SKaT3R
2022
I thought I understood the standards and means to create games and thought we were reaching the apex of how good games could be inside the medium in terms of technical limitation and creativity.... then I played "Mcdonalds Sonic The Hedgehog 2" on google chrome on my browser and realised I knew... NOTHING about the medium this game is enlightenment and I can't go back to playing any other game after this.....
1991
Influential Game That Has Aged Poorly...
Sonic The Hedgehog (a game released in 1991) is certainly a staple in the genesis/mega drive's library,but that said it doesn't come without its flaws
-GREEN HILL ZONE: A great start to the game vibrant colours,design that compliments momentum and rewards skilled players with a faster route but harder to stay on,but new players don't feel too punished overall a great start.
-MARBLE ZONE: Here is where the great setup and potential this game takes a massive nose dive.As instead of having great level design that allows veterans to excel and go fast and new players to make it through with struggle,here no matter how skilled the player.The time you will end up finishing it will remain almost stagnant and punishes going fast.The only amazing thing to come out of this zone is the boss.
SPRING YARD ZONE: Here is a zone that is neither excellent or terrible just good.With its pros and cons,the pros include alot of curvatures,slopes and ramps for sonic to curl up towards to gain momentum with hazards to punish you from completely just holding right then down but then there's the cons that include the boring colour pallete,frequent sections that have you waiting for platforms to move and an abundance of haphazardly bumpers just to kill speed for the sake of killing it.
LABYRINTH ZONE: F͟**K͟ ͟T͟H͟I͟S͟ ͟Z͟O͟N͟E͟
STAR LIGHT ZONE: Ahh a breath of fresh air in a game of ranging bad to mediocre zones here is a zone that is truely amazing with the only con really being colour pallete and a lack of stars for a zone named STAR LIGHT ZONE.But apart from that its got great level design that promotes momentum that also includes a seesaw mechanic that the game familiarizes you with before using it in the boss of said zone in a very fun and interesting way.
SCRAP BRAIN ACTS 1&2: Very difficult zones that put the players skills to the test in a not so tedious way and are very enjoyable to play through.
SCRAP BRAIN ACT 3: %$£^8237485656%%$&$%&^
(Labyrinth Zone Mk.II)
FINAL ZONE: A very cool concept for a boss with execution that ends up being better in the next game that has the player fight said boss with 0 rings sadly the boss itself is really easy to predict and the only deaths you will take are to the janky hitboxes of the laser orbs.
BOSS FIGHTS: Overall every boss (barring labyrinth act 3) is very fun with good mechanics overall solid in this department.
Final Thoughts:A figurehead in gaming's history indeed but did it age well as a game? rhetorical question - No,no it didn't.From the stop and start levels for 3/4's of the game that contradicts marketing and sonic's control scheme.To the painstaking labyrinth zone this game doesn't fully utilize sonic's kit that is the main reason it aged so poorly, as future entries just refine what this game tried in a much better way.
TRIVIA:
1.In this game's development there was alot of concepts such as sonic himself wasn't always going to be a hedgehog.Instead ideas of an armadillo,dog and a rabbit.Outside of the dog both an armadillo (Mighty) and a rabbit (Cream) would be recycled for later characters.
2.His name at one point was going to be Mr.NeedleMouse
3.He was also going to have a band and human girlfriend which to also would be recycled in other sonic media (Band could be chaotix or sonic underground) and a human girlfriend would be recycled in Sonic 06.
Sonic The Hedgehog (a game released in 1991) is certainly a staple in the genesis/mega drive's library,but that said it doesn't come without its flaws
-GREEN HILL ZONE: A great start to the game vibrant colours,design that compliments momentum and rewards skilled players with a faster route but harder to stay on,but new players don't feel too punished overall a great start.
-MARBLE ZONE: Here is where the great setup and potential this game takes a massive nose dive.As instead of having great level design that allows veterans to excel and go fast and new players to make it through with struggle,here no matter how skilled the player.The time you will end up finishing it will remain almost stagnant and punishes going fast.The only amazing thing to come out of this zone is the boss.
SPRING YARD ZONE: Here is a zone that is neither excellent or terrible just good.With its pros and cons,the pros include alot of curvatures,slopes and ramps for sonic to curl up towards to gain momentum with hazards to punish you from completely just holding right then down but then there's the cons that include the boring colour pallete,frequent sections that have you waiting for platforms to move and an abundance of haphazardly bumpers just to kill speed for the sake of killing it.
LABYRINTH ZONE: F͟**K͟ ͟T͟H͟I͟S͟ ͟Z͟O͟N͟E͟
STAR LIGHT ZONE: Ahh a breath of fresh air in a game of ranging bad to mediocre zones here is a zone that is truely amazing with the only con really being colour pallete and a lack of stars for a zone named STAR LIGHT ZONE.But apart from that its got great level design that promotes momentum that also includes a seesaw mechanic that the game familiarizes you with before using it in the boss of said zone in a very fun and interesting way.
SCRAP BRAIN ACTS 1&2: Very difficult zones that put the players skills to the test in a not so tedious way and are very enjoyable to play through.
SCRAP BRAIN ACT 3: %$£^8237485656%%$&$%&^
(Labyrinth Zone Mk.II)
FINAL ZONE: A very cool concept for a boss with execution that ends up being better in the next game that has the player fight said boss with 0 rings sadly the boss itself is really easy to predict and the only deaths you will take are to the janky hitboxes of the laser orbs.
BOSS FIGHTS: Overall every boss (barring labyrinth act 3) is very fun with good mechanics overall solid in this department.
Final Thoughts:A figurehead in gaming's history indeed but did it age well as a game? rhetorical question - No,no it didn't.From the stop and start levels for 3/4's of the game that contradicts marketing and sonic's control scheme.To the painstaking labyrinth zone this game doesn't fully utilize sonic's kit that is the main reason it aged so poorly, as future entries just refine what this game tried in a much better way.
TRIVIA:
1.In this game's development there was alot of concepts such as sonic himself wasn't always going to be a hedgehog.Instead ideas of an armadillo,dog and a rabbit.Outside of the dog both an armadillo (Mighty) and a rabbit (Cream) would be recycled for later characters.
