Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (Wii)

Despite the gameplay difficulty of the original Sonic Riders, it was enough of a hit to warrant a sequel in 2008, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (Zero Gravity). Like the first game, it received a multiplatform release, but skipped the Xbox platform entirely. Since I had previously sold the PS2 version I had as a kid, I eventually re-bought the game through the Wii version due to price and availability, as part of a desire to play though the Riders trilogy for the first time. On finally being able to see it through, I found this game to be an improvement over the original in many ways, creating what I thought was a more fun experience overall.

As with the first Sonic Riders, the campaign is split between the Heroes Story and the Babylon Story, each one telling a different side of events.

In the Heroes Story, multiple meteorites land on Earth, one of which causes robots manufactured at Meteo(r)Tech to go berserk. As they investigate these events, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are pursued by said robots, as well as the Babylon Rogues.

Meanwhile, in the Babylon Story, Jet, Wave and Storm uncover an ancient Babylon relic known as the Ark of the Cosmos. When four metorites hit Earth, Jet ends up discovering the Ark’s ability to manipulate gravity. Once Wave figures out that there are not only five Arks of the Cosmos, but that they are what collectively help keep Babylon Garden afloat, the Babylon Rogues set off to find the other four.

Like the first game, the story is pretty short and, thanks to the gameplay changes, can be beaten in an afternoon. That’s not necessarily bad for a game like this, as the plot is easy to follow and manages to further expand on the Babylon Rogues within the short time frame. The final boss, unlocked by completing both Stories, features an interesting gameplay change that works with the Mobius Strip course in mind and has a pattern that isn’t too difficult to figure out, but manages to still feel climactic for what it is.

Specific to the Wii version, Zero Gravity offers three control options. The first two, Sideways and Vertical, center the controls around holding the Wii Remote in the chosen position, taking advantage of motion controls for turning. The third option, GameCube Controller, is the most ideal option, assuming you have one lying around. The motion controls immediately felt awkward when I tried them, and this option removes them completely in favor of a more standard control scheme.

Unlike the first game, Zero Gravity features an actual tutorial that more thoroughly explains the controls. Some basics are the same, but many of the mechanics have been either downplayed, such as the Turbulence mechanic, or greatly simplified, such as Tricks now only being a single button press that grades you on timing and landing. The Air Meter has been done away with, replaced with a Gravity Points (GP) Meter that builds up through Tricks and grinds and can be spent to perform various gravity-based feats, such as a Gravity Dive that delivers a burst of speed and can be upgraded to a Meteor Burst when connecting with floating objects. You can also use Gravity Control to either make sharp turns or, if you’re a Flight type, race along designated walls.

 

As long as you have enough GP, Gravity has many uses.

Besides Gravity, the other significant new mechanic is Gear Change. While collecting Rings on the track, you can spend them in various increments (20, 50 and 70 for default Gears), you can upgrade your Extreme Gear up to three times mid-race to enhance its performance on the track and unlock new abilities based on the type of Gear (Speed, Flight, Power). Also worth mentioning is that the Attack Item forces the racer to go on foot temporarily in favor of melee attacks, during which time you have access to Springs hidden across the track as a catch-up mechanic, though the timing of being able to do both is inconsistent.

Gear Change unlocks new abilities mid-race, such as grinding.

 

Although the Wii is generally underpowered compared with its contemporaries, the graphics hold up well. The Sonic the Hedgehog art style lends itself well to more stylized visuals, which excel well on the PS2 and Wii, which is complemented by some very excellent performance; at no point in the game did I see any sort of lag. Zero Gravity also has a more unique and consistent visual identity separate from the original game, leaning more heavily into the technology theming in a way that complements the gravity mechanics. Each course also feels more distinct compared to the first, which felt more formulaic in their approach, but I found the final unlockable course, Astral Babylon, to be a bit of a letdown.

It’s evident here that the 4Kids voice actors have become a lot more comfortable in their roles by this point, leading to stronger performances. Additionally, Jet and Storm, especially the former, sound a lot more distinct from Sonic and Knuckles, allowing more of Jet’s personality to shine through. Like the previous game, the music and sound design are strong; I particularly like the Gravity sound and the track “The Core,” the latter of which helps the final boss feel more climactic.

Between its gameplay overhaul and improved English voice acting, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity is arguably a lot more fun, if not better, than the original Sonic Riders, at least from a gameplay standpoint. While some may prefer the first game’s more brutal difficulty, Zero Gravity is easier to pick up and play thanks largely to its more robust tutorial, but those who care about the story may want to brush up on the plot of the first entry. If the Wii is your platform of choice, I highly recommend either dusting off or investing in at least one or two GameCube controllers for the best experience.