Sonic 4: Episode 1 - Video Review

[emwearz]

Well we have all been waiting years for a real sonic sequel, is this it?

UPH72ZPieoo

My Channel (http://www.youtube.com/theoldbits) (subscribe to show some love)

[Xtreme2damax]

Not really, but I would say this puts any Sonic games Sega has made in the last 8 - 10 years to shame and it isn't even made by Sega lol.

Sonic Fan Remix - Sonic Retro Message Board (http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=19981&st=0)

Sonic Fan Remix (http://sonicfanremix.com/)

[Gladiator@]

That was a great review, emwearz. You seemed to have enjoyed it more than me, though. Made me wonder how you would rate it.

If you allow me, I'll say what I think about it.

-/-

I think this game left so much to be desired. Since they called it Sonic 4, you would expect them to take Sonic 3 as a model and improve it. They didn't.

The game is much more "Sonic The Hegdehog" than "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" and that is what dissapointed me the most.

The power-ups are unbelivable useless here. The "fast shoes" are kinda broken, the "green bubble" can be helpful sometimes and the "invincible stars" are placed where there are no enemies to harm you. I missed all the great power-ups Sonic 3 had and how important they were.

I also missed my brother playing as Tails trying to stay on-screen and giving Sonic an air-ride so we could get that extra life, hidden on the top of something.

Most of the boss fights are too easy and have a dèjavú feeling. The last boss is difficult, though (I had to play several times to beat it).

Overall, even with all its flaws, I still had fun playing the game, it just never managed to fulfill my expectations.

The game had 4 key moments that made me feel nostalgic: "Seee-Gaaa"; saving the little creatures after each boss; the pinball zone and the hunt for air bubbles underwater.

They have a lot of work to do if they want Sonic 4 to be as good as the previous titles. And I hope they do. I'd rate this Sonic 7/10.

[emwearz]

Not really, but I would say this puts any Sonic games Sega has made in the last 8 - 10 years to shame and it isn't even made by Sega lol.

Sonic Fan Remix - Sonic Retro Message Board (http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=19981&st=0)

Sonic Fan Remix (http://sonicfanremix.com/)

I have never seen that, it looks really impressive.

That was a great review, emwearz. You seemed to have enjoyed it more than me, though. Made me wonder how you would rate it.

If you allow me, I'll say what I think about it.

-/-

I think this game left so much to be desired. Since they called it Sonic 4, you would expect them to take Sonic 3 as a model and improve it. They didn't.

The game is much more "Sonic The Hegdehog" than "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" and that is what dissapointed me the most.

The power-ups are unbelivable useless here. The "fast shoes" are kinda broken, the "green bubble" can be helpful sometimes and the "invincible stars" are placed where there are no enemies to harm you. I missed all the great power-ups Sonic 3 had and how important they were.

I also missed my brother playing as Tails trying to stay on-screen and giving Sonic an air-ride so we could get that extra life, hidden on the top of something.

Most of the boss fights are too easy and have a dèjavú feeling. The last boss is difficult, though (I had to play several times to beat it).

Overall, even with all its flaws, I still had fun playing the game, it just never managed to fulfill my expectations.

The game had 4 key moments that made me feel nostalgic: "Seee-Gaaa"; saving the little creatures after each boss; the pinball zone and the hunt for air bubbles underwater.

They have a lot of work to do if they want Sonic 4 to be as good as the previous titles. And I hope they do. I'd rate this Sonic 7/10.

Cheers, I agree with most of what you said. Its not that I enjoyed it or didnt, I just try my hardest to point out the good with the bad. Its by no means a bad game, but compared to the Sonics before it, it falls several steps short. I try not to do score based reviews anymore, I just like to have a chat about it.

In the end I highly doubt anything Sega did would have gone over will with even half of the long term Sonic fans.

Thanks for watching guys.

[Xtreme2damax]

Sorry for not watching your review first, but Youtube is pretty much a no-no for me outside a short five hour window of 2 AM - 7 AM EST with my current ISP.

I've been a bit disappointed with Sega, I didn't mind playing the new Sonic games but they were a far cry from the glory days of Sonic. Sonic 4 is better, but not as good as a Sonic game should live up to from what I've heard.

It's a bit sad when your work can be outdone by an indie developer, but I suppose that's how it is.

[koko]

Good review.

I've played the demo and didn't like that much.
Not really, but I would say this puts any Sonic games Sega has made in the last 8 - 10 years to shame and it isn't even made by Sega lol.

