Review
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I [Xbox Live Arcade] (Xbox 360)
Sonic, Like We Never Wanted Him Before
by Gamervision
In our furry blue friend’s first recent adventure, he utterly failed to make gamers reminisce about “the good ol’ days”. Sega’s overused and favorite mascot not only graced Apple’s portable “game system”, but also our console giants’ with a very similar, yet very different game. But realistically, you’re playing the same thing.
That said, Sonic’s console return comes not in the form of a full game (that’s for Sonic Colors), but an arcade title. Remember, it’s not Sonic 4 proper, but Episode 1. Unlike the portable version, Sonic is up close and personal, literally. The screen is affixed on his 3D self, which looks spiky and spunky as ever, but in no way majestic in a 16-bit sense. Saying it’s hard to see what’s coming, while running faster than a cheetah, is an understatement.
Thanks to a larger screen, and a physical controller, Sega decided to take more liberties with the gameplay. The Casino Street zone was surprisingly fun to play, and while every other zone was filled with gimmicks, this particular level set felt right and played well. Playing on giant slot machines, pinball tables, and hitting spinning dice and card decks felt so cheap and plastic…it felt Las Vegas. And we all love Vegas. The iconic casino level design isn’t there, but the sensibilities therein aren’t lost.
Another challenge that Sega set out was within the Labyrinth zone, where one level has the blurry blue ball slow down to carry a torch in a completely blackened room. Dimly lighting the way, this level was easy and frustrating, and mixed gameplay up enough to make me actually wonder if it works. It does and it doesn’t; Sonic slow is not really Sonic at all, just a Mario with no mushrooms, 1-ups or power ups.
If you’ve made the assumption that both versions of the game are mostly identical, congratulations, your intuition is dead on. While the game feels better, thanks solely to physical controls, every other setback is magnified on a larger screen, better speakers, and HD. We can see the green in Sonic’s eyes, and it isn’t right. The music is equally terrible. The visuals are, well, too new. For a sequel to the beloved original series of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 and 3, looking at a 3D version of Sonic compared to the older, 8- or 16-bit version (the latter included in the singular loading screen) only beats the message into our heads –this is not our Sonic.
As a colleague asked about the game, what is the point? Sega seems to indicate that it’s a return to form, yet the console version is even more of a travesty in this respect than the handheld! It’s a different game entirely; one which feels like it’s made to be played at a theme park with coins instead of the home.
The final twist of the knife is the pricetag for this arcade game. $15 is the cost to play on the big screen. Sonic 4: Episode 1 is a train wreck for Sonic fans. It makes Mario look good, and remember, Sonic was a character made to compete with a short, fat, ugly plumber. In failing to do so, Sega may have forfeited its shining beacon of hope for what can only be viewed as selling out to the masses. And yet, with so many Sonic fans out there, is the alienation worth it? All I can say is that the next episode had better make some extreme changes, or there likely won’t be much more of Sonic to go around.
Comments
Firstly, it failed my first test, you can't push A when it tells you to push Start. Next, Sonic's walking animation is god-awful. His feet mechanicly slide across the ground. Finally, the jumping was way off. You can start a jump, then instantly stop your horizontal in mid air just by letting go of the direction. This just doesn't feel right, especially for Sonic. If they can't get these basic and important things right, I don't need to see anything beyond the demo.
Christ, I can't believe how many people - supposed Sonic fans - are manufacturing problems with this game. The only problem with it is some weird physics, but if its a trade off for the added depth afforded to players by using an air dash/homing attack, it ain't bad (here's hoping its polished up in Episode II though). Anyone who complains about Sonic supposedly being slow clearly hasn't played for more than a few minutes, otherwise they haven't figured out that you can double tap jump to propel Sonic forward in the air and get him up to top speed in about 10 in-game feet. That level of control is something the older games didn't have, and its something that's very much welcome. Once you GET OVER THE FACT THAT THIS ISN'T A GENESIS GAME. Besides that, I suppose you can knock it for the lack of originality. But that's it.
"It doesn't play EXACTLY like the Genesis games from 15 years ago!!!"
"The music doesn't sound EXACTLY like the Genesis games!!!"
"The Title Screen is different!!!" Waaaaaaah. Go grab a milk bottle, you babies.
This doesn't play like the Genesis game because - surprise! - it's not a damn Genesis game! It's a 360 Live Arcade/Playstation Network/Wiiware game. It can do its own thing. And for what it does, it does fairly well.
It slows Sonic down a bit so it can make it a more successful platformer, instead of just a "run right" simulator, which is what the old Genesis games devolved into. Stop looking at them through nostalgia-approved, rose-tinted glasses.
Sonic 4 is fine. It ain't perfect, but that's why this is episodic. Dimps'll change things for Episode II. In the meantime, I suppose they can brace for the insane amount of negativity moronic trolls are ready to unleash on Episode II right NOW, now that Episode I is out.
Firstly, the Title Screen test is for ALL games these days. Actually if it were an old game I'd be much more understanding if you had to use the Start button. These days if A doesn't work, in most cases it indicates that the game is cheap.
Also, maybe I'm just bad at the origional games (1 and 2, 3 and Knuckles don't hold my interest somehow) are not just about running right really fast. If you try to do that before memorizing the level you get your ass kicked.
Some older games, when you return to them their flaws really stick out (Goldeneye 64). I've continued to play Sonic 1 and 2 (usualy 2) periodically over the years, and it has held up. Just clairifying that I don't have a unrealistic, rose-tinted view of the older games.
I think the homing thing is fine, I was worried about it when I heard about it, but it was fine. I can still spin-dash when I need to get up to speed. (Spid-dash is the main thing missing in Sonic 1 :( ). The jumping physics are just terrible though. Everyone I talk to who has played the demo have commented on the bad jumping, and they usually bring up the exact thing I mentioned about stopping in mid-air. I think that is bad for ANY platformer. It's something I'd expect to see in an XBox Indie game, not Arcade.
I'm not asking for perfection, and Sonic 4 played vastly better than the 3D Sonic games I've played. It just makes me sad that if I could get at the code for just and hour, I could fix the jumping and make the game so much better.