Topic: Sonic 4 - Ep. 1 - Reviews

I hate to break it to break it to ya, Kobayashi but...I think somebody already beat you to the punch. They're called Metacritics. They've been here for a while.

Metacritic only has one review listed on there for Sonic...

Nice try though.

If you spindash off a cliff, you go into free fall mode... THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN! DOES DIMPS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CLASSIC SONIC GAMES!?! Sorry, but if this is supposed to be like the other classic Sonic games, then how come remembering the physics from Sonic 3 & Knuckles is more hindering then helpful?

Attention Universe: buy the iPhone/iTouch version if you haven't yet downloaded the console ones. It's the same exact game, but significantly cheaper, and, shockingly, the controls are much tighter. I really wish I wouldn't have bought the Wii version now.

isn't that the one where they kept the universally despised gimmick levels?

hell you just said it's on the iPhone. It's a game on the iPhone. Insta-fail.

There isn't any problems with the controls anyway. Only problems is getting used to the weird homing attack. (lol leave it to Sega to try to make a nostalgia game and then completely change the homing attack)

If you have a 3:4 TV only, this game will be a lot harder to play. It does not go for widescreen and instead cuts out the game view by quite a lot.

I learned the hard way :<

So ur saying the game is designed to be widescreen then?

That's what I thought, too. I hate iPhone (or in my case, iTouch) games, typically. But this one controls like a dream. I wouldn't say the console versions' controls are problematic, per se, but they're a little sloppy, especially when it comes to the slower platforming stuff. Not the iPhone version. Sonic turns and moves much more intuitively, and the controls are just all around much tighter.
As for the gimmick levels, I have no idea. I haven't played any of them yet. Every level I've played is a carbon copy of the console games--which is a good thing.
I don't see any reason to pay $5 more for the console versions if you have an iPhone or iTouch. It's the superior version of the game.

Perhaps you need a physics lesson. The top speed is fine. It's the starting speed and how fast you build up to the top speed (acceleration) that are significantly slower.

Outside of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Homing Attack has never been used in a 2D Sonic game before. Other than adding the targeting reticles, I think it works pretty close to how it does in the 3D games. It would've been nice to also have the split-second shield attack from Sonic 3 & Knuckles (maybe with the 1 button while in mid-air), but it wasn't necessary with the Homing Attack added.

Just beat the game (didn't get all chaos emeralds yet) and I have to say, I was surprised at how good the game is. There are definitely flaws, but it looks like Sonic Team finally has some solid ground to stand on.

The physics are what stick out the most to me. I wish they felt a bit more like Sonic 2 & 3. Whether or not they made the physics more or less realistic, I couldn't say, but it definitely doesn't flow as nicely as the older games. It feels like you have to put in more of an effort to get Sonic moving. Going from a dead stop to running takes longer than it should and even if that's more realistic, I think I'd prefer less faithful real world physics and more "older Sonic games physics".

As some people were saying earlier, the spin-dash doesn't really get you very far. You start off rolling fast, but it fades pretty quickly. Thinking back to the Casino Night zone from Sonic 2, the spin-dash used to really help you get up those half-pipes, and now you're kinda discouraged from using it in the same manner.

If you miss enemies with the in-air homing attack, or feel like just using it blindly to get an extra boost of forward momentum through the air, you leave yourself open to getting hit by whatever enemy is below you (regardless of whether or not you would kill it if you were doing a normal jump). I really hope this is something they consider changing for future episodes.

Overall, it seems like the physics may be the way they are to make the game easier to play. Keep in mind that in Sonic 2 & 3, it was difficult to come to a dead stop on a ramp in order to do the spin dash to get yourself moving up it. Also, try bouncing perfectly straight up on those red star bumpers in Sonic 2's Casino Night zone...not so easy, is it? Whether this makes the game better or worse, I can't really say unless I play it quite a bit more, but it very well could've been a lot harder and more unforgiving if they didn't make some exceptions to how "faithful" the physics are.

I was happy with how much the levels resemble the levels they are trying to mimic from the genesis Sonic games. My one main complaint about the graphics is that sometimes it's difficult to tell what's in the background and what's an obstacle/platform in the foreground. It's like they made everything too bright and colorful and didn't render the background objects in such a way that they fade into the background.

I can't complain much about the music. It sounds like it belongs in the game and I definitely appreciate the use of sound effects from the older Sonic games even though there are some discrepancies (like using the extra life sound for earning a Continue).

Although I've only played a few of the special stages, these too, feel like they fit nicely. I never much liked the requirement of needing 50 rings or more at the end of a level to enter the special stage, but I'll take that, as that is a Sonic 1 homage and it's a fair enough rule.

I won't spoil the final boss, but I don't think it was as challenging as some other reviews are saying. Chances are, you'll have enough extra lives by the end to get good at it.

Overall, I think this game is a decent attempt at capturing the classic Sonic game feel, but it isn't worthy of the Sonic 4 title, especially after how much new and innovative gameplay Sonic 3 & Knuckles brought to the table. How is it that we're still stuck with the same 5 items from Sonic 1? I think Sonic 4 really tried to capture what made the genesis Sonic games fun, but at the same time, Sonic Team really played it safe with this one and didn't try to add anything too new. Perhaps we'll see some new and interesting gameplay concepts in the next few episodes.

More a 9.0/10 for Sonic 4:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-12-sonic-the-hedgeh...

Metacritics has all the reviews Kobayashi's listing here. What are you talking about?

I want it on the big Screen, though. There's also an exclusive level in the Console version that's really cool.

Did any one get to Super sonic yet?

There's four exclusive levels on the iTouch version

But are they cool? Like, really, really cool?

the winking confirms what I already said.

Could you please explain how an on screen dpad is better than a real life dpad? The controls in the Sonic 1 iPhone port worked well, but I just can't get used to the virtual dpad for controls that need to be that precise.

I can't get used to a digital D-Pad either. I usually end up accidentally positioning my fingers off center slightly and messing things up.