SONIC 4 IS HERE! I gotta tell you, man, I almost missed it! I came home after a long day of work, browsed through my RSS reader and lo and behold there was a review for Sonic 4! I was kind of shocked though, because it was the Joystiq review, probably one of the harshest critiques the game got. Anyway, I convinced my wife that it was a good investment (what would happen to my reputation if I didn’t provide my loyal readers with a timely review?), grabbed my debit card and rushed on to the living room to purchase 1000 points. Then I realized the game was worth 1500; a bit pricey if you ask me. I bought the 2000 points and kept the extra 500 for when episode 2 comes out.
Perhaps I would have enjoyed my game more if I hadn’t read that review (and that review only). As soon as I launched it I couldn't help looking for those faults they mentioned, and indeed I found them. Many of those defects, thought, were things that I probably wouldn’t have noticed or cared about.
Now, before I go into detail there’s one thing I want to clarify. Whether you love or hate this game is going to be directly linked to how much you liked the 16-bit iterations of the series, how much you liked the 3D versions, and how much you love Sonic the Hedgehog as a role model for humanity. Take, for example this Joystiq review: in essence their reaction was “dude, they got it all wrong!” I, myself am a total absolute Sonic the Hedgehog nerd. I know, in the bottom of my heart, that one day SEGA will rise from the ashes and obliterate Sony, Apple and Microsoft and leave Nintendo badly wounded (probably limiting themselves to release third party titles for SEGA consoles). I am POSITIVE beyond any doubt that Sonic would whoop Mario’s ass in a fight, in any setting, regardless of power-ups. That being cleared I’ll try to review the game from both points of view.
Consider what you expect from any other WiiWare title: A short, simple game with limited production value intended for casual audiences. This game clearly surpasses this. The graphics are in compliance with current standards for top-tier downloadable games. The music is catchy and the sound effects are appropriate. You get different saves and a leaderboards function. Controls are d-pad based, therefore extremely responsive. Use of motion controls is integrated in special levels, tilting the remote like a steering wheel emulating an analog joystick (to stop movement you have to return the remote to a horizontal position). This may take a bit of getting used to. You can opt to use the d-pad as well but you’ll probably appreciate the subtlety of analog control in harder levels. Gameplay itself is textbook platformer, you move left until you reach a goal, jumping to avoid obstacles and destroying any enemies that get in your way. If you’ve never played a 2D Sonic game then this is the end of the review, I recommend you try this one and then check out the classics. Goodbye.
If you have played any of the classics, consider what you would expect from a game titled Sonic The Hedgehog 4: A mascot-grade game that promises to return to the formula that made 1, 2 and 3 famous and shun anything implemented in further iterations (mainly 3D gameplay). Now that you have a very specific standard, it’s easy to see where the game does or doesn’t deliver. In essence the game IS good: It is fun and it made me happy. From the traditional title screen to the catchy tunes and familiar graphics it really is a heartwarming experience. Upon closer inspection you start to see some cracks.Level design, sound effects, items and enemies are nearly identical to the previous games, especially in the Splash Hill Zone. But if the first three iterations had very similar levels, why shouldn’t this one? The tradition is to have the more original, perhaps darker levels later in the game, so I expect the next episode to start deviating from the cookie-cutter levels. Besides, you’d expect for them to intentionally pick the most popular levels and try to revisit them; this is a fan service game after all. In the end I was pretty satisfied and even though I have not played the game to the finish I expect a few surprises.
Sonic himself was a big disappointment. I had already prepared myself to the fact that SEGA refused to use the classic design and opt for the more “rad” version of Sonic designed for the 3D games. You know, long legs, more serious look, less cute? They claim they have redesigned the character and can’t go back. I can dig that. I was only mildly annoyed by the use of cel-shading (in-game and not in the title screen). What I didn't expect was the animation to be so crappy. When you press forward on the d-pad Sonic begins… walking. Seriously, SEGA, not even a light jog? A power-walk even? Sure, he speeds up in eventually (the fast-running animation isn’t perfect either), but since when does Sonic walk? This kind of walk/jog/run mentality only works when you’re working on analog stick movement! Take Metroid: Other M, for example, you press forward and Samus just sprints like her life depends on it! They sure know how d-pad movement works! Sonic only has three speeds: Static (and looking bored), running fast and running helluva fast.
