Games by Sumo Digital
Reviews of Sumo Digital Games
Review Team Sonic Racing (Switch) - A Safe Effort Which Lags Well Behind Mario Kart 8
Triple Trouble
It’s all well and good releasing karting games on Sony and Microsoft’s consoles, but it takes a big old set of Sonic Spinballs to try launching one on Mario’s home turf. If anyone’s shown it’s capable of this, though, it’s Sheffield-based studio Sumo Digital. Very few developers have perfected the art of arcade-style...
Review Snake Pass (Switch eShop)
A real charmer
In recent times it seems that the 3D platformer has seen something of a resurgence, with games such as Yooka-Laylee leading the charge. Sumo Digital has now put out its own unique attempt at this genre, with a refreshing spin that makes it stand out from all the rest. Orienting an entire game around controlling a snake was certainly a...
Review Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (3DS)
As smooth as a chili dog
Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed on 3DS has a tough job, as it's following up on what some may regard as a surprise commercial and critical success. The console versions of this title, including the one on Wii U, did a wonderful job of combining healthy portions of fan service with thrilling racing action. Yet the...
Not in pole position
Codemasters has a rich heritage in racing games and over the last 20 years has produced cracking examples of virtual car racing from just about every discipline. Whether it be off-road and rally in its Colin McRae and DiRT series, more track-based events in TOCA and GRID or even the art of pitting minuscule vehicles against one...
Review Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Wii)
Constellation prize
The first hour or so you spend with Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, your brain rejects it, telling you it isn’t Mario Kart enough, or it isn’t Sega enough. You’ll wrestle with the wheel and tell yourself you could be playing Mario Kart Wii instead, but once you learn to go with it you find yourself having a blast...
Review SEGA Superstars Tennis (Wii)
Sega’s next sporting smash hit?
It seems his recent athletic clash with Mario has rubbed off on Sonic: here he is with fifteen friends in a brightly coloured, special move-filled variation on good old lawn tennis, not unlike the plumber’s N64, Game Boy Advance and Gamecube outings, on the surface at least. This isn’t a simple formula rip,...
Latest Sumo Digital News
Wednesday5th Feb 2025
News Sumo Group Confirms "Impact" On Workforce As It Pivots To Develop Exclusively For Partners
Part of ensuring "long-term stability and success"
Sumo Group, the UK-based games studio behind Snake Pass dev Sumo Digital and publisher Secret Mode, has announced that its development team will transition to work "exclusively on development services for partners" and has warned of "an impact on our studios and people" as a result (thanks to Push...
Wednesday14th Jun 2023
News Long-Rumoured LEGO Football Game Has Been Rated In Korea
An own goal
A rating for LEGO 2K Goooal! has been spotted on The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea website by Gematsu. This suggested that the long-rumoured LEGO football game is potential on the horizon. There were whispers about a LEGO football title way back in February 2022, following a re
Tuesday13th Jun 2023
News Sonic & All-Stars Racing Dev's New Racer Is Mario Kart Meets Battle Royale
Stampede: Racing Royale not confirmed for Switch yet
Sumo Leamington — a new studio from Sumo Digital — revealed its next project during the PC Gaming Show 2023 this past weekend. Stampede: Racing Royale is "Fall Guys meets Mario Kart", a free-to-play 60-player battle royale kart racer that focuses on destructive items and elimination-based...
Thursday11th Mar 2021
News Sega And Nintendo Veterans Launch Sumo's New Publishing Division, Secret Mode
"Secret Mode knows how to nurture developer talent"
Sumo Group is keeping busy recently. While its largest developer Sumo Digital continues working on numerous projects, it has usually worked with other publishers, but recent years have seen self-published efforts like Snake Pass and Spyder. Bui
Thursday10th Sep 2020
News Hotshot Racing Will Receive Free Post-Launch Content - New Tracks, Modes And More
"Coming soon"
If you love arcade style racers like Winning Run, Virtua Racing, Hard Drivin', Daytona USA, Burnout, Out Run, and even Split/Second, Hotshot Racing might be your kind of game. When it does finally speed onto the Nintendo Switch this week, it'll come with entirely free post-launch content. The game's publisher made this announcement...
