

For example, the Ice Attack will shoot out and freeze your opponent if used offensively, but it acts as a mine of sorts when used defensively.

Power-ups are strewn about randomly and can be used either offensively or defensively. There is nothing hugely demanding in that while levels attempt to act 3D with mountains, huge drops, loops, and rotating segments a la Sonic Adventure, you're still always moving mostly on a linear route to the right. Most of your time will be spent running to the right through what are primarily two-dimension maps, trying to outpace the other racer toward the goal. The mechanics of Sonic Rivals itself are about simple as you'd expect from a storyline like that. You'll run very very fast, jump a lot, and hopefully make it to the end of the track before your rival. Of course, in this case, other people want those Emeralds first, which brings in the whole racing element on which the entire game is built. This time about, it's all caused by Eggman's latest plan: By using a special ray he's developed, the rotund bringer of evil around Mobius has turned Tails and Amy into playing cards! The only way to get them released from an eternity of living in booster packs is to get the Chaos Emeralds yet again for purposes that are not well described. This time, the entrant in the "don't forget our mascot" saga is Sonic Rivals, a screaming dash to the finish line, not unlike we've seen many times since 1998's Sonic R (or 1994's Sonic Drift, but that didn't come out in the States) established that Sonic and his friends are rather fond of footracing when the situation calls for it. But that doesn't stop SEGA and Backbone Entertainment from trying to reassure us that yes, Sonic's fast on his feet, again and again. We know this intimately after 17 (count 'em!) years with the guy, and nothing short of Sonic The Senior Citizen Hedgehog's Retirement Home Adventures will really change our stance on things. Hedgehog is faster than greased lightning with a nitro injector and a turbocharged warp drive. The sky is usually blue, politicians are greedy, and Sonic T.

In this world, there is no small number of proven facts.
