Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Preview

Sega is a developer that I'll always have affection for, although it may be for purely nostalgic reasons these days. Genesis was the first game console that was bought just for me as a kid, (I had a hand-me-down Atari 2600 from my dad, and my family could never afford the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System), and with it came Sonic the Hedgehog. I was instantly hooked, and thus began my lifelong love for the fast blue blur.

Prelude

For years since the days of Genesis (Mega Drive outside of North America), Sega has been struggling to find the right platform for its mascot. Sonic 3D Blast put the blue Hedgehog in an isometric psudo-3D world that was alien to the franchises standard gameplay. Sonic was set to make his real 3D debut on Saturn with Sonic X-Treme before the project was finally canceled.

It wasn't until Sonic Adventure first came out as a Dreamcast launch title that Sonic entered into the real third dimension. Many fans complained that the game seems take control and play itself at times to capture really dramatic camera angles. I never fully agreed with that sentiment. The effect was generally cool and it didn't take much away from the gameplay. A justifiable tradeoff.

Since Sonic Adventure 2, Sega has really let its flagship franchise grow stale. From Shadow the Hedgehog to the 2006 iteration of Sonic the Hedgehog, and the more recent Sonic Unleashed, the series has become notorious for bad control, "automatic" gameplay, death educing camera angles, and a severe deviation from the core gameplay that popularized the series to begin with.

I've been waiting for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 since 1994, when Sonic & Knuckles was released. By virtue of "lock-on-technology, Sonic and Knuckles could be combined with Sonic 3, thereby creating the biggest Sonic game ever. It had gigantic levels, multiple paths, and each of the three characters had their own unique abilities. Nothing that Sega released since has come close to living up to that experience.

Sonic 4

So then, let's get right down to it. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has the number four right in the title. This is the spiritual successor to the original masterpieces that made Sonic famous in the first place. It's a brilliant idea. Reboot the franchise with a great 2D game. After all, Sonic was born of only two dimensions, and since stepping into the third, he hasn't done well in over nine years.

I was so excited about Sonic 4 that it was the very first game I played at E3 2010, rushing by blockbuster titles and booth babes alike. More than anyone, I wanted this game to succeed; to be everything that the franchise used to be, and introduce it to a whole new generation the way it was meant to be.

Controls

As I waited to take the controls there was only one person in front of me in line. On the very first level I watched as he tried to jump up a series of moving blocks that are flanked by walls on either side. Over and over, and over again he biffs it. "What a n00b," I thought shaking my head with impatience. After all, how can anyone really mess that up? "What's this clown's problem?" After eight or nine more attempts he finally gave up and it was my turn.

I started from the beginning. At the loading screen players enjoy one of the original sprites of Sonic running in all of his pixelated glory. Then the game starts. "Splash Hill Zone" is the perfect opening act to put gamers in a retro mood. It reminded me of playing "Green Hill Zone" on the first day I got my Genesis.

Sadly it didn't take me more than a minute to discover the fatal flaw that destroys this game, which is the same reason why the fellow in front of me couldn't perform a simple task like jumping on blocks. The effect of velocity, (that's speed and direction), has been completely removed from Sonic 4.

You see, in previous 2D Sonic games, Sonic's trajectory as he flies through the air can be controlled based on the angle of the jump. Sonic will continue on that trajectory unless acted upon by another force, such as a wall, enemy, the player's will, or until he runs out of speed. Not so in Sonic 4.

Oh no, in this game players must continuously hold down the direction for Sonic to continue to jump or fall in the desired direction. This makes pr ecision platforming impossible. Release the direction and he drops like a bag of so many rocks. Hold it for too long and he runs right off the target. This is difficult not only for platform jumping, but for killing badnicks as well. If it weren't for the enemy target system that game uses then it would be unplayable.

Gameplay

Let's talk about the target system. This is where when Sonic jumps while in the air, then he'll lock on to the nearest enemy, spring, or item and attack it. Where was this feature in Sonic 3? That's right, it wasn't there at all. Sonic 3 had a much more innovative air jump system that performed different functions based on what shield you had (or didn't have).

Targeting wasn't introduced until Sonic 3D Blast, and that's only because the game used isometric psudo-3D graphics that made it difficult to perfectly nail an enemy. It's even a welcome feature in Sonic Adventure, again because it's a full 3D game.

In a 2D world targeting is not needed, and it's really an unwelcomed deviation from the original formula. It takes away from the whole Sonic experience. Don't think that it can be ignored either. Sonic will be placed in situations where he's flying out of a tube right into the face of a squad of flying robotic death traps. The only way to not take a hit is to use the targeting attack system.

The level designs thankfully improve upon the Sonic Rush series. There is a greater variety of paths to take through each level, but many of the higher paths require the use of the targeting system to get by.

Taking the higher paths is made difficult by Sonic's speed. He's about twice as fast as he was in Sonic 3. So, stopping to look before you leap is difficult. The game is constantly fighting to keep the character moving at nearly all times. If Sonic has Power Sneakers, then forget about it. The item is only helpful when combined with invincibility, otherwise it's very easy to take a hit.

One thing that I found perplexing is that when Sonic spins up a ramp or jumps off a vine then instead of staying in a ball, his body unfurls. It really makes no sense. Sonic is always vulnerable unless he's in a ball. So if you're about to land on an enemy, then a targeted attack must be used. This really debunks Sega's claim that the levels are designed so that target attacks don't need to be used if the player doesn't want to use them. Of all things, I really hope the final release corrects this.

Bonus Stages

Interestingly, Sega took the rotating maze concept from the original Sonic the Hedgehog and modified it for Sonic 4 by adding a timer and psychedelic background. (Note to game developers: adding a timer is never a good idea.)

I was only shown first bonus stage (they weren't playable in the demos), but it looked easy enough. There were plenty of time-bonus items to collect. I'm curious to see how they become more complex as the game goes on. I really hope they're not simply made more difficult by making it harder to complete within the given time.

What Sega Got Right

Sega did obviously listen to fans which is why Sonic 4 even exists. We wanted a game that was based on Sonic where we weren't forced to play as other characters like Amy Rose or Big the Cat. Sonic is the only playable character in the game. (Although, playing as a few characters in the same level with different paths may have been ideal... but I appreciate that they're trying.)

We also wanted a 2D follow-up to Sonic's 16-bit glory days. Sonic 4 is definitely in only two dimensions, but that's where the comparisons to the original Sonic games can stop.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is not successor to the numerically titled games that came before it. It's more closely related to the Sonic Rush series than anything else. Ever wondered what Sonic Rush would look like on an HDTV? Try out Sonic 4. It's doesn't have as much "automatic" gameplay (i.e. hold right to win) as recent Rush releases, but it's both there and noticeable nonetheless.

Is it any good?

This is Sega's best effort in nine years to make a Sonic game that's actually fun. They came about fifty percent of the way there, but the control decisions prevent that aspiration from coming to fruition. What should be fun and free flowing because frustrating and annoying. Fellow Sonic fans should be braced for yet another disappointment, which has become all too common.

Sonic 4 - Episode I will be available in the fall of 2010 as downloadable content only for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Wiiware, iPod Touch, and iPhone. Surprisingly there are not release plans for the largest smartphone marked, Android.