Why hello there, PS Vita owners! We heard you guys were hungry for an awesome multiplayer Vita racing game… and we’re here to deliver. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed hits PS Vita today, and we’re super-excited to share the game with all of you!

The game is out now both in stores and also on PlayStation Store. As you can probably guess, the game also isn’t your average kart racer. The reason we have that fancy “Transformed” in the name is because your vehicle is going to transform in every single race: from a car to a boat to a plane!

My last few blogs here revealed quite a few old school Sega fans, so it’s worth noting that the entire roster is essentially a love letter to gamers. Beyond your traditional Sonic cast, we’ve included the triumphant return of Vyse from Skies of Arcadia (a personal favorite of mine), Gilius from Golden Axe, NiGHTS, and many more. We’ve even got Wreck-it Ralph included as a playable character. (Don’t worry, though – he’s not going Turbo.)

One of the things I personally like most about the races is that “Transformed” doesn’t just apply to your vehicles. It applies to the tracks, too! Volcanoes will erupt, paths will get destroyed, and the terrain itself will change right in front of you, ensuring that every lap is something new and exciting. Add to that each track is based on a vintage Sega franchise or series from the last 20+ years, and you’ve got yourself some serious nostalgia stew cooking.

For PS Vita, the multiplayer features really bring the game together. Racing against friends (or rivals) in completely respectful (or heated and nerve-wracking) races is a ton of fun.

You can pick up the game now at most retail stores, and if you do so you’ll notice you get some bonus DLC content in there too – a little thanks from us to all those fans out there who pick up the game at launch to support it! The digital copy of the game will also come with this DLC, but it’s a limited time offer for both!

We’ve been off to a good start with reviews on PS Vita, so we hope you guys will enjoy it just as much as we do. Thanks for reading, and as always and if you have any questions, please feel free to post them below. Here’s to the launch of another great racing title for Vita owners!

Following on from the huge success of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, the characters now have their own unique, transforming vehicles designed to take advantage of the varying terrain. The lineup on the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed grid sees SEGA favorites — including Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman and AiAi — return to battle against newcomers, including Gilius Thunderhead of Golden Axe and Vyse of Skies of Arcadia.

Many attendees got to play the game for the first time at E3, and chose from one of three available levels: Dragon Canyon (based on Panzer Dragoon), Temple Trouble (based on Super Monkey Ball), and Adder’s Lair (based on Golden Axe). In addition to this new track, we also announced that Joe Mushashi from Shinobi will be a playable character in the game.

Joe isn’t the only new character we announced at the show, though! We were thrilled to have Danica Patrick in our booth to announce that she will be appearing in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Known for her talents behind the wheel, Danica will be playable with customized vehicles in the game. That means you’ll get the chance to test your racing abilities as Danica against an All-Star cast of SEGA characters including Sonic, Knuckles, AiAi and others.

“It’s a very exciting experience since I’ll be sharing the screen with such an iconic character,” said Danica. “I cannot wait for gamers to jump into my customized, transformable vehicles and give Sonic a run for his rings this holiday season!”

To further enhance this partnership, Danica will be racing in a custom No. 7 Sonic the Hedgehog Chevrolet, fielded by JR Motorsports, during the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge on November 3rd at the Texas Motor Speedway. The race, part of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, marks Sonic the Hedgehog’s NASCAR debut (and will be televised live on ESPN).

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be available on PS3 and PS Vita this holiday season.