Friday12th Jun 2020
News Hotshot Racing Gets Delayed Until Summer 2020
New footage released to make up for it
Curve Digital has revealed that Hotshot Racing – which was supposed to arrive this month – has been delayed until Summer 2020. Formerly known as Apex Racing and created as a tribute to classic Sega arcade racers, Hotshot Racing is being held back so the teams at Lucky Mountain Games and Sumo Digital can...
Tuesday10th Mar 2020
News Here's How Racing Apex Became Hotshot Racing
"You could see the potential there, and what this could become"
Lucky Mountain's low-poly speed-fest Racing Apex is a game we've been keeping a close watch on for quite some time now, and has recently evolved into Hotshot Racing. The brainchild of former EA, Rockstar and Sony London staffer Trevor Ley, Racing Apex was an attempt to capture the...
Friday15th Nov 2019
News Chinese Giant Tencent Snaps Up 10% Stake In Sumo Digital's Parent Company, Perwyn
Making inroads
Chinese tech giant Tencent – which is currently enjoying a closer working relationship with Nintendo – has just acquired a 9.96% stake in Perwyn, the private equity business and investor which holds a 17.38% stake in Team Sonic Racing studio Sumo Digital. Famous in the past for its excellent racing titles, Sumo's stature has...
Friday2nd Aug 2019
News Sumo Digital Announces New IP Pass The Punch, A 2D Beat 'Em Up Hitting Switch Later This Year
Inspired by Saturday morning cartoons
The UK-based developer Sumo Digital - best known in recent times for titles such as Team Sonic Racing - has just announced its very own 2D beat 'em up IP, Pass The Punch. The game is coming to the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms "late" this year. The creative mind behind the idea, David Dino, said...
Sunday21st Jul 2019
News Sumo Digital Announces "New Projects" With Publisher 2K
"details of the projects in due course"
Sumo Digital, best known in recent times for developing Team Sonic Racing, has announced it is working on "new projects" with the global game publisher 2K. While there are no details about the games just yet or the platforms they will be released on, it has been revealed development will take place at Sumo...
Sunday2nd Jun 2019
Video Digital Foundry's Analysis Of Team Sonic Racing On The Switch
"Very consistent"
Now that Team Sonic Racing has been out for a few weeks, the technical experts over at Digital Foundry have been able to test out the game on each platform. The Switch version is "basically" the same as the other versions – with matching content, lighting and effects on display. In docked mode, the Switch resolution is 1600x900...
Monday27th May 2019
News Sumo Digital Explains Why Team Sonic Racing Doesn't Include Other Sega Characters
It's tied to the adventure mode
One of the main differences about Team Sonic Racing compared to the previous all-star racing outing is the fact the cast is limited to the Sonic universe. Characters from Sega's other games simply didn't make the cut this time around. If you've been wondering why Sumo Digital dropped characters like AiAi from Super...
Friday24th May 2019
News Team Sonic Racing Drops Opening Cutscene On Switch Due To "Cartridge Size Restrictions"
Saving space
Team Sonic Racing on the Switch is slightly different from its PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC counterparts. When you boot up these other versions of the game, you're greeted with a beautiful opening cinematic of Sonic and the gang speeding around a track. In the Switch release, this cutscene is noticeably absent. The reason for this,...
Sunday19th May 2019
News There's No Need To Worry About Paid DLC Or Microtransactions In Team Sonic Racing
It's all there on the game card
In a recent Sonic the Hedgehog live stream over on YouTube and Twitch, Sega's Aaron Webber answered a question about microtransactions, paid DLC and if anything similar will feature in Team Sonic Racing. Despite many companies embracing this model like there’s no tomorrow, Sega's development team have apparently...
Video Can Team Sonic Racing On Switch Keep Pace With The PlayStation 4 Version?
See for yourself
As you might have already heard, our copy of Team Sonic Racing hasn't arrived yet. As a result, our review for this game will be going live post-launch. For anyone who is eager to pick up or download the Switch version right away, but is worried about how it performs compared to the other releases, this is rather concerning...
Friday17th May 2019
Site News So, Where’s Our Team Sonic Racing Review?
We’ll be waiting in line come launch day, it seems
Sega’s long-awaited Team Sonic Racing hits the Switch (as well as other formats) next week, and you may have noticed that reviews have appeared online today thanks to the embargo ending. However, we don’t have a review going live because, at the time of writing, we don’t have Team Sonic...
