Racing game featuring Sonic and friends, visually colorful with a memorable soundtrack. Original on-foot racing gameplay but very limited content (5 circuits). Kinda fun in versus mode but quickly exhausted solo. Better than it's often depicted.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player7+
Split screen
Description
Racing game featuring Sonic universe characters running on foot across colorful circuits. Published by Sega, released in the USA in 1997. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic playable, five circuits with varied settings, Chaos Emerald collection objectives, time trial and versus modes. The only Sonic franchise racing game on Saturn.
Sonic R review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Carried by Richard Jacques's pop-dance songs and TJ Davis's voice, the music bathes these races in a sunny euphoria, from the famous "Can You Feel the Sunshine" to the catchiest refrains. Fully sung, it embraces an unabashed, joyful pop stance. This singular sonic identity remains an irresistible guilty pleasure.
Gameplay
"Decent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Running on foot at full pelt rather than at the wheel, jumping and gliding across open tracks riddled with shortcuts: this racing game bets on vertical exploration and Sonic's signature speed. The catchy soundtrack and the hunt for hidden characters renew the urge to return. Colourful, original and snappy, an atypical racer with infectious charm.
The only racing game in the Sonic series on Saturn, Sonic R pairs flagship characters with on-foot tracks, built by Traveller's Tales. Its late-1997 Western launch met the system's decline, giving a short NTSC run and a firm complete value, further reinforced by this edition's combined USA and Brazil marking. Its oddity within the franchise keeps demand steady among Sonic followers.
Is Sonic R still worth playing in 2026?
A Sega racer, Sonic R has the Sonic-universe characters run on foot across large open three-dimensional courses, looking for shortcuts and hidden items, against a catchy pop soundtrack. The on-foot racing concept, the exploration of the courses and the multiplayer keep a singular charm, even if the low number of tracks and floaty handling limit the lifespan. The soundtrack became cult. A curiosity for Sonic fans and lovers of offbeat retro arcade racing on Saturn.
