Sonic R Burst is a racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. It is a standalone sequel to the 1997 video game Sonic R.
Premise[]
A mysterious new on-foot racing tournament known as the Speedstar Grand Prix is hosted by someone called the Gamesmaster as Sonic and several of his friends and enemies join this intense on foot race tournament, with Sonic and Tails soon starting to suspect that something is up.
Gameplay[]
The game uses the same rules as the previous game, except with controls identical to those of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. Each character also has a set of special moves, and a Burst Move, which allows them to speed through the tracks, while also granting them invincibility. The Busrt Gauge is filled up slowly, but can be filled up quicker by performing moves on opponents and collecting rings on the track.
Controls[]
| Button formation | Movement | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Switch | PS4 / PS5 | Xbox One / Series X/S | |
 left/right
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Move/Run | ||
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Jump |
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Melee Attack |
| (twice)
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(twice)
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(twice)
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Double Jump/Gliding/Flying/Hover |
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Transfer Item (Team Races only) |
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Camera | ||
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Use item |
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Special Move |
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Burst Move |
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OPTIONS | 
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Pause |
Characters[]
Playable Characters[]
- See also: Characters and abilities
- Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - the world's fastest Hedgehog, who is among the participants of the Speedstar Grand Prix hosted by the enigmatic Grandmaster, although Sonic and Tails suspect there is something more.
- Miles "Tails" Prower (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) - Sonic's best friend, and a young yet brave-spirited fox who can fly with his namesake twin tails and is a mechanical genius, as he is also among the participants of the Speedstar Grand Prix hosted by the enigmatic Grandmaster, although he and Sonic suspect there is something more.
- Amy Rose (voiced by Cindy Robinson) - an energetic yet friendly and polite female pink hedgehog who has a strong crush on Sonic, and loves nature, as she can run nearly as fast as Sonic, and wields her Piko Piko Hammer. Unlike in Sonic R where she drives a car, Amy participates in the racing tournament on foot, with her hammer allowing her to perform her Hammer Jump ability.
- Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) - a no-nonsense yet disciplined Echidna from Angel Island who is the self-appointed guardian of the Master Emerald, as he joins the Speedstar Grand Prix, despite suspecting the Grandmaster is after the Master Emerald.
- Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Kirk Thornton) - a cynical yet disciplined black hedgehog with Chaos Energy powers, and a part-time rival and part-time ally for Sonic, as he joins the tournament to prove his might, while also suspecting of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Grandmaster.
- Rouge the Bat (voiced by Karen Strassman) - a flirty and cocky yet loyal female bat who is a professional treasure hunter and martial artist, as she joins the Speedstar Grand Prix hosted by the Grandmaster while searching for the treasure he hides.
- Silver the Hedgehog (voiced by Bryce Papenbrook) - a naive yet friendly and brave-spirited hedgehog from the future with psychic powers, and one of Sonic's friends and allies, as he joins the tournament for the pleasure of competing alongside his friends.
- Blaze the Cat (voiced by Erica Lindbeck) - a no-nonsense yet peaceful and kindhearted cat with pyrokinetic powers who is a princess in the Sol Dimension, where she is the guardian of the Sol Emeralds, as she also joins the Speedstar Grand Prix, despite not fully trusting the Grandmaster.
- Cream the Rabbit (voiced by Michelle Ruff) - Amy's best friend, and a naive and kindhearted rabbit who is accompanied everywhere by her companion Chao Cheese as she participates in the Speedster Grand Prix, only because she wanted to have fun and play with the other racers, even the nasty ones.
- Sapphire the Arctic Fox (voiced by Judy Alice Lee) - a young yet brave-spirited and talented arctic fox from Winterstorm Island who can control ice and cold who is a major fan of Sonic, as she participates the Speedstar Grand Prix hosted by the enigmatic Grandmaster to prove herself to Sonic and his friends. She can also move at high speeds by skating with her ice shoes.
- Trip the Sungazer (voiced by Cristina Vee) - a shy yet sweet-mannered and nature-loving sungazer from the Northstar Islands who befriended Sonic and his friends during their fight against Eggman and Fang the Hunter, as she participates in the Speedster Grand Prix after hearing of an evil threatening nature in there.
- E-123 Omega (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - the last and most powerful of Eggman's E-Series robots who was decommissioned and left imprisoned at the base, until he joined Shadow and Rouge. He participates in the Speedster Grand Prix while still holding a great grudge with Eggman.
- Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (voiced by Mike Pollock) - Sonic's archenemy, and a power-hungry mad scientist aiming to conquer the world with his mech, as he joins the Speedster Grand Prix as an opportunity to realize his plans. He participates in the tournament riding an advanced version of his Eggwalker from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Infinite (voiced by Liam O'Brien) - the leader of the rebuilt Jackal Squad, and a fearsome jackal mercenary wielding the Phantom Ruby, as he participates the Speedstar Grand Prix. As he still holds a grudge against Sonic and Shadow, he is also against Eggman, who owes a debt to him.