Tuesday30th Apr 2019
News Team Sonic Racing Is The Same Experience Across All Platforms
"There are no Switch specific features"
When it comes to multi-platform video game releases, certain systems often receive bonus content such as extra items, exclusive characters and additional modes. When Sega's Team Sonic Racing arrives on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in May, there won't be any favouritism. During an...
Sunday17th Mar 2019
Video Check Out Car Customisation In The Latest Team Sonic Racing Trailer
Modify your ride
In case you somehow missed the news, last October, Sega revealed Team Sonic Racing had been delayed until 21st May 2019. Since then, it has been slowly drip-feeding racing enthusiasts more information about the upcoming multiplatform release. In the latest trailer, we get a look at the car customisation options in the game. You'll...
Thursday8th Nov 2018
Video Sega Producer Takashi Iizuka Talks Team Sonic Racing At The Tokyo Game Show 2018
Another look at the delayed racer
Team Sonic Racing may have missed 2018, but we've still got hope that it will live up to expectations when it does eventually arrive, purely because we loved Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and still do. Sega has now released a special video featuring series producer Tak
Sunday7th Oct 2018
News Pre-Orders For Snake Pass Limited Edition Physical Release Go Live On 11th October
Shipping in early November
Super Rare Games and Sumo Digital have revealed pre-orders for the Snake Pass limited edition physical release go live on 11th October and ship in early November. In total there'll be 4,000 copies available for $34.98 / £29.98. Each one includes the limited edition Switch game (including all of the DLC), interior artwork,...
Saturday18th Aug 2018
News Sumo Digital's Snake Pass Is Receiving A Physical Makeover On Switch
Let’s get physical
Despite the widespread industry push for digital releases, there’s still plenty of demand for physical video games. Since the arrival of the Switch, a number of publishers have specialised in converting small-sized eShop games to physical releases. The London-based team at Super Rare Games are one of these publishers...
Wednesday6th Jun 2018
Video Burn Some Rubber With Some New Team Sonic Racing Footage
Tails, Knuckles and more get a spotlight
Despite a series of leaks over the last few months, Sega finally unveiled Team Sonic Racing last week and it's received a pretty decent reception from fans. The publisher has been keeping news and updates on the game coming thick and fast, including little snippets of the game's high-sp
Sunday3rd Jun 2018
News SEGA Live Stream Provides More Details About Team Sonic Racing
E3 will reveal more
After the initial Walmart leak earlier this week, followed by the official announcement including a trailer, there’s been much buzz surrounding SEGA and Sumo Digital’s new game, Team Sonic Racing. With only a limited amount of information about the tit
Wednesday30th May 2018
News Team Sonic Racing Arrives This Winter With Sumo Digital In The Driving Seat
Er, surprise?
Surprise, there's a new Team Sonic Racing game! Perhaps one of the worst kept secrets in gaming this year has been a new Sonic the Hedgehog racer from Sumo Digital, and after toymakers letting slip secret details and Walmart basically all-out revealing it, SEGA has finally officially announced Team Soni
Tuesday27th Mar 2018
News Snake Pass Is Going For Speedrunning Gold With Its New Arcade Mode Update
Slither me this
For a week or more, developer Sumo Digital has been teasing fans on Twitter in regards to some Snake Pass related news. Was the physics-based platformer getting new DLC, a brand new sequel or some mysterious update? Turns out it was the latter, and it's patching in a brand new mode that adds a speedrunning element to each of its 15...
Wednesday7th Mar 2018
News Sumo Digital Is Teasing Some New Content For Snake Pass
Look out for an update today
Sumo Digital's Snake Pass was one of the surprise hits on Nintendo Switch in its first few months of life, and now the developer is now alluding to some potential new updates for the physics-based platformer. The tease came through the game's official Twitter - which has recently been giving away free code's for the game...
Friday23rd Feb 2018
News Sumo Digital Responsible For Porting PAYDAY 2 To Switch
Any port in a storm?
As you will no doubt have noticed, our PAYDAY 2 review is now live, and we quite liked the co-op crime simulation, if we're honest. What we didn't expect to see was the name Sumo Digital in the game's credits. The UK-based studio is perhaps most famous for its work in the racing genre, but it would seem it has a neat...
Monday15th Jan 2018
News Sumo Digital Teases More Reptile Antics As Snake Pass Emerges From Hibernation
Slytherin for a treat
Snake Pass, with its cute '90s platformer looks and devilishly tricky physics, was one of the most surprising and rewarding games of 2017 on Nintendo Switch, but now it looks like the little critter might have more slithering to do in 2018. A recent tweet from the official Snake Pass account broke out the ol' parseltongue with...
