Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds’ Sonic Riders Representation is a…

After many years of hoping, wishing, and believing it was impossible, Sonic Riders fans are finally seeing the day when Extreme Gear gets to take the stage alongside cars in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. After Sonic Free Riders, these hoverboards were reduced to cameos and passing mentions in games, only being properly showcased occasionally in the Sonic comics. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds even brings back one of the futuristic racer's own tracks, White Cave, as a second track interlude.

It's certainly a dream come true for any Sonic Riders fan as it is, but after so long of wanting the EX Gear to make a return at the very least, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds makes a few decisions that might turn a few heads. As the Sonic Racing moniker implies, Riders isn't the only racing game starring the blue blur that is getting a callback. Sonic Team have stated in interviews that CrossWorlds aims to combine all the racing games that precede it, but it seems that some of Riders' most iconic draws got lost along the way.

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By Zackari Greif

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' Sonic Riders Fanservice Misses Why the Game Was Loved

So Far, Sonic Riders' Representation in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Neglects Its Strengths

Out of all Sonic racing games out there, Sonic Riders stands out for more than its Extreme Gear. It offered a speed that CrossWorlds' standard mode can't keep up with, and each race was mechanically driven to where there were tons of depth below its hoverboard premise on the surface. On top of that, its futuristic designs and unique outfits for its cast struck a nerve, where fans still wish to see it as skins with every upcoming release to this day.

Unfortunately, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds seems to think the inclusion of EX Gear is fine enough, but even that has its caveats. Sonic Riders' Jet, Wave, and Storm naturally have boards of their own, but out of the Sonic cast, most of them have cars as their personalized ride. Only Sonic breaks this rule with his Blue Star board being included, but it's exclusive to the new Sega Account service and restricted to one code per player.

Some players have had difficulty registering for a Sega Account with specific emails, and the Blue Star board is said to be exclusive to select regions. However, the Sega Account website has no accessible region listing at this time. This only adds to growing fan frustrations.

Despite Riders focusing on Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and their respective rivalries with the Babylon Rogues, Tails' Yellowtail and Knuckles' Red Rock aren't included. Only the hoverboard EX Gears have a place in CrossWorlds, which leads to previously bike-bound characters like Dr. Eggman being forced to ride a board in a way that might feel awkward to former Riders mains. Add in how there are no skins in CrossWorlds, and therefore no Riders outfits for those who like using EX Gears, and things get even more awkward from there. Watching Sonic race on Blue Star without the appropriate shoes and glasses feels a bit off as a result.

White Cave is a questionable choice of stage as well. While its choice is certainly a deep cut (it's an alternate course and not too well-known), there are plenty of arguments to be made for stages like Babylon Garden or Metal City. Metal City is certainly the most recognizable, and Babylon Garden is a good representation of Riders' story and track design. At the very least, White Cave helps offset the abundance of blue and sunny courses in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. There's still room for surprises down the line in terms of tracks, so perhaps Sonic Team has one more Riders track waiting in the wings.

Even if Sonic Riders' inclusion feels a bit incomplete or like it neglects what truly made the racer feel special, it's still remarkable to see it being represented in the way that it is. As previously mentioned, fans have wanted to see Extreme Gear in a "kart racing" Sonic game for quite some time. Seeing that dream realized is enough to make die-hard fans forego the cars and stick to the hoverboards, technicalities left to the wind. Not many players have had the chance to try Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' EX Gears for themselves just yet, and how they're properly implemented may make or break which mode of transport wins out when the game launches this September.

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