I'm split on this game. Has pretty split pros and cons. I enjoyed it and can see myself having fun with it for a short while with friends, but it has enough mechanical problems that it would get tiring quickly.
Pros
--------
- At least solo, the game is simple enough to have fun with. Can do decently with either blind mashing or trying to exercise serious play .
- GCN release has infinite continues, which help fix some of the cons.
- The art style is really nice. It isn't outstanding, but I enjoy the renderings of the characters and I think it translates the classic designs well to 3D.

Cons
---------
- This is an arcade fighter from the 90s, so expect HEAVY balancing issues. Some move strings which are way too strong, moves that can completely bypass shield with no consistency, etc.
- To add to the above, gotta have the classic boss character who is absurdly broken. Can take out half your health with an unblockable, infinite range attack that is also an approach tool. Many other faults.
- Controls feel inconsistent, especially with moves that require simultaneous button presses. Even with a dedicated button for hitting 2 or 3 others at once, often can feel like it just doesn't work.

Sonic the Fighters is another Sonic Spin off that really needed another attempt, an Arcade fighting game with a ton of enegry, hilariously over-animated characters and a killer soundtrack stuck behind a game with confusing mechanics and lacking content.

STF has a story mode where you take 1 character through a bunch of set challenges in set stages each and every time. There’s very little in variation and it’s a shame that this is all the single player content that’s available.

Combat is overall fun but very inconsistent. Every character has a ton of moves that compliment their established characteristics. I don’t think it’s always simple to pull off advanced techniques, but practice can allow you to mop the floor with opponents… sometimes.

Sometimes you’ll lock an enemy into a chain and deal massive damage, sometimes you’ll either get blocked for no apparent reason or barely deal any damage. The block is also odd, you only get 5 dedicated guards per round. This isn’t a problem per se and it does make you think about when you should be blocking, and when it’s better to try and dodge or just take the hit.

I think what saves fighters from feeling extreme bare is the animation, it’s absolutely brillaint, looney toons styled slapstick and the sound effects are so crunchy you can really feel those hits.

But as I say it’s a fairly simple game. Better with friends for sure but there are better options. Love the soundtrack too, it’s got great great variety. Play this if you’re curious but don’t go out your way for it.

O JOGO MAIS INJUSTIÇADO QUE EU JÁ JOGUEI

um kusoge de luta do sonic DIVERTIDÍSSIMO, mesmo ele não sendo o melhor jogo de luta ou o mais competitivo as pessoas menosprezam demais ele pelo o que ele é.

e honestamente ele entrega o que ele se propõe, eu não esperava algo muito diferente de um jogo de luta do sonic

REVENGE OF DR. ROBOTONIC

The ACTUAL best 3D Sonic game in terms of visuals, I'm not even kidding around here. All would be right with the world and SEGA would be ruling supreme over all game companies if we got an action-adventure Sonic game with these graphics. Nintendo would have fallen, Sony would have begged to join SEGA in its quest for world domination, Microsoft would've stayed far away from the console business, trembling in fear and shame when stepping under the shadow of Sonic's gargantuan hold over the gaming industry.

... Okay, hyperbole aside, I just love the way this game looks. The 3D models, the super stretchy animations, the designs for characters like Bark, Bean and Honey; it's timeless in its charm and appeal.

Of course it's not a very polished fighting game, but it's a decent enough slapfest. I even tried to apply some of my Tekken knowledge for some mixed results.
Sounds great too, both in terms of music and sound effects. I could FEEL the pain behind some of these punches and stomps.