Reviews - Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 -Xbox 360, PS3

[HEXUS]

Is this the addictive classic 2D side scrolling action game that Sonic fans have been waiting for?

Read more.

[Biscuit]

sounds awesome

[chis]

As a Sonic fan back in the day, watching videos of this is akin to violent visual and aural (and oral?) rape.

Oh, they've done a great job of going for a "Megadrive updated" sound for the music - the snares are straight samples from the original - but it's just so very very wrong. No funk at all, just straight happy-J-tech. And the visuals? Oh, they're quality, but Sonic still looks tremendously retarded: why must they persist with the "nu-Sonic Adventure" look?

[Astridax93]

Awww hell, like I am going to buy a ps3 or xbox360 just for this... It is tempting though!

[Steven W]

As a Sonic fan back in the day, watching videos of this is akin to violent visual and aural (and oral?) rape.

Oh, they've done a great job of going for a "Megadrive updated" sound for the music - the snares are straight samples from the original - but it's just so very very wrong. No funk at all, just straight happy-J-tech. And the visuals? Oh, they're quality, but Sonic still looks tremendously retarded: why must they persist with the "nu-Sonic Adventure" look?

Agree with some of that. The music isn't as catchy that's for sure and the new Sonic isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the original, but gameplay is probably as close as they'll ever get it again. To be able to feel the same way as we did in those early Sonic periods is difficult, but we were in a different age then. But, this is Sonic back in his most purest form...albeit with some differences. For the price, it's a great game and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

[danroyle]

am so tempted by this but have heard it's £9.99 thats a little steep

[Stringent]

£10?

That is steep ... :-(

Too bad. I would have got this, loved the classic Sonic stuff.

Listening to some of the soundtracks, they could have updated them a little more, it still sounds 16-bit-esq. Nice for a little retro, but not for todays standards.

[danroyle]

£10?

That is steep ... :-(

Too bad. I would have got this, loved the classic Sonic stuff.

Not 100% on that price but thats what it said on a couple of reviews i was expecting the £4 mark for an arcade game would have snapped it up

[Grey M@a]

Played the demo and jesus what have they done to it. This is why Sonic was destroyed after the sonic and knuckles release. Why does sonic run so slow, even the sonic collection on the DS runs at the 60hz pace of the old NTSC megadrives and you have a sense of speed, this sonic, its like he has arthritis and is waiting for double hip replacements. The homing attack????? Really, why did they bring this from the sonic adventures series of sonic. What was wrong with the old school curl up into a ball and hit the enemies.

Playing the demo of this on the 360 and the PS3 and then the one on the iPhone which is a lesser machine games wise and it runs faster so you get the sense of speed, its cheaper and you get more levels than the arcade version. 1200ms points for 4 levels. Once again SEGA can go take a walk and they should just leave sonic alone or actually go back to the originals and work out what they did right from those versions instead of releasing numerous half baked games that are borderline fails in my books.

If you want a decent sonic game like old, then I would say buy the older versions or get the DS sonic collection. With this you will actually get a sonic game that this should of been. What a waste of points if you get it on the arcade or psn. There are better out there on other platforms or the originals themselves put this version to shame.

Really Hexus? 90% for this game? You gave the Sonic Collection an 80% on the DS and the Sonic Collection is a much better sonic game all over, you slated the Collection because they were just emulations of the old games, that's the point, they are the sonic games and they even have the feel of speed to them, something isn't right here. Its the same all over its getting 9/10's and 8/10's then you talk to the "fans" that this game is apparently for and the game is slated all over the place. This is a poor excuse for a sonic game, I really do wonder sometimes what reviewers are playing differently to those that will play the demo or buy the game. Looks like this game is getting good reviews from the nostalgia angle and no one seems to be mentioning nearly half the downfalls of this game.

This is just my take on this poor excuse of a sonic title, it feels like a cash in and not a true sequel to the sonic 1 - 3 series of old. I am yet to find one proper sonic fan who is actually liking this game or thinking its actually a sonic 4 and not a quick rehash of the older games to make a quick buck.

[Steven W]

Played the demo and jesus what have they done to it. This is why Sonic was destroyed after the sonic and knuckles release. Why does sonic run so slow, even the sonic collection on the DS runs at the 60hz pace of the old NTSC megadrives and you have a sense of speed, this sonic, its like he has arthritis and is waiting for double hip replacements. The homing attack????? Really, why did they bring this from the sonic adventures series of sonic. What was wrong with the old school curl up into a ball and hit the enemies.

Playing the demo of this on the 360 and the PS3 and then the one on the iPhone which is a lesser machine games wise and it runs faster so you get the sense of speed, its cheaper and you get more levels than the arcade version. 1200ms points for 4 levels. Once again SEGA can go take a walk and they should just leave sonic alone or actually go back to the originals and work out what they did right from those versions instead of releasing numerous half baked games that are borderline fails in my books.

