One of the best kart racers on PS3. Track transformations and a diverse roster keep races fresh. Excellent in multiplayer, a serious and legitimate competitor against the best in the genre.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player3+
Description
Kart racing by Sumo Digital extending Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with transformable vehicles. Published by Sega, released in November 2012 in Europe, North America and Japan. Over twenty-nine playable signature Sega characters including Sonic, Tails, AiAi, Beat and Vyse, arcade kart racing gameplay with vehicles transformable into kart, boat and plane according to terrain, over twenty-one dynamic circuits inspired by Sega universes like Seaside Hill, Carrier Zone and Burning Depths, World Tour campaign mode with four main cups, drift and All-Star boost mechanic for ultimate techniques per character, online multiplayer mode for up to ten players and local split-screen for up to four, soundtrack by Richard Jacques.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Dazzling colours, looping scenery and heady speed: the game celebrates Sonic's legacy by blending classic 2D and modern 3D with delightful brilliance. The perfect readability and pop energy overflow with joy. This visual direction, lively and polished, brilliantly revives the charm of the blue hedgehog.
Celebrating the Sega universe, the music re-arranges an avalanche of cult themes, from Sonic to his cousins, into supercharged versions cut for racing. Each circuit resurrects a mythic game with an irresistible flair. This sonic anthology, generous and rousing, delights fans of all of Sega's history.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
A frenzied kart racer where vehicles transform into plane or boat depending on the terrain, with a crowd of Sega characters and weapons to sow mayhem. The snappiness of the races and the item chaos deliver instant fun, especially in multiplayer. Colourful, generous and fiercely convivial, an arcade racer that blows up the genre's conventions with contagious energy.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Sliding, flying and sailing across circuits that transform mid-race endlessly renews the urge to chase a better time or unlock the next racer. Drifts, weapons and shortcuts deliver an immediate joy. The aggressive AI and a few difficulty spikes grate, but the variety of the tracks and the generosity of the roster make it a fearsomely gripping kart racer.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Its generosity comes from the sheer mass of morphing tracks, characters to unlock and cups to clear in a remarkably hefty World Tour. Every event begs to be replayed for the perfect star, while multiplayer, local and online alike, extends the ride almost without limit. The depth and Sega fan service keep it a kart racer that's still recommended.
A festive arcade racer from Sumo Digital, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed sends Sega's heroes racing on land, sea and air across morphing tracks, hailed as a peak of the mascot genre. Still common in the West, its interest lies in this well-judged Sega celebration and its quality rather than scarcity. A piece valued by fans of multiplayer kart racing.
Is Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed still worth playing in 2026?
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the PS3's best kart games, a far more serious contender than one might think against the genre's benchmarks. Its core idea, tracks that morph mid-race to switch from tarmac to water and then air, forcing the vehicle to transform, brings a rare freshness and variety. The roster drawn from the SEGA universe, the precise handling and the jubilant multiplayer make it a formidably successful title. The driving rewards mastery of drifting and racing lines. For the kart fan, alone or among friends, it is a safe bet.
