Play Sonic & All-stars Racing Online

I picked up Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing for the Nintendo DS around 2010, a time when the handheld was full of ambitious multiplayer titles. Sumo Digital developed it, and it felt like a direct answer to Mario Kart, but with a cast pulled from Sega's history. You had Sonic, of course, but also characters from Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball, and even the house from The House of the Dead. It was a solid attempt to bring a full-featured kart racer to the small screen.

You choose a Sega character and their unique vehicle, then race on tracks inspired by classic Sega games. The main goal is straightforward: finish first. You drift around corners to build a boost, and you pick up item boxes that give you weapons and power-ups to attack rivals or defend yourself. The tracks are split across two screens, which sometimes makes judging jumps a little tricky. The difficulty ramps up noticeably in the later cups, demanding clean driving and smart item use. It feels fast and chaotic, a genuine pocket-sized arcade racer.