There is no doubting the fact that SEGA's mascot has fallen from grace over the past decade after his transition from 2D gaming into the 3D era. Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 is SEGA's latest attempt at reviving the little blue platforming king and restoring his pride, recreating 4 zones each consisting of 3 acts and a boss battle from the original 2D classics we all know and love from our Genesis days.
Since Sonic made the transition into the 3D era fans have been left disappointed for the most part with the exception of Sonic Adventure 2 : Battle, a personal favourite of mine. Sonic has lost his speed and charm which made him a household name back in the Genesis days however SEGA's latest attempt with Sonic sees him return to the 2D classic Sonic games and it is exactly what fans have been waiting for.
Dr Robotnik, or Eggman as they refer to him now is back and up to no good again. In Sonic 4 you will play through four zones each consisting of three acts and a boss battle, finally attempting one last boss battle which will test even hardcore Sonic fans.
Each zone is inspired from the original Sonic games on the Genesis however they take the inspiration and use it to make the game feel new and fresh. The first of the 4 "Splash Hill Zone" will look very similar to Green Hill Zone and will not show much difference from the old Sonic games other than the graphical differences. After the first zone you really see the designers inspirations come out in the next few zones. The Lost Labyrinth has areas where you will need to carry a torch lighting your way through dark corridors in search of the exit, and lighting dynamite to blow up obstacles in your way to advance further. My favourite of the 4 zones is Casino Street, this zone was very nostalgic to me and brought back allot of childhood memories and emotions. There are now poker style playing cards which Sonic flips when he runs past either rewarding the player or punishing them. The Mad Gear Zone asks the player to run across giant gears opening up new passageways for Sonic to advance through the stage, and the vacuum tubes most memorable in the Chemical Plant Zone of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 are BACK! and for me this is great since Chemical Plant was my favourite Sonic stage.
The Special stages are back with slight differences to keep this feeling like a new experience with old friends. You rotate your stage much like in the old days while Sonic falls through collecting all the rings before the timer cuts off.
Sonic 4 is a game that looks as great as it plays, the designers manage to create a game that retains the old school art style with a modern day twist. Colours are bold, bright and vary in each zone making you feel like you are always somewhere new. The old orange and yellow checker'd platform areas now look as though some of the squares go in deeper than others and waterfalls now look fantastic. It is also great to see all your old favourite enemy's with up to date visuals and effects, such as my own personal favourite the little red Piranha fish. Sonic looks better than ever and leaves trails of smoke when he runs, and when he jumps he will throw his hands in the air. Sonic also has lots of facial expressions for anything effecting him now which just adds to the detail and presentation.
Power ups are back but they haven't changed much. All the old ones we know and love such as, superspeed, invincibility, and bubble shield are all here with no real changes other than their theme tunes.
The only significant difference in gameplay is the introduction of the lock-on targeting system which works so well in Sonic's 3D adventures. You can now attack enemy's with precision accuracy from almost any position and it's not only for fun. You will be required in some areas to use this such as when the floor is covered with spikes and the only way to continue is to target the hovering enemy's above them. This is something allot of fans from the old days might not be so willing to welcome but i personally think it's great and shows how Sonic has advanced through out the years. The game will also feel faster when blasting through a row of enemy's then continuing down a hill before clearing another looped path way. The only reason people might doubt this feature is because it does make the game less difficult than it otherwise would be without it but that is only a small complaint.
The big disappointment with Sonic 4 is co-op, there is none. While i understand the goal was to re-create Sonic 1 and bring Sonic back to his roots it would have been great to have a friend play along side me as Tales after all this is Sonic 4 and we should be progressing not going back. I think it would have also been nice to unlock some other playable characters for fun such as Shadow (who i would really love to see in a 2D game) or Knuckles but that might come later as this is only episode 1. We do get Super Sonic which is great and more fun than ever.
The music in Sonic 4 is wonderful, all the old sounds are back like the springs that repel Sonic through the stages, the pop's when Sonic blasts through an enemy, the warning when Sonic is running out of air, air bubbles when Sonic is under water, and even the crumbling sounds of the breakable walls Sonic can speed through. The stage music is just as cheesy and joyful as ever delivering an old retro feel in a modern way. Boss battles feel just as fun as ever when the music begins to change as well and you know that big Egg is after you again.
The only other drawback with the game is it's rather easy difficulty level for anyone who spent the majority of their youth locked away in a basement with the little blue hedgehog. This can't be helped though Sonic is what it is and the only way to change the difficulty for anyone who is a Sonic pro would be to change the whole concept of what Sonic is. The final boss fight however is ridiculously hard compared to the rest of the game. After playing the game through and meeting the end boss you feel like each boss was just a warm up fight for this guy who uses all of the previous bosses methods to take Sonic down. It's long and frustratingly hard and if you are not a die hard Sonic fan this might be the reason you turn the game off. Personally i think the game needs this testing end and when all episodes are complete we should have a few more ultimate boss battles which make the complete Sonic 4 a tougher game than any of the previous ones.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 is going to be released in episodic forum, most likely we can expect to see 3 to 4 episodes each consisting of 4 zones, 12 acts, 4 boss battles, and 1 ultimate boss battle so there is lot's to look forward to in the future from SEGA.
Sonic is a franchise i will always have a place in my heart for. I am a huge Sonic fan and for me SEGA has finally gave the fans what we have been asking for. If i was an unbiased reviewer i would give Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 an 8/10, however i want to score this game as a fan.
As a fan this is everything i have been waiting for an more, however as Sonic 4 is going to be released in episodic forum i can't give this a 10/10 so my final score is
9/10
