Race

Race is a main gametype in SRB2. It can be played both on Single Player maps and on Circuit maps designed specifically for this gametype. The objective is to reach the goal as fast as possible in the Single Player stages, and to complete four laps in the Circuit stages. The player who completes the map in the shortest time wins. Race mode is enabled for a map by adding 2 to the  parameter of its level header.

A variation of Race is Classic Race, which is similar to Sonic 2's split-screen mode. Here, the time it took to complete the map is not the only requirement. There are five different requirements, including score, time, Ring count upon finishing the map, total number of collected Rings and number of popped monitors. The winner in each of the five categories receives a point and the player with the most points wins. Starting with 2.1, this gametype will be revamped and renamed to Competition and get its own  value.

Gametype Format
Each map starts with the players standing still and unable to move at the spawn point. After a countdown of three seconds, the time starts running and the players can start moving. For Single Player maps, the level then progresses normally until the first player reaches the exit. In Circuit maps, the players must activate every Star Post in the right order to complete a lap. If a Star Post is left out, all following Star Posts will not activate. The number of laps needed to complete the stage (4 by default) is set by the console variable.

Just like in Single Player, each player starts out with three lives. If all of these are lost, the player receives a Game Over and automatically places last. Items can be gained through monitors, all of which are Random Monitors by default. This behavior can be changed via the console variable. If it is set to 0 or "Normal", all monitors contain their regular items. If it set to 1 or "Random" (default), all monitors are Random Monitors. If it is set to 2 or "Teleports", all monitors become Teleport Monitors. If it is set 3 or "None", they all disappear.

Once the first player finishes the map, a countdown of 60 seconds starts. All players that have not finished the map by the time the countdown reaches zero receive a Time Over and automatically place last. All players that finished the map are then ranked according to time on the intermission screen. The length of the countdown in seconds is set by the console variable.

Classic Race
Classic Race is a variant of Race in which time is not the only requirement for victory. The type of Race can be set via the console variable. "Classic" designates Classic Race, while "Normal" designates time-only Race.

All elements of Race mode are still in place, including the countdown. Therefore, while time is not the sole requirement for victory, not finishing the map in time will still lead to an automatic loss. The only difference is the scoring. There are five categories in which players can score. The winner of each category receives a point, and the player with the most points wins. If the score is tied in one category, all tied players receive a point. If more than one player receives the highest amount of points, they are tied for winner. The five categories are as follows:


 * Score – The player who scored the most points on the map wins this category.
 * Time – The player who beat the stage the fastest wins this category.
 * Ring – The player who completed the stage with the most Rings in possession wins this category.
 * Total Ring – The player who picked up the most Rings wins this category. Rings lost to enemies and hazards still count towards this category.
 * Item Box – The player who broke the most monitors wins this category.

Circuit Levels
While Race mode can be played on Single Player maps, there is also the possibility to create Circuit maps for it. These maps have a circular layout that the players need to complete laps on. In order to make them work correctly, a few things need to be held in mind.

The finish line, which as acts as the lap counter and the starting point needs to have the Circuit Finish Line sector type. Although not required, the black-and-white checkerboard texture  as well as its flat counterpart   are typically used to designate this sector in some way. The Star Posts should have a Star Post Activator around them that spans across the whole width of the track to make sure players cannot miss a Star Post.