Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity is a 2008 racing video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 and Wii. It is a sequel to Sonic Riders (2006), a spinoff in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. In the game, players control Sonic characters as they race against opponents on hoverboards, using gravity to manipulate the courses; the game features several game modes, including a story mode involving Sonic and friends retrieving the "Arks of the Cosmos", a set of extraterrestrial relics that control gravity. Development on Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity began shortly after the release of the first game, originally envisioned for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; it was directed and produced by Kenjiro Morimoto, who also served as a designer. It was released in North America and Japan in January 2008, and in Europe the following month. Upon release, it received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the graphics, track designs, and music, but criticized the controls, story, and lack of online multiplayer; reviewers were also divided on various gameplay elements, particularly the gravity mechanics and overall complexity. A sequel, Sonic Free Riders, was released for the Xbox 360 in 2010.