Sonic Ace

Sonic Ace is a racing game from the Sonic the Hedgehog series collaborated on by both the Sonic Team, and Cosmic Games, the game itself more directed under SEGA. While not the first racing game of Sonic the Hedgehog, It is considered as the spiritual successor to the 1997 game Sonic R, despite having no relation to said game within its own story.
=PLOT=
Just managing to break a personal speeding record, Sonic the Hedgehog is ready to call it a day when he receives a special invitation to an event by an unknown proprietor, calling themselves "Speed incarnate". The idea someone's referring to themselves as such starts to peak Sonic's interest, but doesn't believe anyone can move faster than him. Still, given how he is on holiday and not having anything to save or better to do, he decides to at the least check it out to see what this was all about. 
Sonic follows the directions to a airfield, where he eventually is met by a vessel belonging to "Speed Incarnate" himself, Lightyear. Sonic finds a number of familiar faces on his vessel as well; Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream. They, along with Lightyear, tell Sonic that they've all been invited as competitors in Lightyear's galactic Grand Prix - a race taking place on multiple planets for racers to compete in. Lightyear also adds that the winner will then race against him, and if they can "somehow" beat him, then they'll be granted any reward they desire (the main reason many of them are there to begin with). Sonic found this amusing given his top speed, but Lightyear planned for this and with his own high speed, changes out Sonic's shoes with replicas of his own design that will make Sonic, still fast, run at a "reasonable speed" ... much to his annoyance.
The racers arrive at the main hub where they are greeted by numerous aliens from across the galaxy, including the Wisps. Lightyear announces to the entire crowd of the rules of the race: all players are in a foot race, no one is allowed to leave the planet, no "machine-speedsters", and (said jokingly) no fights ... unless they're entertaining. He also explains the actual Grand Prix itself will start soon, and they can participate in cup races beforehand to sharpen their skills. The gang soon begin their races against each other, some for fun but some more seriously. In one of the breaks between races, Sonic and Tails talk to Knuckles, and it is revealed that Knuckles' Master Emerald has disappeared on him, but the next race is called out before he can elaborate on it.
Throughout the races, more familiar faces started to get involved within the Grand Prix as well; Rouge, Shadow, and Team Chaotix. Sonic especially questions - mockingly - why Shadow is there, which Shadow responds that it wasn't his business, making them wonder what their host is up to for bringing them in here as well. Lightyear though is always gone whenever the races are on break, giving them a hard time to actually talk to him about anything. The races continue with these new racers involved, but later on closer to the Grand Prix itself, Lightyear invites the Deadly Six, along with some robots from Doctor Eggman to be involved in the Grand Prix to "raise the tension and ratings", much to the surprise of everyone else. The other racers start to wonder if Lightyear might be working for them since Tails remembers Lightyear mentioning no machines to be involved in these races. Lightyear later explained to them in private that the robots aren't race-themed, so they don't break any of the rules "technically".
Eventually, the Grand Prix begins. However, just before any of this could start, they discover that Lightyear has stolen various artifacts from their planet, including the Master Emerald! Everyone confronts Lightyear about it before he can leave, but Lightyear assures them he'll return them all ... IF they beat him in the Grand Prix. Lightyear also concludes that this is why he invited the "baddies" in the Grand Prix, since he'll give it to anyone who beats him regardless of who it might be. Realizing the danger in this, they decide to make this final race into a team race, which Lightyear agrees to. The Grand Prix soon begins with these new rules established.
In this combined race, the Hero's team just narrowly made it out on top, but then they have to race against Lightyear. In this finale race, Lightyear faces against all the racers at once, but before the race could start he suddenly reveals the major "plot twist", revealing a machine that will slow down the entire planet's rotation, making him faster than even the planet itself and (according to Rouge and Shadow) will cause catastrophic damage if done. With new urgency in mind, the team faces off against Lightyear in the final race. Just narrowly, Sonic manages to come out on top and defeat Lightyear, establishing himself as "Speed Incarnate".
After the Grand Prix, Lightyear prepares to leave, but not before they "remind him" to return all of the stolen goods he snatched to get them there. Reluctantly, he returns all of the objects back to the others and returns them all back home shortly thereafter.
