Sonic R - Reception

Reception

Both versions of Sonic R generally received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 70% and a 68.92% on the review aggregator website GameRankings. Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot commented positively on the graphics and audio, but criticized a lack of depth and content in the game, stating, "Within the first hour of playing I had finished the game... so short that you'll probably finish it the day you rent it." Game Revolution gave the game a "C-" rating, describing the game as "mediocre at best", citing "wily and inexact" controls and poor music as major complaints. Allgame echoed these sentiments, praising the graphics, but criticizing the controls, referring to them as "an ordeal and will take some practice".

Reception of the ported version of the game available in Sonic Gems Collection was also negative. Eurogamer criticized the game for being "...too awkward to play for any length of time", calling the controls "odd" because "...each character steers like an actual car." 1UP.com criticized it as well, focusing on the controls and graphics, stating "The grainy visuals make it hard to tell where you're going, and the frustrating controls make it difficult to get there." Several sources compared it unfavorably to the Mario Kart series. GameSpy claimed that the game "didn't hold up very well", stating that despite it playing "a bit like Mario Kart with extra exploration bits added", that the game "works better in theory than in practice...it's not an awful lot of fun". Similarly, GamesRadar cited it as "Mario Kart-style racer of the pack, while reasonably speedy, is an absolute pig to control, with each racer skating around the circuits with all the grace of an inebriated toddler."