2.His name at one point was going to be Mr.NeedleMouse
3.He was also going to have a band and human girlfriend which to also would be recycled in other sonic media (Band could be chaotix or sonic underground) and a human girlfriend would be recycled in Sonic 06.
2001
Sonic Advance(s) Onto The Gameboy Advance.
Sonic Advance is a 2D platforming game that plays much akin to the original triology but on handheld but does it still hold up in current year? Well my answer would be hell yeah because this game rocks.Sonic Advance is a short but sweet experience jam packed with charm from the sprite work to soundtrack and overall feel,the level design is great with many varying paths and new gimmics that elevate the levels to further heights but the game doesn't come without its flaws the screenspace can lead to leaps of faith and off screen enemies just kinda hitting you but couldn't really be helped because of hardware.And the controls do feel a bit too heavy/weighted compaired to said classic games but dont let these flaws discourage you from one of the strongest 2D sonic experiences to date.
Trivia:
If you press "Up Right Down Right L Right R Right A" on the select screen for sonic you can use tails as a partner!
Sonic Advance is a 2D platforming game that plays much akin to the original triology but on handheld but does it still hold up in current year? Well my answer would be hell yeah because this game rocks.Sonic Advance is a short but sweet experience jam packed with charm from the sprite work to soundtrack and overall feel,the level design is great with many varying paths and new gimmics that elevate the levels to further heights but the game doesn't come without its flaws the screenspace can lead to leaps of faith and off screen enemies just kinda hitting you but couldn't really be helped because of hardware.And the controls do feel a bit too heavy/weighted compaired to said classic games but dont let these flaws discourage you from one of the strongest 2D sonic experiences to date.
Trivia:
If you press "Up Right Down Right L Right R Right A" on the select screen for sonic you can use tails as a partner!
2007
A Near Perfect Handheld 2D Platforming Sonic Game
Sonic Rush Adventure sequel to Sonic Rush expands on the original in many ways and many ways for the better but still has a few core issues that stops it from being perfect the positives compared to the first game would be,much better level design less hazards and bottomless pits to punish high speed gameplay and first time players,the narrative is much stronger this time with much more dialogue to flesh out the story,world and characters and the boat driving sections from island to island are quite charming and not hair pulling levels of challenge that make for quite a nice pace breaker between levels.And as for the issues,you need to grind alot to get the true ending for the game and the setpieces are less memorable than the original and the advance series that it is a sequel too but despite its flaws this game is one of the best games on the nintendo DS and has quite a bit of replay value and fun to be had i'd recommend this game to any fan of the 2D sonic games.
Trivia:
There is special idle animations for tapping the characters while there on the touch screen.
Sonic Rush Adventure sequel to Sonic Rush expands on the original in many ways and many ways for the better but still has a few core issues that stops it from being perfect the positives compared to the first game would be,much better level design less hazards and bottomless pits to punish high speed gameplay and first time players,the narrative is much stronger this time with much more dialogue to flesh out the story,world and characters and the boat driving sections from island to island are quite charming and not hair pulling levels of challenge that make for quite a nice pace breaker between levels.And as for the issues,you need to grind alot to get the true ending for the game and the setpieces are less memorable than the original and the advance series that it is a sequel too but despite its flaws this game is one of the best games on the nintendo DS and has quite a bit of replay value and fun to be had i'd recommend this game to any fan of the 2D sonic games.
Trivia:
There is special idle animations for tapping the characters while there on the touch screen.
2019
A No Longer Flawed Masterpiece.
This review won't be too long as alot of thing's are obviously going to line up with the original sonic 06 however any minor nitpick I may have with the game is fixed here and beyond like the game actually having momentum,spindash spam,no endlag on homing attack,smoother movement,neat unlockables,QoL changes,character moveset improvements,etc in terms of gameplay it fixed the little to no issues I have with 06 and then elevated it beyond its original status and this game is basically the potential of 06's gameplay realized at its full potential with a lush visual overhaul.
This review won't be too long as alot of thing's are obviously going to line up with the original sonic 06 however any minor nitpick I may have with the game is fixed here and beyond like the game actually having momentum,spindash spam,no endlag on homing attack,smoother movement,neat unlockables,QoL changes,character moveset improvements,etc in terms of gameplay it fixed the little to no issues I have with 06 and then elevated it beyond its original status and this game is basically the potential of 06's gameplay realized at its full potential with a lush visual overhaul.
2005
Used To Think This Game Was Great Until I Replayed It Recently....
Sonic Rush is the first game in the franchise to utilize the boost formula and on paper it has alot of promise,short but sweet story,one of the best characters in the franchise introduced,cool level themes/setpieces and the "R" input from advance 2/3 returns here with improvements so how does this game end up falling flat? the final special stage,stage design and bosses thats how it does and for me to truely get across my point i'll have to go into each stage.
Leaf Storm Zone: Ah this is a great introduction level to the game might be one of the best in the franchise being a unique take on green hill with a kicking sound track and level design that doesn't want me to grind my balls against a cheese grater because of the absolute unfairness of unforseen hazards that would never be seen coming unlike later levels,bottomless pits are placed only here and there and most of the time are just there for punishing mindless gameplay and the boss is also not unfairly designed while giving minimal challenge that makes sense for a first boss fight overall a really strong first level and now lets see how this game continues from here.
Water Palace: Another fantastic level from DIMPS here this level proves that underwater levels in sonic games don't have to suck with its fast paced nature,gimmics that suit being underwater,percise but fast platforming and refreshing visuals to boot and its boss gives a small challenge but again is relatively fair and fun to fight this level however is where my praise for this game is going to decline at a rapid pace...
Mirage Road: Oh my god this level is just fustrating to me its so much Stop,Start,Stop,Start its just fustrating to play as there is many forced combat sections,scripted events and overall pace breakers and BOTH ACTS have this escalator sequence that... are possibly the most offensive thing this level does as it goes against sonic level design philosophy as it completely breaks your pace,spams enemies and hazards at you and is completely scripted with no way to go faster this isn't the hardest level to play in this game but oh my does it make you want to pull hairs while playing and its boss after all this annoyance.. IS THE MOST PATHETIC BOSS IN SONIC HISTORY it is so god damn EASY it shouldn't be the this easy after this really bad stage well atleast the soundtrack and visuals are nice
Night Carnival:This stage brims aesthetic and charm visually but does the layout compensate for it as they introduce this STUPID light bridge mechanic that again goes against sonic level design philosophy as sometimes you can miss the button in a blind playthrough and just fall to your imminent death and if not you have to slowly wait for it to cross to the other side and it is used around EVERY BLOODY CORNER THEY COULD SNEAKLY PLACE THIS BOLLOCKS MECHANIC.It's dreadful and is the antithesis of what sonic should be about that in my opinion is high risk but rewarding in immense speed platforming that you just cant do and the boss is actually probably one of the best in the game sitting at the right level of difficulty. Is what i'd say if it didn't spawn those silly little badniks that have the most terrible hurt box i've ever seen its just ughhhhhh.
