In Sonic Rivals, players will unleash their own personalized moves and power-ups, launching fireballs, zapping each other with confusion attacks, and freezing rivals with ice attacks. Players will choose from Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles and the new character Silver, each with their own individual storylines. This brand new adventure delivers classic Sonic 2-D gameplay in a three dimensional world where players dash through twisting obstacles in immersive environments. Players will also challenge their skills in either single-player or multiplayer modes using the PSP system's wireless feature.

The evil Dr. Eggman is out to capture Sonic's friends in mysterious cards and it's up to Sonic, Knuckles, Silver and Shadow to compete against each other to save them.

Players can collect up to 150 cards in the game and use them to wager on the competition or use them to customize their character. For the first time, players will be able to unlock outfits for Sonic and his rivals including stylish tuxedos, leather, track suits, armor, shoes and more.