STACK #251 September 2025

GAMING FEATURE

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Rather than remaining within the Sonic or SEGA/ATLUS universes, there are guest characters from external IPs this time out – such as Minecraft and SpongeBob SquarePants. What prompted the decision to expand the game’s world in this way? Crossover characters in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing were a big hit among fans, and we received a lot of feedback requesting their return. Adding external IPs also makes the game appealing to a broader audience, including players who might not usually play a Sonic game. These guest characters add variety and make the game even more exciting, especially with surprises like themed maps that change during races. We always listen to what people want and try to surprise and delight fans. Can you please tell us more about the new “CrossWorlds” gameplay? The gameplay builds on Sonic Racing’s strengths. It adds new features like Travel Rings, different terrains to race through, and the latest Gadgets mechanic to make each race feel fresh. The second lap transports players to a different CrossWorld, which can be chosen by the racer in the lead, allowing them to take racers to a new world, making each race unique. Please can you tell us more about the available customisation options for vehicles and how they affect gameplay? This game offers the most extensive customisation options in the series so far, focusing on vehicle and Gadget customisation. Players can adjust speed, acceleration, and handling by trying different combinations of vehicle parts. Parts from multiple vehicles can be mixed to create fully custom designs, with options to change colours, decals, textures, and even the interior. In addition, Gadgets provide special perks, allowing players to strategize and find unique ways to win. What is your personal favourite new feature introduced in CrossWorlds ? I’m most excited for the new Travel Rings feature. It makes every race feel fresh by transporting players to different worlds, each with unique challenges and obstacles. With the popularity of his games for nearly 35 years now, and on top of that recently becoming a huge movie star, has Sonic let all this success go to his head at all? ;) Not at all! Sonic is still the same bold and confident hedgehog that fans know and love.

It’s time for Sonic the Hedgehog and friends to hit the track once again, in this month’s Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds . We had the chance to chat with SEGA’s SonicTeam legend Takashi Iizuka to get more of an idea of what we can expect from the Blue Blur’s latest. Words Amy Flower RACING WITH THE STARS

It’s been six years since Team Sonic Racing . What sparked the decision to return to Sonic’s classic karting series? The team is constantly exploring new content ideas, and we felt it was the right time to create the next major title in the Sonic Racing series. We had numerous innovative new concepts that we wanted to introduce to players. Since Team Sonic Racing , SEGA has introduced many iconic characters, so this was the perfect chance to include them. CrossWorlds combines parts of all the previous Sonic racing games, even Sonic Riders . How did the team decide upon the gameplay style for this release? That’s exactly what we wanted to do. Our goal was to incorporate the best features from all Sonic Racing titles into a single game. Fans have been asking for this for a while, and we always want to listen to these requests. The concept was to honour the best parts of Sonic Racing and modernise the gameplay. That’s why we added land, sea, and air mechanics, crossover characters, and other updates to create a fresh and exciting experience.

While several previous Sonic Racing games have been developed with Sumo Digital, this one’s gone in-house.What has collaborating with the Initial D arcade team brought to the game? The development team that worked on this game is our SEGA arcade racing team, which has extensive experience in designing racing games. The goal was to take the classic Sonic Racing concept and improve upon it with new mechanics and ideas, and we felt they were an excellent fit for that. By transitioning to our internal SEGA team, we have also gained the ability to provide post release updates and event management directly.

• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is out Sep 25

Iizuka-san kindly shared these top tips for keen karters… TIPS FROM THE TOP

This game includes everything that makes the previous Sonic Racing games great, so we encourage fans to explore the extensive roster of characters, customisation options, and the return of Extreme Gear. I recommend that players experiment with different vehicle and gadget combinations to find the one that best suits their playstyle. Additionally, we plan to introduce various new characters and events after the game's release, ensuring that it continues to evolve and provide fresh content over time. We hope this will keep online races engaging and enjoyable for a long time to come.

64 SEPTEMBER 2025

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