Huge Crisis: hehehehe..... HUGE CRISIS MADE ME GO THROUGH A MENTAL CRISIS LIKE OH CHRIST HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GONNA SUFFOCATE ME IN PLATFORMS JUST FOR TRYING TO GO FAST like I swear to god dimps with this game must've just hated the player because how much of this games level design is just trying to kill the player for going fast in a blind playthough is concerning and the amount of slow sections,forced combat and gimmics in this level that just don't work all blend together to make a terrible level with nothing going for it and the soundtrack and level themes/set pieces are SO BASIC compared to the rest of the game and to make things worse THE BOSS IS A RESKIN OF THE FIRST ONE.Another terrible zone maybe another one to go....
Altitude Limit: This level isn't great but isn't as mind numbing for me as the ones before it because sure there is alot of unfair bottomless pits and the aircraft and paraglider gimmics that pace break but most of the time in this level you can go fast and not get punished for it ontop of no forced combat,good air level theme,strong soundtrack and a boss fight who sure has alot of phases where he can take damage but also can easily catch you off guard and isn't a slow and painful drag to take out? yeah this one will mark higher in my books for stages in this game despite its flaws overall decent zone,dont hate it.
Dead Line: I actually REALLY enjoy this level because it is difficult yes but its the final level for blaze and sonic,the soundtrack SLAPS,the stage visually reminds me alot of sonic adventure 2's "Final Rush" and the gimmics while still there are difficult in a fun way and don't break your pace i'd actually argue they work in its favor,no forced combat and alot of ramps and slopes for building speed fast? overall the first 2 acts are solid then the icing on the cake is the bosses of this zone are sonic and blaze that both bosses are extremely fun and dont feel too unfair if you just bait and punish overall this zone is a fantastic final zone to the game thank god
Final Boss/Unknown:This boss is a mixed bag for me because its first few phases are excitingly difficult in a way that feels fun but then it introduces these lighting producing machines that force you to keep walking between 2 bolts of lighting to not get hit and the window of time you have to not get hit is absurd and it requires split second reactions and these said lightning bolts scatter your rings so much if you get hit your basically toast so what could've been a great final boss gets absolutely ruined by one or two terrible attacks....
Special Stages: These are fun little special stages that make use of the Nintendo DS touch screen in a cute and charming way... until the final special stage that is just the worst part about this game in general you need to get a majority of the rings while percisely dodging and weaving cruely placed mines at a fast pace on a DS TOUCHSCREEN USING A STYLUS WITH PIN POINT ACCURACY ON A 3 INCH BLOODY SCREEN... yeah it really sucks and who designed this is cruel.
Egg Salamander: A underwhelming but acceptable conclusion to the game a boss fight that feels very akin in tone to the "Sonic Pocket Adventure" final boss with having you reflect projectiles at the robot with sonic and shooting hadokens with blaze at the unsuspecting scientist and it ends with sonic and blaze doing the "Sonic Forces Double Boost" on the egg(men) duo and concluding the game.
Story: SKIP THIS SEGMENT IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED: Blaze a pyromancing cat from another timeline ends up in sonic's world after an incident with "Eggman Nega" and the "Sol Emeralds" caused a rip in the space-time continuum making both worlds awkwardly merge and threatens there existence Blaze soon after runs into cream the rabbit who takes her to her house and has a talk over the dinner table sipping tea with blaze to ask her where shes from and what shes doing here,etc blaze reveals her motives and teams up with cream to find the remaining "Sol Emeralds" while on the way they bump into many friendly faces and characters who are commonplace in the sonic franchise and have short bite sized interactions and overlaps and explains alot about sonic's half of the story that I am not going to really touch up on as its not too important ironically and is just sonics perspective of the same events,towards the final act of the game sonic and blaze finally talk face to face and and up duking it out because of blazes arrogance to trust sonic and the victor depends on playthrough but soon after the eggmen team up and with no time to spare sonic and blaze form a makeshift team after certain events that transpired for them to mutually understand each other and overcome there diffences and literally pull a... "Friendship Is Power" and revive the energyless Sol Emeralds and both super form and stop the evil scientist duo and restore space-time back to normal with sonic saying his farewells to blaze and the game wraps up.
Overall: A strong start with a really rough middle and decent end.Sonic Rush is a great premise and start to a new era of sonic muddled by poor game design choices and automation what could've been the best 2D sonic experience trumping the advance games wittled down to bottomless pits and uninteresting gimmics and dragged out boss fights make this installment a drag to sit through not to mention you have to beat it TWICE to get the final boss.
Trivia:
Blaze was originally going to be black and red with less defining features and a shadowy figure like apperance before her more well thought out redesign that suits the character much better.Chances are the design was changed to avoid comparisons to Shadow The Hedgehog from being drawn.
Sonic Rush is the first game in the franchise to utilize the boost formula and on paper it has alot of promise,short but sweet story,one of the best characters in the franchise introduced,cool level themes/setpieces and the "R" input from advance 2/3 returns here with improvements so how does this game end up falling flat? the final special stage,stage design and bosses thats how it does and for me to truely get across my point i'll have to go into each stage.
Leaf Storm Zone: Ah this is a great introduction level to the game might be one of the best in the franchise being a unique take on green hill with a kicking sound track and level design that doesn't want me to grind my balls against a cheese grater because of the absolute unfairness of unforseen hazards that would never be seen coming unlike later levels,bottomless pits are placed only here and there and most of the time are just there for punishing mindless gameplay and the boss is also not unfairly designed while giving minimal challenge that makes sense for a first boss fight overall a really strong first level and now lets see how this game continues from here.
