Mini Review – Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode One

Platformer

Cash rules everything around me.

Rich

asd

When Sega stated that Sonic 4 was due to be the direct sequel to Sonic 3 and Knuckles I met it with the same scepticism that a lot of people were feeling at the same time. When Dimps, the Developers of the Sonic Advance and Rush games was announced as the developer most lost hope all together. So can Sonic 4 actually be a decent successor to the would be forgotten if it wasn’t released on every format since the Mega Drive, Sonic 3 and Knuckles?

Helllll no.

For starters Sonic doesn’t really control how he should do, his movements are a little stiff and thanks to the physics in the game (which can allow you to walk up vertical walls) this can allow to some difficulties, such as placing your jumps when navigating over bottomless pits and also gathering that all important momentum when you try to build up speed. This is typical Dimps standard though as this is the developer that thought over fifty speed boosters in one stretch of land was a good idea. Although the physics and controls are a cause for concern most people are likely to overlook them, fans may well just have to get used to it for future episodes.

The graphics are sparse and hold little in the way resemblance to the original games. Remember in Sonic 2 when you’re cruising through the wonderful Sky Chase Zone? The graphics were bold and cartoon like, even when there were sparse moments in levels like this one you could let your mind wonder and take it all in. Episode one however looks like plastic for the most part, the greenery of Splash Hill Zone look like they have a sheet of cling film over them and the Mad Gear Zone looks like a Tonka toy factory with green and chrome being the order of the day.

There are some very good points in the game though of course, Points that Sega have really hit home in this attempt at returning to the retro formula. The level music has the same lyrical style to it that the original games had, while its not always stellar stuff you can at least give credit to Sega and Dimps for recreating that feel, I find it a lot more preferable to the absolute shite pop rock stuff that they used in the 3D titles. Each act has its own variation of a track and I must say its a very welcome addition and one of the finer elements taken from Sonic 3.

The level design is also another thing to praise Sega/Dimps for. Each Zone has its distinctive feel and each Act has its own gimmick which defines it, such as Casino Street’s Road of Cards act which has you surfing over giant playing cards which is all nice too look at and is genuinely exciting. Also the second act of lost labyrinth actually tests your mind as well as reflexes, pitting you in a darkened area which you can only light up by setting fire to torches. This is a positively compelling area of Sonic 4, fans seem to forget the parts of the original titles where you had to slow down and plot your course, luckily Dimps hasn’t and the game is all the better for it.

Sega really bit off more than they could chew with their choice of title for this game. Sonic 4 suggests a return to the roots of the franchise, instead we get a game which is more of a spin off. While its not such a bad one, its just not what the fanbase was hyped to believe. Hopefully the second episode can lay waste to some of the niggles that the first has.

Until then.

7/10