If you want a decent sonic game like old, then I would say buy the older versions or get the DS sonic collection. With this you will actually get a sonic game that this should of been. What a waste of points if you get it on the arcade or psn. There are better out there on other platforms or the originals themselves put this version to shame.

Really Hexus? 90% for this game? You gave the Sonic Collection an 80% on the DS and the Sonic Collection is a much better sonic game all over, you slated the Collection because they were just emulations of the old games, that's the point, they are the sonic games and they even have the feel of speed to them, something isn't right here. Its the same all over its getting 9/10's and 8/10's then you talk to the "fans" that this game is apparently for and the game is slated all over the place. This is a poor excuse for a sonic game, I really do wonder sometimes what reviewers are playing differently to those that will play the demo or buy the game. Looks like this game is getting good reviews from the nostalgia angle and no one seems to be mentioning nearly half the downfalls of this game.

This is just my take on this poor excuse of a sonic title, it feels like a cash in and not a true sequel to the sonic 1 - 3 series of old. I am yet to find one proper sonic fan who is actually liking this game or thinking its actually a sonic 4 and not a quick rehash of the older games to make a quick buck.

You've judged the whole game based on the demo. For me, this is my favourite Sonic game for a long time, I hated the last two, in particular Sonic The Hedgehog on Xbox 360, and slated it in my review. There's always going to be some people who aren't happy the way a game has turned out, but the average review score on Metacritic shows that the majority of reviewers liked it. I love it, I've played it through twice already and will play it again.

If you take a look at Metacritic, it does show you have vastly people's opinions differ. The best score comes from Games Radar

http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/sonic-...09115153197035

And the worst score comes from Strategy Informer. http://www.strategyinformer.com/ps3/...38/review.html

That's the beauty of opinion. I so disagree with the Strat Informer guy and you disagree with me.

I'm very happy to give you your opinion on the main site if you want to write up your version of the review, after having played it through.That's one of the reasons why we wanted to have user reviews, so you guys get the chance to say what you think.

[Grey M@a]

You've judged the whole game based on the demo. For me, this is my favourite Sonic game for a long time, I hated the last two, in particular Sonic The Hedgehog on Xbox 360, and slated it in my review. There's always going to be some people who aren't happy the way a game has turned out, but the average review score on Metacritic shows that the majority of reviewers liked it. I love it, I've played it through twice already and will play it again.

If you take a look at Metacritic, it does show you have vastly people's opinions differ. The best score comes from Games Radar

http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/sonic-...09115153197035

And the worst score comes from Strategy Informer. http://www.strategyinformer.com/ps3/...38/review.html

That's the beauty of opinion. I so disagree with the Strat Informer guy and you disagree with me.

I'm very happy to give you your opinion on the main site if you want to write up your version of the review, after having played it through.That's one of the reasons why we wanted to have user reviews, so you guys get the chance to say what you think.

Thanks for the reply Steve, I've played this through on my brothers PS3 as he was the test subject to buy it before I did I may just write a review for it and stick it in the users one in the next week or so when I can get an hour or so to blast through the game again. Just feels slow for a sonic game, some of the mechanics are broken with his movement etc and the auto aim homing kill just makes it far to easy to get rid of the bosses. Brother said he may get the second episode so maybe having EP1 and 2 will actually change the game and make it feel more like a complete product.

Coming from the classic sonics and the sheer speed of them and then jumping to this one, its as if he is running on fly paper half the time which is what got me in a mood with it. Even worse when some of the movement mechanics made the game a little to simple. I can see this working as a reboot for the younger players, those of use who grew up playing the game on the MegaDrive etc will have a completely different expectation of this game.

I will agree however this is the step needed to get sonic back where it belongs, the last several outings were poor as you say with the current gen console version, in some respects since the DreamCast died off and that's when it started :/

[Astridax93]

@Grey M@a. I am not talking about sonic games here. Since I have not played the new one I cannot comment. However I will say that all big name game developers seem to be releasing half baked or unoriginal games. Staying with a tried and tested design is a safer bet if you want to make money. Which is a common thing in big studio games now... yes Activision I am looking at you.

In fact I'd go as far as saying the only places I see caring about the players and not their wallets are independent developers (great examples would be 2d Boy and the guys who made Braid), Valve and possibly Nintendo. At least with Valve I can guarantee updates a free and feature rich. Unlike paying £10 for a map pack!

[Grey M@a]

This puts Sonic 4 to shame.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RickDant.../0/xHKD14XfOe8

Fan made Sonic, you can grab the demo from here to:

http://sonicfanremix.com/

Amazing what the fans can do when they put their minds to it