this game honestly hasn't really left a good first impression on me thus far. the gameplay is overcomplicated and forces you to go through a long-ass tutorial before you can even start properly playing (unless you either place within the top 4 in a difficult and well-hidden race or enter a secret password) and basic gameplay features like online play, addons and even time trials are locked behind winning grand prix cups (unless, again, you enter a secret password).

I REALLY wanna like this game more as I dig its presentation, but it just doesn't seem to be my cup of tea.

as for the passwords I was talking about, "gaster" lets you skip the tutorial, "Wi-Fi Warrior" unlocks online play and "McDonalds" unlocks addons.

I must admit I played it on and off throughout the month and that was from me becoming very busy with certain matters. But at the moment this week turned somewhat free so as a result, I gave a go to finally beat Knuckles Chaotix and I sure did.

Despite my inital impressions being very mixed due to a boy yelling and quoting in my ear consistently as I tried to atleast give the game a shot, playing it on my own, I discovered not only an underrated gem, but a wickedly fun as hell game.

I don't care what people say as the mechanic where you and your partner are banding together is just mad fun. Especially once you master the mechanic so you can fling yourself mid air very far up to get further in the level. As this is a very vertical based game rather than the traditional horizontal levels of previous Sonic games. And as a Spin-Off, it lives up to the concept. All the players are just so fun. Hell Espio's ingame sprite looks even adorable in this game compared to his later redesign that makes him look like a Dorito lol, which yeah the cast is just all good and play good. Do recommend playing as Mighty instead of as a partner.

More I'd praise is definitely the way it handles certain things. In previous games if you fucked up getting the emerald you were fucked, compared to here where you tend to get shots as the Special Stages get progressively harder. And the rings serve an actual purpose as the counter. So your motivated to get lots of rings for a good reason. It can be forgiving in that regard.

Oh and of course, the presentation and music are all utterly phenomenal. I listen to the OST quite a bit, the stages, the respective visuals are just a delight.

Despite the game having a number of warts (not very focused on a story, after you get all the chaos rings not much necessarily happens til you beat all the levels, and whatever) I love all of it regardless. The gameplay just makes up for it all. It's just too damn fun to sling and fling around the place. When you get the hang of it, it's fun time.

I want to share a story of the first time I was ever disappointed in life.

It’s 2013 and little kid me was watching his favorite YouTubers play a game called Disney Infinity. I was a Pixar kid and seeing a game where you get to play as Pixar characters and also have them as toys blew my mind. Especially the fact that I get to play as my lord and savior Lighting McQueen. So I begged and begged by parents that I could get the game with the lighting McQueen pack as well. I guess because my parents saw that I was enjoying my 3DS they picked up the 3DS version and wrapped it for Christmas. It’s Christmas of 2013 we opened our presents and the one present that caught me by surprise is Disney Infinity for 3DS with the Lighting McQueen figure to add to it. I was thrilled and excited to finally play a game I have been dying to play since the first trailer, and when I poped in the game on my 3DS and started up the game. Never have I been disappointed more in my life than this very moment.


Still better than Marvel’s Avengers (2020).