Beside the animations, I have to agree with Joystiq on the physics being screwed up. If you were to determine the one thing Sonic games are about it’d definitely be speed, acceleration and inertia. The original formula is that you need to get from A to B as soon as possible. You are vulnerable while running but not if you curl up into a ball so it’s good thing to build up some speed if you’re uncertain of what might pop up on the way. You also need to build momentum to get through some obstacles like steep hills, loop-de-loops and even running up high walls at times. This is why they implemented the spin-dash move in Sonic 2; sometimes you didn’t have enough space to build up the necessary speed or it would just be no fun walking back for another running start.
Why on earth, then, does Sonic suddenly have enough force to accelerate even while walking STRAIGHT UP A WALL? My experience in casino zones tells me any “room” with no apparent exit, a flat floor and rounded corners is to be approached like a half-pipe. You run back and forth, gaining momentum until you’re able to run all the way up a wall and then you proceed to treat the rest of the room like a pinball table. I found myself in such a room, and seeing there wasn’t enough room to the left to get a good running start, I ran right (I chose not to spin-dash to keep control of my movement, just in case). Imagine my surprise when the blue hedgehog just kept running up and over a wall about 4 stories high. That is not just messed up, in a way it defeats the need of almost every other game play mechanic. No need to negotiate the terrain, just press forward!
Speaking of defeating game play mechanics, how about that homing attack? They thought it would be neat to include this move implemented in 3D games to facilitate jumping on enemies when there’s no real depth perception. Having this on the 2D version just makes it completely unnecessary to measure your jumps at all. Just press 2!
If you thought these would make the game ridiculously easy, the game now has a “world map” that lets you select any zone, and any of the acts you’ve already reached, including the bonus levels. There are some places where the platforming gets ridiculously tricky. Maybe they could have a feature in which Tails appears and beats the level for you!
Anyway, all these details can be justifiable to SEGA trying to make the game more accessible to both non-gamers and young children (I’m pretty sure my kids will have a blast). And, with the exception of the increased force, all other features are actually optional (you don’t HAVE to use the homing attack, and you can just tap A after finishing an act to go straight to the next in order) So, really, unless you’re the ultimate Sonic Nazi (or you work for Joystiq), there should not be any real issues so far.
Another aspect that was heavily bashed is the graphics. Allegedly the high-definition computer-generated graphics lack artistry and personality. I don’t know what they’re talking about, tough. I’m playing the Wii version on an old CRT TV. On a low-resolution screen the graphics look just as lovely as the classics: bright colors, 16-bit-ish parallax scrolling, dancing flowers and a sparkling ocean in the horizon. I remember reading some of the old school interviews with Yuji Naka, creator of Sonic The Hedgehog. He said when he came up with Sonic the idea was to make players happy. This game’s graphics made me happy. I say they got them right. If you ask me, classic games are just like porn, so I can imagine how too much detail could possibly ruin it to those unfortunate enough to own a big screen high-definition TV.
The sound effects are very loyal to the series and that made me happy too, but the music… I don’t now about the music. I feel just like with the music in New Super Mario Bros Wii, it’s good but not memorable. Maybe it’s because I already associate certain tunes to the brand. One thing I hated was the Dr. Robotnik Eggman (blegh) theme; it might have worked for a bonus stage or an ice cream truck, but it made me lose what little respect I had left for the good doctor.
I really liked the game and I know in my heart SEGA will iron out those little wrinkles by the time Episode 2 comes out.
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