Water Palace: Another fantastic level from DIMPS here this level proves that underwater levels in sonic games don't have to suck with its fast paced nature,gimmics that suit being underwater,percise but fast platforming and refreshing visuals to boot and its boss gives a small challenge but again is relatively fair and fun to fight this level however is where my praise for this game is going to decline at a rapid pace...
Mirage Road: Oh my god this level is just fustrating to me its so much Stop,Start,Stop,Start its just fustrating to play as there is many forced combat sections,scripted events and overall pace breakers and BOTH ACTS have this escalator sequence that... are possibly the most offensive thing this level does as it goes against sonic level design philosophy as it completely breaks your pace,spams enemies and hazards at you and is completely scripted with no way to go faster this isn't the hardest level to play in this game but oh my does it make you want to pull hairs while playing and its boss after all this annoyance.. IS THE MOST PATHETIC BOSS IN SONIC HISTORY it is so god damn EASY it shouldn't be the this easy after this really bad stage well atleast the soundtrack and visuals are nice
Night Carnival:This stage brims aesthetic and charm visually but does the layout compensate for it as they introduce this STUPID light bridge mechanic that again goes against sonic level design philosophy as sometimes you can miss the button in a blind playthrough and just fall to your imminent death and if not you have to slowly wait for it to cross to the other side and it is used around EVERY BLOODY CORNER THEY COULD SNEAKLY PLACE THIS BOLLOCKS MECHANIC.It's dreadful and is the antithesis of what sonic should be about that in my opinion is high risk but rewarding in immense speed platforming that you just cant do and the boss is actually probably one of the best in the game sitting at the right level of difficulty. Is what i'd say if it didn't spawn those silly little badniks that have the most terrible hurt box i've ever seen its just ughhhhhh.
Huge Crisis: hehehehe..... HUGE CRISIS MADE ME GO THROUGH A MENTAL CRISIS LIKE OH CHRIST HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GONNA SUFFOCATE ME IN PLATFORMS JUST FOR TRYING TO GO FAST like I swear to god dimps with this game must've just hated the player because how much of this games level design is just trying to kill the player for going fast in a blind playthough is concerning and the amount of slow sections,forced combat and gimmics in this level that just don't work all blend together to make a terrible level with nothing going for it and the soundtrack and level themes/set pieces are SO BASIC compared to the rest of the game and to make things worse THE BOSS IS A RESKIN OF THE FIRST ONE.Another terrible zone maybe another one to go....
Altitude Limit: This level isn't great but isn't as mind numbing for me as the ones before it because sure there is alot of unfair bottomless pits and the aircraft and paraglider gimmics that pace break but most of the time in this level you can go fast and not get punished for it ontop of no forced combat,good air level theme,strong soundtrack and a boss fight who sure has alot of phases where he can take damage but also can easily catch you off guard and isn't a slow and painful drag to take out? yeah this one will mark higher in my books for stages in this game despite its flaws overall decent zone,dont hate it.
Dead Line: I actually REALLY enjoy this level because it is difficult yes but its the final level for blaze and sonic,the soundtrack SLAPS,the stage visually reminds me alot of sonic adventure 2's "Final Rush" and the gimmics while still there are difficult in a fun way and don't break your pace i'd actually argue they work in its favor,no forced combat and alot of ramps and slopes for building speed fast? overall the first 2 acts are solid then the icing on the cake is the bosses of this zone are sonic and blaze that both bosses are extremely fun and dont feel too unfair if you just bait and punish overall this zone is a fantastic final zone to the game thank god
Final Boss/Unknown:This boss is a mixed bag for me because its first few phases are excitingly difficult in a way that feels fun but then it introduces these lighting producing machines that force you to keep walking between 2 bolts of lighting to not get hit and the window of time you have to not get hit is absurd and it requires split second reactions and these said lightning bolts scatter your rings so much if you get hit your basically toast so what could've been a great final boss gets absolutely ruined by one or two terrible attacks....
Special Stages: These are fun little special stages that make use of the Nintendo DS touch screen in a cute and charming way... until the final special stage that is just the worst part about this game in general you need to get a majority of the rings while percisely dodging and weaving cruely placed mines at a fast pace on a DS TOUCHSCREEN USING A STYLUS WITH PIN POINT ACCURACY ON A 3 INCH BLOODY SCREEN... yeah it really sucks and who designed this is cruel.
Egg Salamander: A underwhelming but acceptable conclusion to the game a boss fight that feels very akin in tone to the "Sonic Pocket Adventure" final boss with having you reflect projectiles at the robot with sonic and shooting hadokens with blaze at the unsuspecting scientist and it ends with sonic and blaze doing the "Sonic Forces Double Boost" on the egg(men) duo and concluding the game.
Story: SKIP THIS SEGMENT IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED: Blaze a pyromancing cat from another timeline ends up in sonic's world after an incident with "Eggman Nega" and the "Sol Emeralds" caused a rip in the space-time continuum making both worlds awkwardly merge and threatens there existence Blaze soon after runs into cream the rabbit who takes her to her house and has a talk over the dinner table sipping tea with blaze to ask her where shes from and what shes doing here,etc blaze reveals her motives and teams up with cream to find the remaining "Sol Emeralds" while on the way they bump into many friendly faces and characters who are commonplace in the sonic franchise and have short bite sized interactions and overlaps and explains alot about sonic's half of the story that I am not going to really touch up on as its not too important ironically and is just sonics perspective of the same events,towards the final act of the game sonic and blaze finally talk face to face and and up duking it out because of blazes arrogance to trust sonic and the victor depends on playthrough but soon after the eggmen team up and with no time to spare sonic and blaze form a makeshift team after certain events that transpired for them to mutually understand each other and overcome there diffences and literally pull a... "Friendship Is Power" and revive the energyless Sol Emeralds and both super form and stop the evil scientist duo and restore space-time back to normal with sonic saying his farewells to blaze and the game wraps up.
Overall: A strong start with a really rough middle and decent end.Sonic Rush is a great premise and start to a new era of sonic muddled by poor game design choices and automation what could've been the best 2D sonic experience trumping the advance games wittled down to bottomless pits and uninteresting gimmics and dragged out boss fights make this installment a drag to sit through not to mention you have to beat it TWICE to get the final boss.