Tuesday24th Oct 2017
News Snake Pass Is Half Off on the North American eShop
Get it before it's gone!
One of the standout releases of the early Switch library was that of Snake Pass, the 3D platformer starring a cute snake. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but Snake Pass is certainly a unique experience, yet due to the massive influx of quality games to the eShop over the last few months, it’s likely been pushed down...
Friday29th Sep 2017
News Sumo Digital Will Change the Snake Pass Logo on Switch in Its Next Update
A reaction to fan demand
We do like our Switch logos to be nice, don't we? On the one hand it's understandable, as like all of our gaming systems it's a big part of our life - we want it to be as good as possible, and that includes the 'look' of our download collection on the HOME screen. A few developers have fallen foul of this, with iffy logos...
Wednesday5th Jul 2017
Random Internet Reacts Badly To The New Snake Pass Menu Icon
"I deleted the game! Excessive? Possibly, but it's so ugly!"
Snake Pass is a real gem in the early Switch library, it's a fresh experience that will keep you engaged until the very end. Solid visuals, unconventional gameplay, a memorable soundtrack and a decent amount of replay value make this well worth your time. The development team over at...
Tuesday27th Jun 2017
News Snake Pass Celebrates Summer Solstice With 40 Percent Discount And A Hint Of Upcoming DLC
Ssssummer ssssale!
Sumo Digital has confirmed that its Switch title Snake Pass will go on sale from today June 27th until 4th July, with a 40 percent discount off the typical cost of the game. The occasion? The Summer Solstice, of course. To coincide with this news, the studio has released a trailer - which you can view above - that...
Wednesday21st Jun 2017
News Snake Pass Update For Switch Adds Time Trial Mode And Lots More
Noodletastic
Sumo Digital's slithery physics platformer Snake Pass was a unexpected delight when we reviewed it back in March with solid visuals, unconventional gameplay, a memorable soundtrack and a decent amount of replay value. While Sumo quickly rolled out a patch after launch to improve the rumble effect in the game, the UK developer will...
Monday10th Apr 2017
News Snake Pass Slithers To The Top Of European Switch Download Charts
"A piece of hiss-tory"
We recently noted how well Snake Pass was doing in the UK download charts for Switch, but it seems the slithery physics platformer has established full European dominance. In a recent press release from Sumo Digital we learned that Snake Pass has secured the number one spot in various versions of the European Nintendo Switch...
Friday7th Apr 2017
"We'd definitely love to keep working with Nintendo"
Yesterday Sumo Digital - the talented chaps behind Snake Pass, which launched recently on multiple consoles, including Switch - held an AMA session on Reddit which covered a wide range of topics. One of the first questions was regarding the possibility of a performance-boosting patch aimed at the...
Thursday30th Mar 2017
News Snake Pass Update Improves Rumble on Nintendo Switch
It sssneaked out today
Earlier this week Sumo Digital confirmed that it had an update on the way to improve the rumble for Snake Pass on Nintendo Switch. It was described by one member of our team as resembling the over-the-top vibrations of The Wonderful 101 on the GamePad, so it was evidently pretty fierce. In any case an update slithered out...
Wednesday29th Mar 2017
News Don't Worry, The Rumble in Snake Pass Will Be Fixed Soon
Patch incoming
We've been really enjoying our time with Snake Pass on the Switch eShop so far and our review should hopefully be with you very soon; our lovely male video hostess Alex has you covered in the meantime in the video above. One slight criticism which we have with the game, which you might have noticed if you downloaded it yesterday, is...
Video Here's How Switch Snake Pass Compares To The PlayStation 4 Version
Slither and slide
Snake Pass hits the Nintendo Switch this week and we've already recorded some lovely direct-feed footage for you to gaze at longingly if you're still in two minds about making a purchase. However, if you'd like to see how the Switch version compares to the PS4 edition then you might want to check out this short comparison clip. As...
Thursday23rd Mar 2017
News New Sumo Digital Developer Diary Delves Into the Art of Snake Pass
Less than a week to go
Later this week, Sumo Digital's latest game, Snake Pass, is due to arrive on the Nintendo Switch eShop. With a soundtrack composed by the renowned David Wise, this inventive new title will aim to mix collect-a-thon elements into a game wherein you control a snake as it slithers across levels. It seems like a pretty cool...
