Sonic Riders unveiled

SEGA's set to hold a press conference in Japan this Friday to talk about some of its future plans for the Sonic series, but in the meantime Famitsu has started talking about at least one new title - a racing game called Sonic Riders, due out on PS2, Xbox and Cube this winter.

Riders sees Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and company racing "air boards" around tracks based on familiar locations like Splash Canyon, Egg Factory, Green Cave and Sandy Ruin, riding on each other's wake to try and build up a boost meter and propel themselves along shortcuts.

Each board is fuelled by air, and you have to top it up with air at intervals, F-Zero-style. We don't understand that bit either. Presumably this is what happens when you let hedgehogs and mutant foxes design physics-defying high-speed racecraft; they can figure out how to spite Newton, but GOODNESS knows where they'll find AIR.

Each rider will also have special moves with which to smack down opponents, although we've no idea if that means Mario Kart-style power-ups or... ho noes! We've mentioned the enemy! Sonic Riders certainly has some competition. Mario Kart DS will be taking everybody's money in November, lest we forget.

When we'll be able to exchange cash for a copy of Sonic Riders in Europe is something we can't comment on. Indeed, SEGA Europe didn't have any comment to make on the Famitsu report when we spoke yesterday. We do know that SEGA's been happy with its Sonic successes in the past two years though, and both of those have come in February.

We'll let you know more when... we've... found... some... air...