Trivia:
Blaze was originally going to be black and red with less defining features and a shadowy figure like apperance before her more well thought out redesign that suits the character much better.Chances are the design was changed to avoid comparisons to Shadow The Hedgehog from being drawn.
Tails About An Episodic 4th Entry.
Sonic 4 Episode II is an improvement of the first game in significant ways that made it a solid entry if you even somewhat enjoyed the first game but its nothing too special and you'll probably get more leverage out of other games in the 2/2.5D in the platforming genre and it is relatively short but the visuals and stage envoirments are a massive improvement over the first episode as it has minimal asset reuse and doesn't have the ugly cellshading esc look the first went for but at the same time 9/10ths of the game outside of the final special stage and flying fortress act 3 is childs play and the game is way too easy but all in all if your a MASSIVE sonic fan go ahead and play this game you might get a small kick out of it I wouldn't buy the game for any amount of money over 5-10$'s though as its way too short.
Trivia:
Owning both sonic 4's grants you access to episode metal thats a shorter but harder episode 1 with a metal sonic skin and a few cutscenes.
Sonic 4 Episode II is an improvement of the first game in significant ways that made it a solid entry if you even somewhat enjoyed the first game but its nothing too special and you'll probably get more leverage out of other games in the 2/2.5D in the platforming genre and it is relatively short but the visuals and stage envoirments are a massive improvement over the first episode as it has minimal asset reuse and doesn't have the ugly cellshading esc look the first went for but at the same time 9/10ths of the game outside of the final special stage and flying fortress act 3 is childs play and the game is way too easy but all in all if your a MASSIVE sonic fan go ahead and play this game you might get a small kick out of it I wouldn't buy the game for any amount of money over 5-10$'s though as its way too short.
Trivia:
Owning both sonic 4's grants you access to episode metal thats a shorter but harder episode 1 with a metal sonic skin and a few cutscenes.
1992
An Amazing Sequel
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 as a sequel to the first is an improvement in every way.This game unlike the first rewards players for going fast and using momentum to their advantage,Overall improves on the foundations that the first game layed out for it.In this game additions include Tails "Miles Prower" that would be a reoccuring deuteragonist for the series going forwards,The Super-Sonic Spindash (spindash for short) that allows sonic to rev'up and get a quick burst of speed that compliments the level design ALOT,and finally SUPER-SONIC a form that is obtained via gathering all 7 Chaos Emeralds.From special stages that has the player manoeuvre through halfpipe like structures and collecting enough rings to get said emerald 7 times,that are entered with hitting a checkpoint with 50 rings.The final boss of this game has you fighting 2 bosses with 0 rings and is probably the only flaw of the game due to the jankiness of the 2nd boss.Overall this is a game that is just better,longer and has more features than the first and unlike the first this game has aged amazingly.
Trivia:
The game's worldwide release (Tuesday November 24, 1992) was later dubbed Sonic 2sday as a marketing campaign.
Notes: the reviews for these games going forwards wont be as long as the Sonic 1 review.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 as a sequel to the first is an improvement in every way.This game unlike the first rewards players for going fast and using momentum to their advantage,Overall improves on the foundations that the first game layed out for it.In this game additions include Tails "Miles Prower" that would be a reoccuring deuteragonist for the series going forwards,The Super-Sonic Spindash (spindash for short) that allows sonic to rev'up and get a quick burst of speed that compliments the level design ALOT,and finally SUPER-SONIC a form that is obtained via gathering all 7 Chaos Emeralds.From special stages that has the player manoeuvre through halfpipe like structures and collecting enough rings to get said emerald 7 times,that are entered with hitting a checkpoint with 50 rings.The final boss of this game has you fighting 2 bosses with 0 rings and is probably the only flaw of the game due to the jankiness of the 2nd boss.Overall this is a game that is just better,longer and has more features than the first and unlike the first this game has aged amazingly.
Trivia:
The game's worldwide release (Tuesday November 24, 1992) was later dubbed Sonic 2sday as a marketing campaign.
Notes: the reviews for these games going forwards wont be as long as the Sonic 1 review.
1993
The Most Unique Classic Sonic Game.
This game following up sonic 2 had alot of expectations but did it meet them? we are here to find out so lets start with the feel and control of sonic,he overall feel's a bit worse here but is still quite a delight to control and has a new ability as an alternative to the spindash.The Super-Peelout, this ability allows sonic to instantly reach max speed while looking up and holding jump but doesn't curl into a ball like the spindash making him prone to taking damage.Another new thing this game introduced was time travel a gimic that you have to run past a PAST/FUTURE sign to activate once u pass it u have to maintain high speed for a few seconds.If successful you will be warped into an alternate version of said stage with new aesthetic and music that are needed to get the true ending.
Level Design: all the stages here look amazing and have alot of visual flare and memorability i'd argue this is the best looking levels of the 4 classics but level layouts feel a bit weaker than 2's and 3's.
Boss Fights: This game is really creative with its boss fights ranging from being flung upwards on stone slabs to reach eggman to racing metal sonic this game's bosses keep you on edge and utilize unique gimics.These are some of the best boss fight of the classics games only sonic 3 is contestant.
Overall: A very underlooked sonic game that gets insane critic scores for very deserved reasons and a very strong entry into the sonic the hedgehog franchise.
TRIVIA:
the game was initially being developed in japan as sonic 2 didn't get good reception in japan so while sega NA worked on 3,JP worked on CD.The game also has a different soundtrack for the US and JP/EU releases.
This game following up sonic 2 had alot of expectations but did it meet them? we are here to find out so lets start with the feel and control of sonic,he overall feel's a bit worse here but is still quite a delight to control and has a new ability as an alternative to the spindash.The Super-Peelout, this ability allows sonic to instantly reach max speed while looking up and holding jump but doesn't curl into a ball like the spindash making him prone to taking damage.Another new thing this game introduced was time travel a gimic that you have to run past a PAST/FUTURE sign to activate once u pass it u have to maintain high speed for a few seconds.If successful you will be warped into an alternate version of said stage with new aesthetic and music that are needed to get the true ending.
Level Design: all the stages here look amazing and have alot of visual flare and memorability i'd argue this is the best looking levels of the 4 classics but level layouts feel a bit weaker than 2's and 3's.
