Sonic the Hedgehog is a great 2D character that rarely plays well in 3D. Fortunately, Sonic Heroes doesn't have as many camera issues as Sonic's previous outing Sonic Adventure, yet it still has a few camera issues that will have players falling to their deaths at no fault of their own. In most cases Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes are quite different from each other, but what's unique about Sonic Heroes is that it features teams of characters that must work together to complete each level. Unique is not always a good thing however, as the teamwork element wears thin as almost as fast as Sonic spins.

Each of the four teams consists of three characters: one built for speed, one for strength, and one that can fly. The game's primary team includes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and as you progress you will have to constantly switch between the characters in order to advance. For example, you begin running at super speeds with Sonic only to come to a sudden stop at a barrier. Then with the press of a button you grab Knuckles and bust down the barrier, sprint a little further and hit an unbreakable wall, allowing you to make use of Tails' flying ability to lift the team over the wall.

The constant changes are simple to perform, and an onscreen image shows the team's formation and which button (either Triangle or Circle) is needed to access the character shown. While this may sound intriguing it ultimately becomes irritating and repetitive. Sonic the Hedgehog is arguably the fastest video game character and can be exciting to control, but that excitement never really comes into play when you have to keep stopping, switching characters, and overcoming the same obstacles over and over again. The variety of characters isn't a bad thing; they just each need their own levels.

All of the teams are basically identical, and they all go through what are essentially the same levels that sometimes sport minor changes. One team does have objectives that must be completed in every level while the other three teams are only trying to get to the end of each level in the fastest time possible. If you were to play through the game with every team then the game does have substantial length. There is also a two-player battle mode and some other gameplay variations that can be unlocked by completing the game with each team.

The game is fairly simple and isn't a bad introduction to the platform genre of games. There is one team (Team Rose) that features a complete tutorial on every aspect of the game, however, even while not using Team Rose there are still hint rings located throughout the game that tell users what action they need to perform. Sonic Heroes is simply an average platformer that will more likely entertain young players new to the Sonic franchise than veterans of the genre. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide

Looks a lot like previous Sonic titles, bright and colorful. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide

Sound effects are fine and as with the graphics are very similar to previous Sonic games. The characters talk a lot throughout each level, which sounds ok but they repeat a lot of the same phrases. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide

Levels all feel too similar to each other as the designers intentionally force players to switch between the three characters. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide

If the teamwork gameplay doesn't bother you, there are four teams to play as and a multitude of songs, videos, and two-player modes to unlock. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide