is a 1994 racing video game developed and published by Sega for the Game Gear in Japan; the gameplay involves players controlling one of four characters as they race to the finish line, with levels themed after the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The game was created as a rival to Nintendo's Super Mario Kart, which released in 1992. The game released exclusively in Japan, with a North American release planned, but cancelled due to concerns about its quality; it later saw release as part of Sonic Adventure DX in 2003. Reception to Sonic Drift has been mixed-to-negative, with the general criticism being its similarity to Super Mario Kart, and the low view distance. A sequel, Sonic Drift 2, released in 1995. Gameplay Sonic Drift is a racing video game in the vein of games like Super Mario Kart (1992). Players control one of four characters―Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Amy Rose, and Dr. Robotnik―and race around a series of tracks, with the objective being to cross the finish line in first place. Tracks are divided into three grand prix modes and are themed after levels from the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). Each character has their own attributes that make them weaker in some areas and stronger in others. For instance, Sonic has fast acceleration but poor control, while Robotnik has poor acceleration but moves at high speed. Driving into television monitors scattered around the track awards the player a power-up, such as a temporary speed boost or invincibility. Tracks also contain gold rings that can be collected to use a special attack, which is unique for each character. Alongside a traditional racing mode, the game also features a training mode and multiplayer options that are compatible with the Game Gear's link cable peripheral. Development and release Sonic Drift was developed by Sega AM2, a development studio for Sega headed by Yu Suzuki, who directed critically and commercially successful games for Sega, such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run, and Virtua Fighter, and released in Japan for the Game Gear on March 18, 1994. A Western release was planned but canceled due to Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske’s concerns regarding its quality. In place of Drift's release in America, Sega instead released a port of Sonic Spinball. Drift is the first racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and was created specifically to rival the success of