=GAMEPLAY=
Sonic Ace, seen as the spiritual successor to Sonic R, is a racing game with single-player and multi-player modes. At the start of the game the player is only able to select between the first four characters introduced: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Each of the racers fall under one of four categories:
Name 	Pros 	Cons
SPEED 	High overall speed, can ring dash 	poor handling, slow recovery time
POWER 	High endurance, can smash through obstacles 	slow overall speed, slow acceleration
FLIGHT 	High acceleration, can hover for a brief amount of time	weak endurance, can get zapped by race barrier
TECHNIQUE	High handling, high recovery time 	N/A
Each playable racer has varying stats, making each one unique in their own way, alongside a specialized power-up unique to each player, similar to other Sonic Racing games prior to it. While the game starts off with four characters, the others are unlocked throughout the game, mostly from winning first place within different cup races. Each race starts the player just behind the finish line. Similar to the Sonic Riders trilogy, the player isn't able to pass beyond the finish line prior to the start of the game, otherwise be given a two second delay after the starting horn. If timed just right, the player is given a small boost forward upon passing the starting line. During the race, the player is able to skid and cut corners sharply to retain speed. Items are found throughout each race which can either help the player gain speed, or impede another opponent's speed.
The modes within the game take the form of several sections, each one can either be played with single-player or multi-player:
* Championship - This is the main story mode of the game, following Sonic the Hedgehog throughout their involvement against Lightyear. It's through this mode where most of the characters are unlocked (details in the characters section)
* Trial Run - This is the game's Time Attack mode, in which the player must complete any track of their choice to beat the best time.
* Ring Rush - This mode is a collect-a-thon within the races, that requires the player to collect the most amount of rings within the numbered laps on the course.
* Lightyear Mode - Essentially the "Hard Mode" unlocked after completing Championship, this mode has you race any track of your choice against Lightyear himself in a one-on-one.
= CHARACTERS =
== Heroes ==
Name 	Image	Type 	Spec. Move 	Bio 	Unlock
Sonic 	 	SPEED 	Sonic Boom - makes Sonic launch forward in a boost, damaging opponents that're in the way. This power-up lasts up to seven seconds. 	"The blue blur with an attitude, he's proclaimed to be the fastest creature on the planet. With his streamline speed, he can make short work of any opponent, or any Chili dog stand!" 	N/A
Tails 	 	FLIGHT 	Tornado V - Causes Tails to spin in place, creating a tornado around himself to protect against projectiles and stun opponents. This lasts about ten seconds. 	"Sonic's sidekick, and technical extraordinaire, he's the mind behind all of the gadgets in Team Sonic. Nobody knows why he has two tails. A family trait, perhaps?" 	N/A
Knuckles	 	POWER 	Earthquake - all enemies in front of Knuckles will be damaged as Knuckles punches the ground, causing a small tremor. 	"The last Echidna left to exist, he is the guardian of the Master Emerald on the isolated Angel island. With fists as tough as the rock, he's ready to plow his way to victory!" 	N/A
Amy Rose	 	TECHNIQUE	Heart Hammer - Bringing out her Piko Hammer, Amy will use this hammer against any opponent close to her up to three times. This can block off rockets as well until it wears off. 	"The biggest fan girl in Sonic's universe, she will stop at nothing until she sees herself with Sonic's wedding ring on her finger. Anyone in her way of making that dream a reality can talk to her Hammer!"	N/A
Cream 	 	FLIGHT 	Chao Chao Chariot - Several Chaos arrive and lift Cream off of the ground, carrying her ahead of the other racers for up to five seconds before dropping her back to the field. 	"As sweet as she is polite, Cream's a bunny everybody wants to be a friend with. It's impossible to get mad at such a nice girl. With her favorite Chao by her side, she'll fly right to the goal." 	Win 1st place in "Planet Wisp" Cup
Espio 	 	SPEED 	Ninja Vanish - For ten seconds, Espio will disappear and become invisible, impossible to be hit or bumped. He will steal an item from a random player during this activation. 	"Espio is the straight-man of the trio of Chaotix. Mastering the arts of being a ninja, he will take the trophy of the race before anyone could even see him coming!" 	Win 1st place in "Shadow Spiral" Cup
Charmy 	 	FLIGHT 	Buzz Buzz - Charmy will create a barrier around himself made up of Bee troopers that will reflect attacks up to three times. 	"Buzz Buzz Buzz! Charmy Bee's here to win his life time supply of sweets. He may be small, but don't let his size fool ya - he's got a stinger and not afraid to use it!" 	Win 1st place in "Sweet Mountain" cup
Vector 	 	POWER 	Rockin Out! - turning up his headphones, he will release several music notes in front of him that will make nearby opponents slow down, distracted by the music. This quickly fades away when Vector is out of range or when the ability wears off.	"The Croc with a Detective eye, the boss of team Chaotix is here to take the gold! And cash. They need to pay the rent after all if it means keepin this beat going." 	Win 1st place in "Techno-Tropolis" cup
