As the name implies, Team Sonic Racing is all about racing in teams. While you can race individually outside of the game's story mode, personally, we think racing as a team is much more fun. You can definitely tell that's how Sega intended the game to be played. If you stick to the trios in which the racers are grouped, you will have one character from each type in your team. Speed, Technique, and Power. Here are TSR's five core teams definitively ranked.
1. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles
Yes we know it's predictable, but Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are the OG squad for a reason. There are no characters on the TSR roster with a longer tenure in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe than these three. Well, at least not good guys. Metal Sonic and Robotnik might have arguments to the contrary should everyone be included. In terms of in-game skills, there's a reason that almost everyone playing online opts for Sonic. Not only is he a speed type, the best type of the three by some margin, but he is also the best racer in TSR. With Tails and Knuckles flanking him, the iconic blue hedgehog is almost unstoppable.
2. Metal Sonic, Robotnik, and Zavok
Great heroes can only be great if they have great villains to battle with. That's why not only is the trio of Robotnik, Metal Sonic, and Zavok necessary to the game, but they are almost as good as the OG heroes. Metal Sonic was created in the hedgehog's image after all, and understandably seems to be the second most popular choice for online players. While we would personally have made Robotnik a power type due to his size, Zavok fits the bill perfectly. If you're going to use a power racer, Zavok is the best of the five.
3. Shadow, Rouge, and Omega
As we arrive at the halfway point in the list, we naturally arrive at TSR's most average team. The aptly named Team Dark. Shadow, Rouge, and Omega make up this trio and while we personally think the three-match up well, individually they don't bring much to the table. When you become well versed with TSR's tracks and you're readying yourself to compete on one that doesn't require the specific capabilities of one type, in particular, Team Dark is the way you want to go.
4. Blaze, Silver, and Vector
If TSR was Sega's homage to Mario Kart Double Dash, and there was a team of two made up of Blaze and Silver, they would be vying for the number one spot on this list. The two work together perfectly, Blaze as a speed type and Silver as a technique. However, not only is Vector one of TSR's poorer power types, we're not sure why he is a part of this team. He feels as if he has been shoehorned in, and that is even addressed during the game's adventure mode when he is asked why he's hanging around with these two. If you're Sonic purists like us, you'll pass over this team when making your selection.
5. Amy, Chao, and Big
We feel a little bit mean putting these three in the bottom spot, simply because they are downright adorable. However, that doesn't make up for how we feel once the race is underway. Amy is the worst speed type by some margin, and even though power type racers are supposed to be harder to handle, Big really takes the cake in that department. The only shining light is Chao. If playing as an individual racer then Chao is a strong choice. As part of a team along with Amy and Big, sorry, we're going to have to pass.
When playing online, the teams can and will be mixed and matched. However, we enjoy the game more when the teams are left as Sega intended.
Team Sonic Racing is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC for $39.99.