Game Review XIII: "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1"

Okay, here's a brief rant before I go into the game in question. "I have heard a lot of bashing concerning this title, claiming that they didn't do it right. Well guess what: after years of making 3D titles for the franchise, I wouldn't think they would go back into the classic 2D graphics we remember so well. I'm not trying to blast the classic days, I'm just saying to quit being a b**ch, crying about going back to the classic days. They did, it's out, another is being planned, a mix of present and past is in the making, grow up, shut up, deal with it, and goodbye!"

If you had to read that, then I apologize. That was a rant meant for these Sonic the Hedgehog "fans" who cried about how Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 turned out. For one thing, Sega and Sonic Team went back to the days of old, I'm guessing after numerous whines from purists who are die hard 2D Sonic fans, thinking awful about the modern day games of the same character. Now to the game itself. As stated, it's called Sonic 4, made as the long-awaited successor to Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Sonic the Hedgehog 3 + Sonic and Knuckles). Like the first 3 games, it's a 2D platformer, but immersed with 3D graphics, making it technically a 2.5D, I guess. The game pretty much features him going solo, like Sonic 1. In fact, in the beginning levels, some of the badniks, and even the first Eggman Boss are rehashed versions of  Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 enemies and boss. The story this time around is that Angel Island finally returns to the sky after Eggman's defeat on Death Egg. Seeing as how things are returned to normal, Sonic parts with Tails and Knuckles to roam new territories.

Of course, staple bad guy, and eternal foe Eggman survives the fall, with dreams of creating Eggmanland, as usual. Changing animals into robots once more, he searches for the Chaos Emeralds needed to make his plans a reality. As always, our blue, spiky friend is the only obstacle in his way, which is where we come in. Like the games before it, we have to clear stages, collect the emeralds, and crush Dr. Eggman for good.

Comparison:
Sonic 1 Green Hill Boss to
Sonic 4 Splash Hill Boss

Note that the title is Sonic 4: Episode 1. As it is a downloadable title, there wouldn't be very much in the game. There are 4 main Zones, a final boss level, and a special stage area to venture through, and each Zone consists of 3 acts and the Zone Boss making 4 different acts to play in. The special stage is reminiscent of Sonic 1, and is accessible when you bring at least 50 rings to the goal, jumping in the giant ring afterwards. Gameplay is like the norm(Jump attack, Spin Attack, Spin Dash), with the inclusion of the now-staple Homing Attack. Aside from the usual powerups and gimmicks, there are some new ones, such as a traveling deck of cards. And this makes the first Sonic game in a while to utilize Super Sonic at will during the stage, with the pressing of the transformation button, though obviously it's no use if you don't have all 7 emeralds.

Splash Hill Zone gameplay

My only complaint is the running, as Sonic would initially build up much more speed when he continues running. In Sonic 4, he has a slower start, and players sometimes relied on the Homing Attack to gain momentum. In a sense, Sonic Advance was also guilty of this, but it wasn't as big an issue as it is here. . The music is fine, as they went back to the beats used in the Genesis era, with a new melody to it. The boss fights are the same as we remember from Sonic 1 and Sonic 2, though they have something extra every now and then. Everything is nearly as good as the classics, but the game itself is rather short, so I doubt that everybody would enjoy much of it. An Episode 2 is in the works, but due to so many feedback on this one, it's future is uncertain.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 gets a 7 of 10. I applaud them for going retro, and am waiting to see what they do with this project onwards.