SEGA Announces Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing News

Sonic's quite a versatile hedgehog.  Not merely content with running from left-t-right (and occasionally loop the loop) at supersonic speeds, we've also seen him spin around pinball tables, hit a few slices at the tennis court, and sprint around the Olympic running track.

Having recently taken a step into Arthurian legend and restored some pride in the occasionally brilliant Sonic Unleashed, it seems the blue hedgehog and chums will be taking a break by burning some rubber on the track with the announcement of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.

Currently in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, Wii and DS, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing finds Sonic and his friends racing around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, dense rainforests and bustling cities.  Confirmed characters include Sonic, Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi and Amigo, with others set to follow. 

A variety of vehicles will feature in the game, including cars, planes and motorbikes, with character specific All-Star moves such as Super Sonic, Banana Blitz and Tails Tornado coming into play.  Expectedly power-ups and weapons will also feature in the game.

Online multiplayer modes will feature in the game, allowing up to four players to compete via splitscreen or up to eight players online.

It's been a considerable amount of time since developers slapped every popular platformer character into a kart and jumped on the Mario Kart bandwagon, so we'll reserve our cynicism at this stage (besides it's already sounding more interesting than Blur).  Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is due for release in early 2010, but make sure to check out the trailer to see the game in action.