Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360, 2010)

Sonic Free Riders

Sonic makes his Kinect debut with *Sonic Free Riders*, a Kinect-exclusive sequel to the previous generation's *Sonic Riders* title. This game stands out as one of the few Kinect launch titles that is not only a sequel but also part of an existing game franchise, as many Kinect titles are designed solely as showcase experiences for the controller-free hardware. Sega promotes this title as the first Sega game to utilize "full body movements" for control.

As with previous entries in the series, players control characters from the Sonic franchise, racing through closed tracks, performing stunts, and engaging in attacks against opponents. The key difference here is the removal of traditional controllers, allowing players to use their full body movements to control their characters. The game supports one or two players on a single Xbox 360, or up to eight players online. A unique feature, called Tag mode, enables two players to work together by placing their hands together and moving in sync to control their on-screen characters. Alongside the series' signature hoverboards, players now have the option to ride bikes.

The game includes a story mode featuring Sonic and friends as they take on Team Babylon, a group of adversarial birds. The story mode features four teams, each consisting of three characters, along with additional unlockable characters. Teams include Team Heroes, Team Babylon, Team Rose, and Team Dark, with a total of nineteen characters available, including the player's Xbox 360 Avatar. Characters are categorized into three classes: Speed, Flight, and Power.

Key Features

• Full Body Control: Experience a new way to race using Kinect's full body movement tracking.
• Varied Gameplay: Engage in races on hoverboards or bikes, performing stunts and collecting rings.
• Story Mode: Battle against Team Babylon and progress through a narrative featuring Sonic and his friends.
• Tag Mode: Team up with a friend by synchronizing movements to control characters in a race.
• Character Customization: Level up characters by collecting rings and enhancing their attributes with various items.