Boss Fights: This game is really creative with its boss fights ranging from being flung upwards on stone slabs to reach eggman to racing metal sonic this game's bosses keep you on edge and utilize unique gimics.These are some of the best boss fight of the classics games only sonic 3 is contestant.
Overall: A very underlooked sonic game that gets insane critic scores for very deserved reasons and a very strong entry into the sonic the hedgehog franchise.
TRIVIA:
the game was initially being developed in japan as sonic 2 didn't get good reception in japan so while sega NA worked on 3,JP worked on CD.The game also has a different soundtrack for the US and JP/EU releases.
An Arthurian Sequel.
Sonic and the Black Knight is a direct sequel to Sonic and the Secret Rings that improves the game in almost every aspect that makes for a fun time to be had but note.That I did specify almost because there is certainly somethings that either wasn't fixed or made worse with this installment.
Pros:
The storybook art style in cutscenes looks alot cleaner this time while still maintaining that gritty unique art style that is synonymous with the storybook installments.
The gameplay and controls here are much more fine tuned while still being motion control heavy the are used in a more charming and innovative way this time around and feel welcome more than a shoehorned addition.
The narrative just as strong as secret rings that actually tackles some pretty interesting themes and moral standpoints that places it higher on the sonic narrative spectrum.
The crafting mechanic while simple and not too indepth encourages replayability and adds some worthwhile upgrades to the non-sonic playable characters.
The soundtrack enough said hearing is more than telling here.
the level landscapes while simple just being forests and fields mostly are nice looking due to good use of lighting and cinematic scripted sequences that aren't too overbearing.
The voice acting and performances of the actors here in general might be some of the best in the series so far that really elevate heartfelt moments.
Cons:
While the game controls much better than SatSR it still isn't perfect with a bit of stiff movement.
The skill tree/skill equips return and are still okay here they are heavily dumbed down and less customizable than in secret rings.
The game is a bit too short to make it an amazing title casually able to be beaten in 2-3 hours on first playthrough but overall better than secret rings due to less bloat/padding.
The World building is phenomenal here from all the main story elements to a simple thing like being able to collect rings to trade with villagers and build sonics reputation into orderly or chaotic depending if you attack the said villagers sadly this doesn't really effect gameplay but is a cool addition never the less.
Overall: A sequel that was much warranted as it really showed the potential of the storybook entries too bad it was the last as they really had alot of potential going here and with another installment might've just been able to capitalize on the heights this mini-series offered but could never fully realize overall not a must play game but one that should be remembered for its well thought out plot and simple but fun gameplay.
Trivia:
Crush 40 has done a few covers of this games soundtracks and vocal themes that are worth checking out especially the "With Me" cover.
Sonic and the Black Knight is a direct sequel to Sonic and the Secret Rings that improves the game in almost every aspect that makes for a fun time to be had but note.That I did specify almost because there is certainly somethings that either wasn't fixed or made worse with this installment.
Pros:
The storybook art style in cutscenes looks alot cleaner this time while still maintaining that gritty unique art style that is synonymous with the storybook installments.
The gameplay and controls here are much more fine tuned while still being motion control heavy the are used in a more charming and innovative way this time around and feel welcome more than a shoehorned addition.
The narrative just as strong as secret rings that actually tackles some pretty interesting themes and moral standpoints that places it higher on the sonic narrative spectrum.
The crafting mechanic while simple and not too indepth encourages replayability and adds some worthwhile upgrades to the non-sonic playable characters.
The soundtrack enough said hearing is more than telling here.
the level landscapes while simple just being forests and fields mostly are nice looking due to good use of lighting and cinematic scripted sequences that aren't too overbearing.
The voice acting and performances of the actors here in general might be some of the best in the series so far that really elevate heartfelt moments.
Cons:
While the game controls much better than SatSR it still isn't perfect with a bit of stiff movement.
The skill tree/skill equips return and are still okay here they are heavily dumbed down and less customizable than in secret rings.
The game is a bit too short to make it an amazing title casually able to be beaten in 2-3 hours on first playthrough but overall better than secret rings due to less bloat/padding.
The World building is phenomenal here from all the main story elements to a simple thing like being able to collect rings to trade with villagers and build sonics reputation into orderly or chaotic depending if you attack the said villagers sadly this doesn't really effect gameplay but is a cool addition never the less.
Overall: A sequel that was much warranted as it really showed the potential of the storybook entries too bad it was the last as they really had alot of potential going here and with another installment might've just been able to capitalize on the heights this mini-series offered but could never fully realize overall not a must play game but one that should be remembered for its well thought out plot and simple but fun gameplay.
Trivia:
Crush 40 has done a few covers of this games soundtracks and vocal themes that are worth checking out especially the "With Me" cover.
1994
Is 3rd Time The Charm?
Warning:Am going to be reviewing this game as Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the longest entry to the series yet sporting 13 (14 if all emeralds are collected) different zones to traverse and explore.In this game the playable characters (Sonic,Tails,Knuckles) all have there own pro's and cons.This game also for the first time has a utilizable save system
Sonic
+The Fastest
+Able To Utilize Elemental Shield And Hyper Form
-No real special ability without a shield
Tails
+Easiest Of The Bunch
+Can Fly
+Can Swim
-Slowest of the 3
-Can't use the elemental shields
Knuckles
+Can Glide
+Can Climb Walls
-Most of the same issues as tails
Level Design: For the most part this game's level design continues the trend of able to go fast but easily punished the 2nd game had.Sadly unlike that game there is a speed cap and you cant go off screen and there is more percision based platforming overall better than the 1st worse than the 2nd.
Bosses: This game by far has the best bosses of the classic 3 and even has mini-bosses at the end of act 1 for each zone overall very good.
Overall: A game that is better and worse than it's predecessor with a lower focus on speed I find myself slightly giving the edge to 2,but make no mistake sonic 3 is still an amazing game and a great time.
TRIVIA:
Rumor has it that michael jackson wrote the music for 3 and there not baseless claims.
Warning:Am going to be reviewing this game as Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the longest entry to the series yet sporting 13 (14 if all emeralds are collected) different zones to traverse and explore.In this game the playable characters (Sonic,Tails,Knuckles) all have there own pro's and cons.This game also for the first time has a utilizable save system
Sonic
+The Fastest
+Able To Utilize Elemental Shield And Hyper Form
-No real special ability without a shield
Tails
+Easiest Of The Bunch
+Can Fly
+Can Swim
-Slowest of the 3
-Can't use the elemental shields
Knuckles
+Can Glide
+Can Climb Walls
-Most of the same issues as tails
Level Design: For the most part this game's level design continues the trend of able to go fast but easily punished the 2nd game had.Sadly unlike that game there is a speed cap and you cant go off screen and there is more percision based platforming overall better than the 1st worse than the 2nd.
