February 21^st, 2006 (9:03pm) - SEGA today announced the release of Sonic Riders for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. In Sonic’s debut performance as an air board racer, Sonic Riders takes gamers on an electrifying ride on air boards at break-neck speeds through a wide variety of tracks. Catching massive air and pulling off insane aerial tricks will power up players against their opponents in a race to the finish line.

In Sonic Riders, Sonic and his friends are on a mission to foil the evil Dr. Eggman and his new henchmen the Babylon Rouges. Dr.Eggman has created the Ex World Grand Prix; a no-holds barred racing series where the fastest "riders" in the world pay one Chaos Emerald to participate in this tournament. Never one to turn down a challenge to prove his speed, Sonic and his friends join the tournament and uncover what Dr. Eggman’s true intentions are. In Sonic Riders, players race on air boards through amazingly detailed and challenging courses. The tracks are innovatively designed; filled with gold rings and power-ups to collect; jump-ramps for high-flying acrobatic tricks; and long rails for grinding action. Riders will also ride "Turbulence" – waves generated from other riders – to boost their own speed. "Turbulence" can also be used as a moving half-pipe so riders can perform aerial tricks while racing past fellow competitors.

"Sonic Riders is adding a new dimension to racing games," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "The blending of the action-racing genre and the Sonic franchise has created a racing game that both hardcore Sonic fans and entire families are sure to enjoy."

Sonic Riders features multiple game modes including a unique story mode and both cooperative and competitive split-screen multiplayer modes for up to four riders. The game also features numerous equipment upgrades, bonus unlockables from the SEGA universe, and the introduction of the innovative "Turbulence" gameplay mechanic. Fans will also enjoy playing as several other Sonic universe characters, including Knuckles, Tails, the evil Dr. Eggman and the all-new Babylon Rouges: Jet, Storm, and Wave.

Sonic Riders is rated "E" for ’Everyone’ by the Entertainment Software Review Board, and is available at retailers nationwide for an MSRP of $39.95.