Sonic Free Riders - Xbox 360

Sonic the Hedgehog gears up for a motion-packed racing adventure in the third entry in the spinoff Sonic Riders series. The premise is pretty straightforward – Sonic likes to race. He ends up racing. Job done. The action takes place in a futuristic setting though, with our favourite SEGA mascots hopping on hoverboards to reach the chequered flag before their opponents.

How Sonic Free Riders differs is in its use of the Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral, which allows for full body tracking to drop you right into the race. Standing side-on as if you're on a skateboard, brushing your foot against the floor gives you a speed boost while leaning back and forth allows you to turn sharp corners.

A range of power-ups and items are available on the track, which can give you a suitable edge – activating them requires a different motion, adding to the experience. During certain races, you will need to change your position and do something else in order to progress – turn a lever left and right to control a minecart in one stage, and rotate your arms to swim through an underwater segment of another.

Grab a friend and challenge them to a full-on race, side-by-side, and put those Marty McFly hoverboard skills to the ultimate test! more