Sonic 4: Episode 1 - The Game Journal Review

Title: Sonic 4 - Episode One

Developed By: Dimps, Sonic Team

Published By: SEGA

I'm thinking that, for this review, it's important to contextualize my experience with Sonic games to let the readers know where I'm coming from.

I was a Nintendo kid. My parents bought an NES for the family when I was nine years old. A few years later, after some begging, I was given a Super Nintendo. All of my friends had Nintendo consoles. Instead of asking if someone wanted to come over and play video games, we would ask them if they wanted to come over and play "Nintendo."

Eventually one of my friends got a Sega Genesis. While we did play a little Sonic every once in awhile, I always looked at it as the machine that allowed us to play the bloody version of Mortal Kombat. I didn't own my first Sega console until the Dreamcast came out in 1999. Over the years have put in maybe a few hours of combined time between all of the Sonic games on Genesis.

So, in summation, I'm coming at this review from the perspective of someone who has no emotional investment in the Sonic franchise. I'm looking at Sonic 4 as a standalone title, rather than as an extension of the Genesis titles.

Sonic 4 is at its best when things are flowing. When you're speeding through the levels, hitting launch pads, bouncing around like a pinball or performing a homing attack on an enemy, it's hard not to have fun. There aren't many games that capture the feeling of flying by the seat of your pants through a level while feeling like you have just enough control to take ownership of your actions, but Sonic 4 is one of those titles. It's in this area where Sonic 4 is at its best. The homing attack, in particular, is great because it keeps the game flowing, not only in the way it's used to take out enemies but also as a means to gather speed. 

It's when the game slows down that it can feel a bit tedious. Gathering speed from a standstill feels like it should be easier. Maybe this is Sega's way of rewarding high level gameplay. Play well and you're rewarded by keeping your speed. Play badly and you're punished by having to start from a standstill, either by Spin Dashing or running to gather momentum. Keeping your speed isn't as easy as I thought it would be. My faded memory of the 2D Sonic games was that you didn't need to hold down a direction on the pad to keep Sonic going. This isn't the case here. To keep Sonic's momentum, you need to be be quick on the pad, always directing him forward. 

The transition of 2D Sonic to 2.5D Sonic on the HD consoles has worked out well. I really like the art style employed by the game. The levels are colorful and vibrant. There is a real "pop" to the look of the graphics with everything look very crisp. There is nice variation in the look of each zone.

The differences between the zones are more than cosmetic. Each zone has its own unique feel. Some ideas work out better than others, like in the casino level you might find yourself flipping yourself around with paddles like a pinball. Other ideas don't work out so well, like having to light torches in a specific order in the labyrinth level. Overall the game's levels feel like they were designed with an eye towards keeping the game in its 16-bit roots rather than trying to innovate. This isn't a knock on Sonic 4. It's a game very much intended to evoke the 16-bit era Sonic titles. Too many changes or attempts innovating the franchise would take away from that goal.

I liked my time with Sonic 4 enough that I plan on checking out its 16-bit predecessors. I appreciate that Sega is trying to breathe new life into the Sonic franchise by bringing it back to it's 2D roots. With my lack of history with the Sonic games on Genesis, I can't say whether or not Sonic 4 is a worthy successor to the games that preceded it, but as a standalone expereince, I think it's a solid game that has more moments of fun than frustration.