Rouge 	 	TECHNIQUE	Love Slap - Using her charm, Rouge will slow opponents down for a brief time, heart auras around the opponents affected by Rouge's charm. This will last for ten seconds. 	"Never before or since will G.U.N. Agents look so beautiful. As confident in her skills as well as her looks, this thief will steal both your heart, your money, and your place in the victor's circle." 	Win 1st place in "G.U.N." Cup
Shadow 	 	SPEED 	Chaos Control - Unleashing the full powers of Chaos Control, Shadow is an unstoppable machine, gaining strength to destroy obstacles and pummel opponents for a brief time. 	"The past to this Hedgehog no longer matters. The future to this Hedgehog is unsure. What only matters to this Hedgehog is the here and now. And right now, he's winning!" 	Win 1st place in "Space Colony" Cup
==Villains==
Name 	Image	Type 	Spec. Move 	Bio 	Unlock
Zavok 	 	POWER 	Extractor-Strength - Zavok will grow into twice his size, dwarfing all other racers and able to stomp onto opponents. This will last ten seconds before he shrinks back to normal. 	"The powerhouse of the Zeti's Deadly Six, he is the grand leader to lead his group to their glory. If that means winning a galactic race, then so be it." 	Win 1st place in "Space Colony" cup in Lightyear Mode
Zazz 	 	SPEED 	Moon Mech - Zazz will bring out the colossal Moon Mech from nowhere, and roll it ahead of him. The Moon Mech will damage any opponent within its path. 	"Sonic's sidekick, and technical extraordinaire, he's the mind behind all of the gadgets in Team Sonic. Nobody knows why he has two tails. A family trait, perhaps?" 	Complete the Trial Run of "Techno-Tropolis" in under 3 minutes
Zeena 	 	TECHNIQUE	Energy Cord - Zeena will summon an Energy Cord to attach to the farthest away opponent, pulling herself forward until she is in front of them. 	"Beauty in the Zeti is top priority to Zeena. Not even the rough and tough fields of the race track will damper this Zeti's style." 	Complete the Trial Run of "G.U.N." in under 3 minutes
Zik 	 	TECHNIQUE	Spirit in the Wind - Master Zik will jump into the air on top of a passing metallic cloud, hovering over the opponents until placed further ahead of the track. 	"The founder of the Deadly Six, not even Zavok dare to question and disrespect this master of evil. His age will not halt the master from presenting the youngsters his true power." 	Complete the Ring Rush of "Planet Wisp" with 750 rings
Zomom 	 	POWER 	Buffet Brawl - Zomom will gain a ton of speed and charge forward. Any opponents caught in his way will end up briefly eaten. By the time the charge is over, Zomom will spit out all the opponents, leaving them dazed for five seconds.	"Nothing on any planet can beat Zomom in any eating contest. He may not be very bright, but his brawn and gluttony clearly give him enough to make up for it." 	Complete the Ring Rush of "Sweet Mountain" with 1,000 rings
Zor 	 	FLIGHT 	Darkened Army - Zor will summon up to five dark clones of himself out onto the field. These clones can attack opponents like the real Zor can, and on finishing, Zor will teleport in replacing one of the remaining clones. 	"Zor may be meek and small, but Zor is nowhere near a weakling. The powers of darkness flow through him more than any sane Zeti, and one might get caught up in his twisted games before the race is done."	Win 1st place in "Shadow Spiral" Cup in Lightyear Mode
Metal Sonic 	 	SPEED 	Diamond Shield - Powering his inner defense, Metal Sonic will summon the diamond shield around him from SA2, making it impossible to damage him for the next seven seconds. 	"Eggman's prized subject, he is Eggman's Sonic. He will go to any and all lengths to become the Sonic he was created to complete, perhaps even surpassing him ..." 	Win 1st place in "Chemical Colony" Cup
Metal Knuckles	 	POWER 	Iron Drill - Metal Knuckles transforms into a giant drill, which helps him gain speed and drill underground, stumbling players for two seconds as he drills by them until re-appearing further along the track. 	"The claws match any mechanical drill, and his heart is cold as the steel that makes him. He could care less about small animals, all that matters is the goal for him." 	Win 1st place in "Metal Matrix" Cup
Tails Doll 	 	FLIGHT 	Homing Beacon - Tails Doll's antennae will start beeping, and this will hone in Tails Doll towards first place. This can only be stopped when either Tails Doll reaches first place, or is hit along the way. 	"Small, Innocent (?), Tails Doll is the toy only Eggman himself could love. His body made of fluff and robot strings make it easy for him to fly along the tracks." 	Win 1st place in "EggmanLand" Cup
Shadow Android	 	TECHNIQUE	Chaos Spear - Using its strong, and powerful energy pulses, Shadow Android will unlesh a barrage of lightning down on all opponents in front of him, destroying items as well for a brief time. 	"All androids were thought to have been discarded. All but this one. Escaping from his creator, its only goal in existence is to replace the Ultimate Lifeform. And that's what it's here to do. ..." 	Win 1st place in "Timewarp" Cup
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