Bosses: This game by far has the best bosses of the classic 3 and even has mini-bosses at the end of act 1 for each zone overall very good.
Overall: A game that is better and worse than it's predecessor with a lower focus on speed I find myself slightly giving the edge to 2,but make no mistake sonic 3 is still an amazing game and a great time.
TRIVIA:
Rumor has it that michael jackson wrote the music for 3 and there not baseless claims.
The Tennis Of All Time.
It's certainly a game I have played and experienced and I don't really have much to say except from the references and presentation are very top notch and its tennis I mean there really isn't much to say about this title its a fun game for an hour or two to play with a friend who may also like SEGA ip's but nothing much more or less than that overall an average game.
It's certainly a game I have played and experienced and I don't really have much to say except from the references and presentation are very top notch and its tennis I mean there really isn't much to say about this title its a fun game for an hour or two to play with a friend who may also like SEGA ip's but nothing much more or less than that overall an average game.
2011
A Game To Be Remembered For Generations.
Sonic Generations should go down in history as one of the greatest installments to the franchise as it nails pretty much everything it set out to do so well in execution that it still shines brightly in a medium that could be refered to as a landfill of options.
Visuals:
Phenomenal thats all I can say sure in terms of lighting and other smaller elements it is a degrade from unleashed but in terms of presentation and other visual elements that aren't just models and lighting it is by far up there as one of the best if not the best sonic game everything about this games presentation is so polished and has such a refined look across all of its menus and levels that serves a certain level of polish that isn't quite present in other entries.
Replayablity:
Again fantastic because sure the main story is short but the game overall.. You'd be mistaken there is so much side content to do in this game and sure you can argue the doppleganger races are just padding due to being same layouts as the main levels the other side missions especially the companion ones are extremely unique and offer gimmics that alter how you approach envoirments and overall make for a great time.And returning from colors is the red star collecting that rewards you with many goodies and abilities and not to mention each side mission has a bell that can be rang after completion that makes you chase a musical note and if you collect it you're rewarded with an OST that can be used in any level/boss in the game... Chefs kiss the replayability of this game trumps the other 2 mainline boost games out of the water.
Gameplay Act 1:
Classic Sonic in this game doesn't feel as tacked on as say I don't know forces and while not completely playing like the classics i'd argue he plays more akin to adventure sonic but in 2D as his spindash works more mechanically akin to his with spindash jumping and inclines causing major height,velocity and distance gained.And yes he still has momentum while not perfect it isn't the main gameplay element here but is welcome regardless.The overall feel to his controls is also the perfect balance of percise,loose,speed,slow,heavy,floaty just all tuned to make platforming in his sections feel blissful this control wise might be my favourite version of the mini hedgehog that might be quite controversial but here we are.And outside of controls pretty much everything you come to expect from a classic entry is here so thats all there is to say really!.
Gameplay Act 2:
Modern Sonic the highlight for most people (myself included) of this game while he doesn't completely outshine classic sonic he is the major selling point for this game and while not controlling as well as say colors i'd say its a nice middle ground between the bad unleashed controls and amazing colors controls and unlike colors he has his full skillset + more with the skill tree/skills you can equip reminiscent of the earlier title "Sonic and The Secret Rings" take on the concept but not quite as expansive but welcome here regardless.And the level design again feels much like a middle ground of colors and unleashed level design philosophy that is basically a reoccuring trend with modern sonic in this game in general so I wont drag it out and lets move on to the next subject.
Soundtrack
Very inoffensive but great remixes of the OST's that we have came to love from previous entries but because I have reviewed those entries i'll keep it shorter here by saying it slaps certain songs here still sneak there way into my playlists to this day.
Voice Acting:
Mostly the same as what I had to say about colors but accept its better because to me it seems like Roger has tuned and tapped into sonic much better in this rodeo compared to colors as he feels less forced and more natural as the role.
Story:
Sonic and friends were having a birthday party and it gets crashed by an time altering entity and sonic has to save the day by restoring time across "his world".And honestly the script here isn't colors bad and really diled back on the cheesy jokes and honestly feels the most geniune and well crafted out of the pontaff era of writing sadly sequels reverted to a more colors like script.
Characters:
Same as I said for story not colors/forces bad but nothing close to Frontiers or Adventure depictions of said characters its servicable and wont hinder this games rating for me as its not offputting it could just be better but the story and characters in this game take a backseat,even harder than other entries that are story light to begin with if complex characters and narrative are your main stay... don't bother.
Overall:
A masterpiece that perfected the linear boost gameplay while featuring a very solid depiction of classic gameplay on the side lines that totals for a very short experience with so much memorable moments unless you go for side content then same applies but its not actually short.This game is perfect for casual players and for the more skilled might not be as high due to the easy rank system and its an overall easier game but do not let it detour you from an unforgettable experience that should last generations after it's launch
Trivia:
This game originates "Classic Sonic" also known as the other sonic that reoccurs in mania and forces that was originally from the main games timeline but diverges after the events of generations and he became his own entity.Not to be confused with sonic 1-3's classic sonic as thats just our current modern sonic.
Sonic Generations should go down in history as one of the greatest installments to the franchise as it nails pretty much everything it set out to do so well in execution that it still shines brightly in a medium that could be refered to as a landfill of options.
Visuals:
Phenomenal thats all I can say sure in terms of lighting and other smaller elements it is a degrade from unleashed but in terms of presentation and other visual elements that aren't just models and lighting it is by far up there as one of the best if not the best sonic game everything about this games presentation is so polished and has such a refined look across all of its menus and levels that serves a certain level of polish that isn't quite present in other entries.
