Boost that zips her forward at hedgehog speed. Playable from the start.
• Dr. Ivo Robotnik -- The Eggman has good handling and a fair speed, but no grip and slow acceleration. His special move is a homing missile that knocks the Rings out of anyone it hits. Playable after winning the Radiant Emerald course.
• Metal Sonic -- Like an extreme version of Sonic, Metal Sonic is the fastest racer in the group (except for Super Sonic), but you can forget about handling... He doesn't have Sonic's Double Jump, but his default jump is high and long thanks to his jet boosters. Hidden character in Resort Island.
• Tails Doll -- Controls like a combination of Tails and Robotnik, with a very light feel to him. A little on the slow side, but has excellent cornering and a unique "float" move. Hidden character in Radical City.
• Eggrobo -- About the most useless character, Eggrobo's bulky feel makes him low on speed and handling. He can't jump at all, but his homing missile attack reaches even farther than Robotnik's. His cornering ability is also the best in the game. Hidden character in Regal Ruin.
• Metal Knuckles -- Like an extreme version of Knuckles, probably making Metal Knuckles the all-round best racer in the game. His extreme Glide gives him more air time than any other characters' special move. Hidden character in Reactive Factory.
• Super Sonic -- The fastest character in the game, and his handling is absolutely as good as it can get for the speed he travels. This still may be a little too loose for some people, but for most expert racers, Super Sonic's the best choice if you can get him. Has Sonic's usual Double Jump. Playable after obtaining all seven Chaos Emeralds.

   Although it's fairly creative as far as racers go, Sonic R never had widespread appeal due to its quirky control system and very...um, esoteric music. Still, for those who bother to get into it, it has alot of fun to offer, if only for a very short period (most folks should be able to clear the game in one or two sittings). The addition of two new characters to the Sonicverse (the long-awaited Metal Knuckles and the controversial Tails Doll) make it a must-own for loyal Sonic freaks.

Resort Island Zone: The Flickies are singing and the sun shining in this tropical island paradise. A crystal waterfall flows from a rocky cliff into the bay below, as palmtrees sway in the ocean breeze.	Radical City Zone: A massive aerial highway weaves through the buildings in this secluded mountain city. Neon lights brighten the path under the night sky, and a giant lookout tower accents the center of the city.
No image available Regal Ruin Zone: This ancient Egyptian labyrinth spins a tale of time. The track weaves throughout the dig site of the ancient ruins, all against an orange sunset sky.	No image available Reactive Factory Zone: The purple morning sky casts an eerie silence over the futuristic Reactive Factory. Robotnik's already moving the two final Chaos Emeralds to safety via a rocket and a submarine...
No image available Radiant Emerald Zone: There is only one rule inside a Chaos Emerald: chaos rules. It's a high-speed dash along the transparent crystal tracks within a universe of chaos.	None available.

-- MIDI Collection -- Resort Island (Can You Feel the Sunshine?) -- Jarel Jones Resort Island (instrumental) -- Jarel Jones Radical City (Living in the City) -- Jarel Jones Radical City (instrumental) -- Jarel Jones

-- Related Media -- · US Saturn cover · PC cover · Early cover · Original soundtrack · Title screen · Resort Island (overhead) · Radical City (overhead) · Regal Ruin (overhead) · Reactive Factory (overhead) · Sonic's ending screen · Super Sonic's ending screen · Tails' ending screen · Knuckles' ending screen · Amy's ending screen · Robotnik's ending screen · Metal Sonic's ending screen · Eggrobo's ending screen · Perfect ending · Character art: Sonic · Character art: Super Sonic · Character art: Tails · Character art: Knuckles · Character art: Amy · Character art: Robotnik · Character art: Metal Sonic · Character art: Tails Doll · Character art: Metal Knuckles · The End

Same player in VS Mode: (Saturn version) At the player-select screen in Versus Mode, highlight the same character and hold down X on both controllers. Now, while holding down X, choose that character with both controllers. Player 2 will be a slighly darker-tinted version of player 1. Fun with the Title Screen: (Saturn version) At the title screen, you can move the giant "R" by pressing the D-pad, and change its colors by pressing the A, B, X, and Y buttons. Zooming Polygons: (Saturn version) At any one of the select-screens, press the L and R Shift buttons to make the polygon model zoom in and out.

Box covers taken from Sega Online. Screenshots taken from Sega Entertainment Universe. Information compiled and arranged by Jared "Green Gibbon!" Matte.