Of the split-screen crowd, the winner is the last surviving racer with the most points. This includes Monkey Ball mode, where the GamePad player takes control of a giant ball - the objective being to squash all the opponents while they attempt to tally as many bananas to their score before the timer runs down. Besides support for five simultaneous players in versus modes, new options are also added for asymmetrical play. Nintendo's platform has had a mixed run with its multi-platform endeavours so far, but in the case of Sonic & All-Stars Transformed we see a big effort being made to tailor for the GamePad's extra screen. Let's take a hard look at how the Wii U version in particular stacks up to its console brethren, and also the latest PC code. To compare the console versions, and the PC running at maximum settings, we have a huge quadruple-format gallery for you to flick through, plus a range of head-to-head videos. Having made the cut for the Wii U console launch, alongside versions for the PS3 and 360, we've since seen Vita and PC ports following in hot pursuit - the latter finally hitting stores last weekend. It's also a respectable release for being so very multi-platform in nature, developed on just about every platform outside of iOS. With tracks built in memory of cult favourites, even including Skies of Arcadia and Panzer Dragoon, the game feels conscientious in its handling of Sega's legacy - clearly a "for fans by fans" kind of deal. It's dynamic, less predictable, but ultimately the more rewarding experience for the adaptive player. Gone are the floaty controls and flat pathways of previous game Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing in their place stand courses littered with opportunities to splash high into the air and earn speed boosts from carefully timed tricks. Where the previous game's driving mechanics may have felt a tad simplistic, these new physics allow for simulation of bobbly terrain and lashing waves, affecting a vehicle's inertia, grip, torque and downforce as they go. Most significantly, a new "Starlight" editor has allowed the team to add fully dynamic lights to tracks, while a more complex physics engine is used to bring the airborne and sea-based racing to life. Tweaks to the in-house Sumo engine are at the heart of the shake-up. These are far more than gimmicky bullet-points to occupy the game's blurb-space instead, the flying and boating mechanics have been an area of major focus, resulting in a starkly different breed of racer to its precursor. With new features such as terra-forming tracks, and cars that smoothly morph between planes and boats in response, the good news is that the execution very much lives up to the concept. Having caught us off-guard with Eurogamer's 9/10 score last year, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is Sumo Digital's shining moment - a clear step forward from the studio's first stab at a Sega-themed racer in 2010.
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