- Neo Metal Sonic (voiced by Ray Chase) - Sonic's quite powerful and dangerous robotic clone who was created by Eggman for the purpose of destroying him, as he returns to his "Neo" form, and is again seekinto to accomplish his goal by his own terms without obeying Eggman's orders, as he joins the Speedstar Grand Prix to prove himself greater than others.
- Inferno the Fox (voiced by Robbie Daymond) - a quite aggressive yet honorable fox with pyrokinetic abilities who had most of his body replaced with cybernetic limbs by the Deadly Six, as he seeks revenge on them. He participates in the Speedstar Grand Prix, while being a bit of a rival for Sonic and Knuckles, but still having a bit of a soft spot for Sapphire.
- Zavok (voiced by Patrick Seitz) - a ruthless and coldhearted Zeti from the Lost Hex, and the leader of the Deadly Six who is an enemy to Sonic, and holds a grudge against Eggman for having once enslaved him and his brethren. He participates in the Speedstar Grand Prix, seeking a great prize he believes is worth the resources for his next plan.
- Zazz (voiced by Liam O'Brien) - a psychotic and hyperactive Zeti who is a member of the Deadly Six, as he participates in the Speedstar Grand Prix, not really caring about competing, only racing to cause mayhem, and fight other racers.
- Captain Vex the Wolf (voiced by Jamieson Price) - a fearsome and gold-obsessed wolf who is the captain of the Seadogs, a crew of canid pirates who traverse the seas for a good treasure, willing to wipe out any competition, regardless of sides. He soon learns of a treasure the Grandmaster hides, and joins the Speedstar Grand Prix for it, soon becoming rivals with Rouge.
- Fang the Sniper (voiced by Ben Starr) - an egocentric and quite scheming criminal jerboa and treasure hunter who has gone by a number of aliases to escape punishment for his crimes, as he joins the tournament and win the prize so he can pay his debt.
- Tails Doll - a creepy Badnik resembling Tails, and sharing his ability to fly, but lacking his intelligence, as he is summoned by the Grandmaster to participate in the Speedstar Grand Prix.
- Metal Shadow - a non-speaking, and deadly android and clone of Shadow created by the Grandmaster to be his personal champion in the Speedstar Grand Prix, being a powerful adversary for Shadow, albeit also quite unstable.
DLC Characters[]
- Characters in Italic are crossover guests
Pack 1[]
- Vector the Crocodile (voiced by Keith Silverstein) - a money-loving and silly yet heroic crocodile who is the self-proclaimed leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency.
- Jet the Hawk (voiced by Michael Yurchak) - an arrogant and scheming yet skilled hawk who is the leader of the Babylon Rogues, a team of Babylonian birds who are professional thieves and Extreme Gear champions.
- Metal Knuckles (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) - an emotionless and aggressive robotic echidna and Knuckles's clone who shares his powers and strength.
- NiGHTS (voiced by Amanda Hufford) - a Nightmarian who looks after the Dream World and ensures that everyone has sweet dreams.
- AiAi (voiced by Kaoru Morota) (crossover guest) - a carefree monkey who loves bananas, and the leader of the Super Monkey Ball team.
- Barry Allen/The Flash (voiced by Taliesin Jaffe) - a legendary superhero speedster and member of the Justice League. He is a main character in the intercompany crossover DC X Sonic the Hedgehog, where he became partners with Sonic.
Pack 2[]
- Tikal the Echidna (voiced by Michelle Ruff) - a peaceful and sweet-natured female echidna who was the princess of the Knuckles Clan, and a friend to all Chao.
- Wave the Swallow (voiced by Kate Higgins) - a no-nonsense yet cunning swallow who is a member and the mechanical genius of the Babylon Rogues.
- Sage (voiced by Ryan Bartley) - Eggman's artificially engineered "daughter" with power over technology.
- Princess Diana of Themyscira/Wonder Woman (voiced by Jeannie Tirado) - the legendary warrior princess of Themyscira, and a member of the Justice League. She is a main character in the intercompany crossover DC X Sonic the Hedgehog, where she became partners and friends with Amy.
- Sabrina Spellman (voiced by Cristina Vee) - a half-human/half-witch teenager with profecient magical powers. She participates in the game riding a flying brom. The character previously crossed over with Sonic in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog universe, specifically in Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 2, #28, which was continued and resolved in the Sonic Super Special #10.
- Amitie (voiced by Christine Marie Cabanos) - a happy-go-lucky student at Primp Magic School who dreams of becoming a great magician.
Pack 3[]
- E-102 Gamma (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - TBD
- Emerl - TBD
- Storm the Albatross (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - TBD
- Red - an angry red bird known for his short temper and heroic nature. The Movie version of Red appears as a playable Challenger in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.
- Mega Man (voiced by TBD) - TBD. Mega Man previously crossed over with Sonic in the Archie Comics' World Collide arc.
- Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - The last survivor of Kryton, and a legendary superhero and member of the Justice League. He is a main character in the intercompany crossover DC X Sonic the Hedgehog, where he became partners with Knuckles.
NPCs[]
- Eggman Nega/The Gamemaster (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell as the Grandmaster, and by Mike Pollock as Eggman Nega) - Eggman's distant descendant from approximately two hundred years into the future who is masquerading as the host of the Speedstar Grand Prix.
