GAME COMPLETED #9: SONIC FREE RIDERS

Sonic Free Riders is a racing style game that uses boards and bikes to compete with various characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Despite many horrible reviews I have seen on this title, I was pleasantly surprised.

GAME: Sonic Free Riders

REVIEW SCORE: 7/10

The biggest beef that most people seem to have with Sonic Free Riders is the controls. Granted, the menu system could have easily been presented in a different, more friendly interface, I still did not have all that many problems with it.

As long as you play the tutorial stages and have a proper Kinect setup, you should have no problems playing Sonic Free Riders.

The game offers many different play variants including race, battle, coin collector, time trials, and more. There are even a couple of co-op modes available (local co-op only).

One downside to the game is the repetitiveness. The game offers 16 stages, but it is really just 8 stages with two stage variants. You then play the different modes across these levels.

There is a Grand Prix mode that offers a story line, but it doesn't really offer anything intriguing. It is a nice way to dabble with many of the different game play variants and unlock new characters.

FITNESS SCORE: 3/10

Unlike other Kinect titles, there is very little moving involved with this title. The board and bike mechanics require mostly leaning and ducking. Almost all of the activity involved comes from the jumping. If you get really enthusiastic, you can add 360 spins to your jumps for added points in the game.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

-Play through Grand Prix mode first. This will unlock new modes, which will unlock new characters.

-For the gear and gear part collector achievements, you should go for the gear part collector one first. Once you purchase the last gear part and see the achievement unlock, turn off your xbox or use the guide button to exit to the dashboard. This will let you keep the achievement as well as all the coins you spent in the store (you will likely never use most of the gear parts offered).

-In addition to the achievements, there are a few Xbox Awards you can unlock for this game. Place 1st on every course with Sonic, place 1st on every course with Jet, place first on every course with E-10000, and watch the credits (beat the final section of Grand Prix mode).