Sonic embodies the spirit of the Wii U with an adventure that seems interesting but ultimately doesn’t execute as well as you’d hope.

Many people say “Super Sonic Galaxy” but in terms of tone and presentation it actually reminds me more of Super Mario 3D Land and to a lesser extent Sonic 3D Blast. This game feels like it came from a different universe where Sonic Xtreme took off instead of Sonic Adventure which makes it notable enough to at least check out. The movement options give you lots of room to experiment as you explore the levels, but sadly mission rankings apply to Time Trials where only speed (and not score) matters. It is a missed opportunity to get the most out of the parkour and multi attack systems.

Despite not quite coming together the game looks gorgeous and stands out from all other 3D Sonic games. The story is good for what it needs to be, introducing classic villain Zavok and including great lines like “These animals are quite underwhelming. Next time, bring better animals.” The game actually uses the game pad a lot for things as essential as the basic tutorial, so I would not recommend playing the Steam port if you can avoid it.

I would recommend you play this and try to at least get through level 2-1 if you have a Wii U still hooked up to see if you like it.

Rough around the edges but definitely earns the title “Sonic Adventure”.

This is the one 3D Sonic game I’ve played that remembers the most fun part of 2D Sonic games is holding down while going down a hill to turn into a ball. The levels seem simple but become a lot more fun when you go for A emblems and have to really utilize turning into a ball to its full potential.

The different characters are all fun in their own way and do not overstay their welcome. E-102 Gamma’s story in particular reminded me of Sonic Forces in that its levels were short but sweet and mainly a vehicle to tell a badass story. I think there’s a lot of potential in a Tails-styled Sonic game that requires complicated attempted game-breaking platforming while under time pressure. It’s fun to do the hammer jump as Amy. Big the Cat is wholesome. Knuckles has cool music.

Overall the story is well done but they had not yet mastered the art of cutscenes, so some story beats don’t hit like they should, but they’re good story beats. The only part that really hits the way they intended was when the crowd chants “Sonic, Sonic” leading into Open Your Heart, which is so badass it changed the musical direction of the series for like 15 years. I recommend you only play this game on a real Dreamcast with a real DreamConn.

Rough around the edges but definitely earns the title “Sonic Adventure”.

This is the one 3D Sonic game I’ve played that remembers the most fun part of 2D Sonic games is holding down while going down a hill to turn into a ball. The levels seem simple but become a lot more fun when you go for A emblems and have to really utilize turning into a ball to its full potential.

The different characters are all fun in their own way and do not overstay their welcome. E-102 Gamma’s story in particular reminded me of Sonic Forces in that its levels were short but sweet and mainly a vehicle to tell a badass story. I think there’s a lot of potential in a Tails-styled Sonic game that requires complicated attempted game-breaking platforming while under time pressure. It’s fun to do the hammer jump as Amy. Big the Cat is wholesome. Knuckles has cool music.

Overall the story is well done but they had not yet mastered the art of cutscenes, so some story beats don’t hit like they should, but they’re good story beats. The only part that really hits the way they intended was when the crowd chants “Sonic, Sonic” leading into Open Your Heart, which is so badass it changed the musical direction of the series for like 15 years. I recommend you only play this game on a real Dreamcast with a real DreamConn.