Friday10th Mar 2017
Video Check Out The New Air Realm From Nintendo Switch "Physics Platformer" Snake Pass
Complete with toe-tapping David Wise music, of course
Snake Pass arrives on the Nintendo Switch on March 28th (29th if you're in Europe), and Sumo Digital has released details on the fourth and final world in the game, the Air Realm. The short-but-sweet trailer shows off some of the title's unique gameplay as well as its lush environments. Add in...
Saturday4th Mar 2017
Feature David Wise On Creating "Aztec Rock And Roll" For Snake Pass
"I'm a Nintendo-influenced fan boy at heart"
David Wise is something of a legend in the realm of video game music; plucked from the obscurity of Leicester's high street by the Stamper Brothers, he would become Rare's in-house composer for many years, almost single-handedly creating the aural accompaniment to the studio's NES, SNES and Game Boy...
Thursday23rd Feb 2017
News Sumo Digital Reveals Price Of Snake Pass On Nintendo Switch
Snaking closer to launch
Sumo Digital has confirmed the pricing for its upcoming physics-based platformer Snake Pass, which launches on March 28th in North America and March 29th in Europe. The game - which features music by former Rare staffer David Wise - will cost £16.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 on Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC. Sumo has also...
Friday10th Feb 2017
News Rare Veteran David Wise is Producing the Soundtrack for Switch Title Snake Pass
"It set my mind on fire"
There are few video game sound composers that are as readily recognisable in style as David Wise. He made his name if the 'good old days' at Rare, producing the soundtracks to titles such as Donkey Kong Country. His compositions continue to grace a number of titles - two varied examples on Wii U are Donkey Kong Country:...
Thursday2nd Feb 2017
News Snake Pass is Slithering Its Way To Switch
Sssounds Sssuper
Every day it seems a new game is announced for the Nintendo Switch, and we're not complaining about it at all. Sheffield-based studio Sumo Digital - perhaps best known for games like Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed - has announced that its latest project, Snake Pass, will be slithering it's way to the Nintendo Switch. Due...
Friday22nd May 2015
Hands On Disney Infinity Toy Box 3.0 Brings A Fresh Mario Kart Rival To Wii U
Sumo Digital works its magic once more
Getting hands-on with the Toy Box for Disney Infinity 3.0 was more than a little interesting, not least because of the Star Wars content and characters therein. At an event in London yesterday we had a chance to experiment with the new game creator as well as try both the Toy Box Takeover adventure and Toy Box...
Thursday2nd Jan 2014
News Shenmue's Ryo Hazuki Is Speeding Towards Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
"I see"
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was one of the true gems of the Wii U's early software line-up, and until Mario Kart 8 crosses the finish line and hits store shelves it remains one of the console's best racers. After a leaked reveal on Yogscast a short time ago, Sega has been tweeting various images over the fes
Friday11th Oct 2013
News Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed Now Available On 3DS And DS In The UK
Coming to the US in November
When you think of pint-sized monsters on a Nintendo handheld you're bound to think of Pokémon, but there is in fact another adorable creature-based title available right now in the UK in the form of Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed. A whole day before Pokémon X & Y is officially launched - though many retailers in...
Saturday18th May 2013
News Did Sumo Digital Just Tease A Sonic Racing And Mario Kart Crossover?
"I'm thinking we could finally settle some arguments"
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of our favourite Wii U titles here at Nintendo Life, and still gets rolled out for regular multiplayer sessions. Ant always cries when he can't be Amy. UK-based Sumo Digital did an amazing job of creating a real rival for Nintendo's Mario Kart...
Thursday28th Mar 2013
News Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Update Goes Live on Wii U
Improved motion controls included
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was possibly one of the most pleasant surprises in the Wii U launch lineup, as it features a huge amount of fan-service and top-notch track design. Throw in some Wii U-specific multiplayer options, and it's been a stand-out in the system's young life. As we've seen recently...
Monday10th Dec 2012
News Sumo Digital: Mario Kart Should Incorporate Other Nintendo Franchises
Smash Bros. in a kart
Steve Lycett, executive producer of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, is quite proud of his game on Wii U - and rightly so. Recently he made comments about how he feels the game pushes the genre forwards and said that Nintendo's Mario Kart series could learn a lot from it. Speaking to Mario's Hat, Lycett said he has a...