The Sonic Stadium has discovered that a handheld version of 2006 racing game Sonic Riders was also being developed for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance.
The information was found on artists’ Keith Erickson’s portfolio and Arvin Bautista’s resume, where it’s revealed the game was being developed by Backbone Entertainment who you may remember worked on the Sonic Rivals racing games for Sony’s PSP.
In a brief explanation (seen above), Erickson says the GBA version was ultimately scrapped after SEGA of Japan saw the game and requested they make it more 3D, which would have required a complete overhaul of the engine.
Erickson has also shared the above flag animation he made for the game, which unfortunately is the only trace of the game we could find online. Still, it’s interesting to know we could have had airboarding hedgehogs on the go.
Would you have liked a portable Sonic Riders? Speak out in the comments.
Sources: Keith Erickson’s portfolio, Arvin Bautista’s resume