- Omochao (voiced by Erica Lindbeck) - A friendly robotic Chao, he is the game's tutorial instructor, and an announcer for the races.
- The Chao - TBD.
- Ariem (voiced by Jeannie Tirado) - a horned sheep-like being who guards the Reverie and resides in Reverie Haven.
Tracks[]
Classic Zone Cup[]
For tracks based on classic games' stages
- Green Hill Zone - The first and most basic track. A grassy area filled with many flowers, dirt tunnels and watery places.
- Casino Night Zone - A city with a casino theme which brings off Las Vegas vibes.
- Angel Island - Knuckles's home island, and the main location of the Master Emerald, which keeps the island floating in the sky.
- Stardust Speedway - A city on Little Planet which is filled with neon light colors lighting up during night and many gold highways.
Adventure Cup[]
For tracks based on stages from Sonic Adventure (1999) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001).
- Speed Highway - a recreation of the Speed Highways stage from Sonic Adventure.
- Windy Valley - a recreation of the Windy Valley stage from Sonic Adventure.
- Radical Highway - a recreation of the Radical Highway stage featured in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Prison Island - a prison facility owned by G.U.N..
Citadel Cup[]
- Rail Canyon - inspired by the same name stage in Sonic Heroes.
- Sky Ruins Raceway - the remains of the Black Arms' flying ruins from the stages Glyphic Canyon and Sky Troops in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005).
- Kingdom Valley - an abandoned flooded palace of Soleanna from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
- Dragon Road - a famed racing track taking place in Chun-nan.
Heroes Cup[]
- Rooftop Run - a famed racing track taking place in Spagonia.
- Planet Wisp - the home-planet of the Wisps
- Lambent Grove - ruins and half-pipes located in Mystic Jungle.
- Kronos Island Marathon - a race track designed by the Koco in Kronos Island.
Off-road Cup[]
For tracks taking place in worlds and levels from spin-off games
- Dinosaur Jungle - a track set in one of the worlds featured in Sonic and the Secret Rings.
- Dream Factory - a track set in one of the Dreamscapes from the Reverie.
- Misty Lake - a shire from the world of King Arthur, featured in Sonic and the Black Knight.
- Babylon Garden - an ancient Babylonian race track discovered during the EX World Grand Prix.
New Frontiers Cup[]
For tracks which are original for the game
- Frosty Park - a snowy track taking place in Sapphire's homeland, Winterstorm Island, filled with snowboarding tracks and frozen lakes.
- Scorched Loop - a track set in an active volcano which is Inferno's home.
- Caribbean Mines - a gold mine owned by Captain Vex's Seadogs pirate crew.
- Haunted Highway - a haunted castle filled with ghosts, pumpkin-headed scarecrows and more.
Mania Cup[]
- Starlight Zone - a modern version of the Starlight Zone from the 1991 game.
- Chemical Plant Zone - a modern version of the Chemical Plant Zone from the 1992 sequel game.
- Sky Sanctuary - a modern version of the Sky Sanctuary from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994).
- Radiant Emerald - a recreation of the final track of the original Sonic R game.
Egg Cup[]
For tracks based on areas of evil characters:
- Black Comet Ruins - a track made of the remains of the Black Comet.
- Lava Mountain - the Deadly Six's volcano-based headquarters in the Lost Hex.
- Death Egg - Eggman's moon-sized headquarters.
- Death Nega Egg - Eggman Nega's version of Eggman's Death Egg, which features darker themes.
Multiverse Cup (DLC)[]
- TBD
- TBD
- Sega Speedway - a large theme-park with themes of notable Sega games.
- [DC Comic-related track]
Items/Power-ups[]
- Rings - useful to unlock secret shortcuts and rooms.
- Chaos Emerald - they play the same role as in the original Sonic R.
- Wisps - similar to Team Sonic Racing, the Wisps act as power-ups and extra weapons.
Racing Modes[]
- Normal Race: Players can select any track of their choosing to play. The maximum number of racers on a track at any one time is between eight, ten or twelve. It can also be played in Local and Online Multiplayer Mode. There are also two Normal Racing Modes: on Individual (where players race against each other individually) or on Team (where players compete while split between two, three, or four teams, similarly to Team Sonic Racing. The numbers of team members also vary between two and four.).
- Time Trial: The Time Trials vary depending on which game mode is chosen: in Normal Race trials, player vies for the fastest lap. The best time is then saved as a ghost, which the player can race against in later trials. In Story Mode, player must complete a lap within a time limit.
- Combat: This mode focuses on fighting other racers by attacking them with special moves and other items and weapons. Last racer standing wins.
- Ring Rush: This mode focuses on racers vying for who collects most rings within a time limit.
Story Mode Missions[]
- See also: Story Mode Missions
Sonic R Burst: First Steps[]
A five-issue miniseries comic book published by IDW Publishing, serving as a prequel for the game.
Sonic R Burst: Burst Into Glory[]
A three-episode animated short series airing on YouTube which is a tie-in for the game.