Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

January 8, 2008(18 years ago)·Full Release

Sonic Team

Publisher: Sega

★

6.6

37 user ratings

★

6.1

40 critic ratings

★★★★★★★★★★

⭐

VOTES

Genres: Racing, Sport

Platforms: Wii, PS2

Buy on Store 3 Buy on Twitch

Screenshots

ActionFantasyComedySingle playerMultiplayerSplit screenThird personHavok PhysicsESRBPEGIClassInd L

Summary

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity is a hoverboard racing game created by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 and Wii. It serves as the fifth racing title in the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the second installment in the Sonic Riders trilogy. A version for the Xbox 360 was scrapped during development, while a follow-up, Sonic Free Riders, was later launched exclusively on that platform in 2010. The gameplay in Zero Gravity closely mirrors that of its predecessor, featuring characters competing on various hovercraft known as "Extreme Gear." Building upon the mechanics of the earlier game, Zero Gravity introduces a new system centered around gravity, replacing the previous "fuel" mechanic. Throughout the race, executing tricks and other actions boosts a character's Gravity Points, or GP. When players accumulate sufficient GP before entering specific track areas, they can activate a Zero-Gravity Zone, where they can choose from two special moves. A Gravity Dive generates a small black hole that directs gravity forward along the track, giving the player a strong free-fall boost that can be enhanced by hitting objects displaced by the hole, such as vehicles or signs. Alternatively, Gravity Control changes the course's gravity, enabling access to hidden areas and shortcuts. Players can also utilize Gravity Drift to more easily navigate tight turns.

Storyline

The Babylon Rogues obtain an Ark of the Cosmos, one of five ancient artifacts capable of manipulating gravity, with the goal of harnessing all to fuel Babylon Garden's warp engine. Additional Arks descend from the sky, one of which hits MeteoTech's Crimson Tower, a high-tech facility. This causes the robots within to malfunction and launch a worldwide assault. Sonic, journeying with Tails and Knuckles, discovers one of the Arks. When attacked by the rogue machines, he uses the Ark's energy to escape. During their escape, the group encounters Amy, who has also located an Ark. The four travel to MeteoTech to investigate, where they run into the Rogues. Storm gives chase to Amy, trying to seize her Ark. The others proceed deeper into the building, where they uncover the company's founder, Doctor Eggman. Eggman explains that one of the robots, SCR-HD, was hit by the Ark that struck Crimson Tower, granting it intelligence and command over the other machines. Now, the robots are determined to collect all five Arks, one of which Eggman has already used to power the central computer that controls all of MeteoTech. Amy hands over her Ark to Storm, but they are soon ambushed by a robot. It unexpectedly explodes, revealing another Ark inside, prompting Storm to flee in search of Jet. Eggman steals the Rogues' Arks and makes a run for the Crimson Tower, aiming to dominate the world's robot forces, with the Rogues close behind. Sonic and the others rescue Amy and head to the tower to disable the main computer. There, they meet the Rogues, and Jet issues a final race challenge to Sonic, with the winner claiming all the Arks. The two lead a charge into the tower, reclaiming the Arks and halting the robot uprising. The Arks' energy calls down Babylon Garden, and Sonic gives his Arks to Jet. Before they can depart, SCR-HD appears and snatches the Arks of the Cosmos, fleeing to Babylon Garden. SCR-HD activates the Arks, revealing an ancient spacecraft hidden within Babylon Garden, which generates a colossal black hole capable of annihilating the planet and transforms into a massive robot known as Master Core ABIS. Eggman escapes while the heroes and Rogues board the ship and battle ABIS using Gravity Dives, deactivating the Arks and halting the black hole, leaving the ship drifting in space. Later, Tails theorizes that the Babylonians' ancestors were extraterrestrials who lost control of their vessel, launching the Arks into orbit to shut it down before crashing, hoping the Arks would someday return to Earth so they could reclaim their home. Jet returns and issues a challenge to Sonic, who eagerly accepts.