Rivals developer Backboj (the guys behind Death Jr.) needs to address this problem before the race kicks off. Something just feels a bit off about the control-the way the characters collide with the levels seems touchy and haphazard, and in a contest where millimeters matter, that's not a good thing. In its current state, Rivals certainly feels quirky and looks great, but the gameplay lacks the precision of the old side-scrolling Sonic classics. End-of-level boss encounters get particularly tense, as you're tasked with defeating a giant metallic monstrosity while simultaneously keeping your enemy from doing so. The Chao seem to be disappearing and all eight rivals must work. Single Disc Game Sharing: Two players will easily access the Multiplayer challenge with just a single disc using the Wi-Fi function.

Success doesn't rely solely on platforming prowess, though-you'll pick up various power-ups along the way that dynamically morph into offensive or defensive tools depending on whether you're in first or second place. Sonic Rivals 2 Battle Mode: Players will select from six ways to thrash their rival buddies: Knockout, Ring Battle, Race, King of the Hill, Capture the Chao, and Tag. Sprinting, running, and looping suddenly become far more dramatic when you're constantly trying to stay ahead of a rival. Urban Rivals is a free, multiplayer, collectible card game with hundreds of characters to discover, collect and develop in order to challenge players live. You can tackle the game solo (racing against A.I.-controlled critters), but Rivals is clearly intended for two-player action. Here, you take control of Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, or newcomer Silver (who's also in the PS3/XB360 Sonic game) in a series of grueling one-on-one races across traditional platforming stages. Rivals hearkens back to the classic 2D sidescrolling Sonic games of yore with its basic run-and-jump gameplay: yet its striking 3D visuals and Wi-Fi multiplayer footrace gameplay couldn't be more modern. Sonic's first foray onto the PSP isn't what you might expect.

Sonic rivals online