After 16 years of waiting for a new adventure in the original Sonic series (and putting up with all the dreck in-between – we still haven’t recovered from Sonic Unleashed), Sega’s Hedgehog has finally returned to the ground he was meant to cover. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 may not be the full adventure that we were expecting, but it’s a great sampler for the adventure that’s yet to come, and a reminder that sometimes, in order to be great, you have to stick with what works. The plot really doesn’t matter here.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was something many wanted to see for a very long time. Continuing the story from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, many had lofty expectations for this title. When it finally released, many were split on the project. From it’s episodic nature, different feeling controls and changes that felt strange to fans of Sonic’s classic adventures, Sonic 4 Episode I and II were divisive games to say the least.
I feel like if they could keep improving on the Sonic 4 physics, formula and level design they could have gone from the good Sonic 4 Ep II to something genuinely great for Sonic 4 Ep III.
Strange games. Definitely shouldn't have been "Sonic 4". Seeing as it re-used alot of ideas, level themes enemies and bosses etc, it really should have been called "Sonic Megamix" or something and the levels should have been named after the originals. This would have given SEGA a chance to see what fans reaction was to this style of game, before going in for "proper" Sonic 4. Sonic Mania feels far more "Sonic 4" than the actual Sonic 4 does haha
Sonic the Hedgehog, one of gaming’s most recognizable mascots, used to be synonymous with Sega’s console hardware. Now he can be found on multiple platforms, including iOS. Sonic made his iOS debut with straight ports of his early-90s Sega Genesis games, but since then, he’s starred in more than a few original games designed specifically for mobile.
Maul Squad: I was a Sega kid growing up; although the NES was my first my next console was the Sega Megadrive (or Genesis if you’re a Yank). I played James Pond 3, Boogerman and Earthworm Jim but it wasn't until I first played Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that I really got sucked in. I enjoyed speed and fluidity of your movement along with the bright, chirpy artwork and addictive soundtrack.
Will be giving this a shot this weekend - thanks for the review!
I love my man Sonic!
I got this yesterday. The physics of Sonics movement are a little hard to adjust to at first. He doesnt seem as fast as before. But overall the game is a lot of fun once you get used to the new Sonic.
Some people may hate the $15 asking price, I feel that its worth it. Quick tip for those who hate the original music for the game, use your own (yes it supports custom soundtracks).
I replaced it with my own best of Sonic compilation that featured music from 1,2,CD, and Adventure 1 & 2 . It makes the game a lot more enjoyable!
I like look of it and the music but the controls are far far too sluggish for a Sonic game. At first I thought maybe my nostalgia for the old games was clouding my judgement but then I let my 8 year old niece (who loves all the Sonic games after playing them on my PS3 in the collection released a while ago) play the demo of this one and before she even finished the level she was asking if I could put Sonic 2 back on.