Replayablity:
Again fantastic because sure the main story is short but the game overall.. You'd be mistaken there is so much side content to do in this game and sure you can argue the doppleganger races are just padding due to being same layouts as the main levels the other side missions especially the companion ones are extremely unique and offer gimmics that alter how you approach envoirments and overall make for a great time.And returning from colors is the red star collecting that rewards you with many goodies and abilities and not to mention each side mission has a bell that can be rang after completion that makes you chase a musical note and if you collect it you're rewarded with an OST that can be used in any level/boss in the game... Chefs kiss the replayability of this game trumps the other 2 mainline boost games out of the water.
Gameplay Act 1:
Classic Sonic in this game doesn't feel as tacked on as say I don't know forces and while not completely playing like the classics i'd argue he plays more akin to adventure sonic but in 2D as his spindash works more mechanically akin to his with spindash jumping and inclines causing major height,velocity and distance gained.And yes he still has momentum while not perfect it isn't the main gameplay element here but is welcome regardless.The overall feel to his controls is also the perfect balance of percise,loose,speed,slow,heavy,floaty just all tuned to make platforming in his sections feel blissful this control wise might be my favourite version of the mini hedgehog that might be quite controversial but here we are.And outside of controls pretty much everything you come to expect from a classic entry is here so thats all there is to say really!.
Gameplay Act 2:
Modern Sonic the highlight for most people (myself included) of this game while he doesn't completely outshine classic sonic he is the major selling point for this game and while not controlling as well as say colors i'd say its a nice middle ground between the bad unleashed controls and amazing colors controls and unlike colors he has his full skillset + more with the skill tree/skills you can equip reminiscent of the earlier title "Sonic and The Secret Rings" take on the concept but not quite as expansive but welcome here regardless.And the level design again feels much like a middle ground of colors and unleashed level design philosophy that is basically a reoccuring trend with modern sonic in this game in general so I wont drag it out and lets move on to the next subject.
Soundtrack
Very inoffensive but great remixes of the OST's that we have came to love from previous entries but because I have reviewed those entries i'll keep it shorter here by saying it slaps certain songs here still sneak there way into my playlists to this day.
Voice Acting:
Mostly the same as what I had to say about colors but accept its better because to me it seems like Roger has tuned and tapped into sonic much better in this rodeo compared to colors as he feels less forced and more natural as the role.
Story:
Sonic and friends were having a birthday party and it gets crashed by an time altering entity and sonic has to save the day by restoring time across "his world".And honestly the script here isn't colors bad and really diled back on the cheesy jokes and honestly feels the most geniune and well crafted out of the pontaff era of writing sadly sequels reverted to a more colors like script.
Characters:
Same as I said for story not colors/forces bad but nothing close to Frontiers or Adventure depictions of said characters its servicable and wont hinder this games rating for me as its not offputting it could just be better but the story and characters in this game take a backseat,even harder than other entries that are story light to begin with if complex characters and narrative are your main stay... don't bother.
Overall:
A masterpiece that perfected the linear boost gameplay while featuring a very solid depiction of classic gameplay on the side lines that totals for a very short experience with so much memorable moments unless you go for side content then same applies but its not actually short.This game is perfect for casual players and for the more skilled might not be as high due to the easy rank system and its an overall easier game but do not let it detour you from an unforgettable experience that should last generations after it's launch
Trivia:
This game originates "Classic Sonic" also known as the other sonic that reoccurs in mania and forces that was originally from the main games timeline but diverges after the events of generations and he became his own entity.Not to be confused with sonic 1-3's classic sonic as thats just our current modern sonic.
1998
Cool Concept With ... Execution
Sonic R is an attempt at making a sonic racing game where you run on foot instead of using vehicles that could be such a great idea if executed better.But sadly they decided to give it the jankiest control scheme that you could imagine that really sucks as this game has so much potential but atleast the OST's and track designs are top notch with many varied pathways and incentive to explore a potentially amazing game made mediocre by a bad control scheme
TRIVIA:
The game was orignally ment to be called "Sonic TT (Time Trial)" but was later rebranded to "Sonic R"
Sonic R is an attempt at making a sonic racing game where you run on foot instead of using vehicles that could be such a great idea if executed better.But sadly they decided to give it the jankiest control scheme that you could imagine that really sucks as this game has so much potential but atleast the OST's and track designs are top notch with many varied pathways and incentive to explore a potentially amazing game made mediocre by a bad control scheme
TRIVIA:
The game was orignally ment to be called "Sonic TT (Time Trial)" but was later rebranded to "Sonic R"
2004
The Trilogy Advance In Quality Each Installment.
Sonic Advance 3 is such a good game in ways that make it hard to describe in words but it trumps the previous installments tenfold to start with the presentation is superb,the controls finally have dropped the weightyness advance 1 and 2 had for the better these controls are so great paired with the trick system from advance 2 (thats better here because more things trigger it and its less punished by the stages),the team mechanic that allows variation in playstyle and stage traversal in a way heroes could never dream of accomplishing,great setpieces once again,memorable OST,GEMERL who is a tie in to EMERL from sonic battle. In general advance 3 blew me away as I couldn't imagine the advance games to get any better after 2 but boy did this game hold my beer because WOW this game is much better than 2.If you like any of the 2D sonic platforming games PLEASE go do yourself a favour and play this game as its honestly one of the strongest if not strongest 2D platforming sonic game and has held up super well in one too many aspects to count this is peak 2D sonic like it or not.
Trivia:
Inputting "Up R Down L Right Left" on the main menu after beating all the special stages will allow you to replay special stages at any point you want!.
Sonic Advance 3 is such a good game in ways that make it hard to describe in words but it trumps the previous installments tenfold to start with the presentation is superb,the controls finally have dropped the weightyness advance 1 and 2 had for the better these controls are so great paired with the trick system from advance 2 (thats better here because more things trigger it and its less punished by the stages),the team mechanic that allows variation in playstyle and stage traversal in a way heroes could never dream of accomplishing,great setpieces once again,memorable OST,GEMERL who is a tie in to EMERL from sonic battle. In general advance 3 blew me away as I couldn't imagine the advance games to get any better after 2 but boy did this game hold my beer because WOW this game is much better than 2.If you like any of the 2D sonic platforming games PLEASE go do yourself a favour and play this game as its honestly one of the strongest if not strongest 2D platforming sonic game and has held up super well in one too many aspects to count this is peak 2D sonic like it or not.
Trivia:
Inputting "Up R Down L Right Left" on the main menu after beating all the special stages will allow you to replay special stages at any point you want!.