Sonic Fan Remix - Sonic Retro Message Board (http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=19981&st=0)

Sonic Fan Remix (http://sonicfanremix.com/)
Awesome, but sega won't leave him in peace.

[Khameleon]

Fair review.

Sonic 4 could have been better, but is definitely not bad.

[emwearz]

Fair review.

Sonic 4 could have been better, but is definitely not bad.

Pretty much the vibe. Sega are luck that they can take all the feedback (or ignore it) and try to save Sonic 4 by improving on future episodes.

[Paratech]

Thanks for the review. I wish they'd do better, but this is better than most of the Sonic "3d" games.

[emwearz]

Thanks for the review. I wish they'd do better, but this is better than most of the Sonic "3d" games.

Welcome, i would say its better than all Sonic entries (including the 2 on the Dreamcast) since the Genesis days. It doesn't hold a candle to 1,2,3,S&k or CD.

[Cid Highwind]

Thanks for posting Emz! I made use of your link and subscribed and sent out a friend request. I really like your approach to this review, and I also know this isn't a game for me. I'm no fan of classic Sonic games simply because it doesn't make me feel all that nostalgic. Yeah, any die-hard SEGA fan would probably want to light me with a torch by now, but I grew up with Nintendo stuff, and then I got a Dreamcast ;)

For some reason I always thought it kinda weird that in these classic Sonic games you had to choose between either going through a level bloody, or getting all rings and actually getting a proper score. The fact that you can't see anything in advance doesn't help either when running at breakneck speeds. I guess that's the only thing that got fixed by going 3d.

[Paratech]

No, the camera tends to suck in 3D Sonic games.

[Silenus]

Thanks for posting Emz! I made use of your link and subscribed and sent out a friend request. I really like your approach to this review, and I also know this isn't a game for me. I'm no fan of classic Sonic games simply because it doesn't make me feel all that nostalgic. Yeah, any die-hard SEGA fan would probably want to light me with a torch by now, but I grew up with Nintendo stuff, and then I got a Dreamcast ;)

For some reason I always thought it kinda weird that in these classic Sonic games you had to choose between either going through a level bloody, or getting all rings and actually getting a proper score. The fact that you can't see anything in advance doesn't help either when running at breakneck speeds. I guess that's the only thing that got fixed by going 3d.

I feel the same Cid.

Never been a fan of Sonic games, thought that the camera only bothered me but I see that others have noticed that too.

Anyways I'm all for reviving 2D franchises.

[emwearz]

Despite the Sonic series being all about speed, you really cant just hold right and press jump when you think you need to (I have seen so many friends who play like that). While the camera is a little off putting, if you take your time playing, the 2D entries are really fine platforming games.

I agree with Para, the 3D games (SA1 and 2 more than others) have some horrid camera angles.

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

The thing is you have to hold right through the loops and some other level bits and before you know it you're launching off a jump pad straight into an enemy with your rings flying everywhere. IMHO the levels should be designed with stopping points after such speed sequences. And then you try and slow down and have to walk back cuz there's another speed sequence just there.

[Strike105X]

Seems i'd rather wait for the remix then pay for this one... nice review though ^^.


My Channel (http://www.youtube.com/theoldbits) (subscribe to show some love)

I was sure i did it after the tony hawk vid... to my surprise i didn't :P.

[Samor]

nice review emwearz, though I disagree that all the 3d outings were worse.

The first Sonic games I played were the Master System ones (which are IMO actually better than the very first Mega Drive Sonic). MD/Genesis Sonic 1 was cool because it looked great and fast.... it's not that much of a good game if you play it now, IMO.

Sonic 2 was much better, but IMO Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) is the best entry of the old series.
I also enjoyed Sonic CD quite a bit.

TBH, I was blown away by the original Sonic Adventure... it did a lot of things that weren't done before and because of that became my favourite Sonic game (over Sonic 3). However, game technology has advanced a lot, and kinda like the very first Sonic game, SA aged poorly. Sonic Adventure 2 aged a lot better because it improved on most aspects.

However, after Sonic Adventure 2 the series stagnated. Sonic Heroes managed to get fairly positive reviews (it tried to be a lot more like the megadrive games than the previous 2). The portable 2D outings were fairly good, most of them developed by Dimps (they probably did more good Sonic games than Sonic Team themselves in recent years).

Then Sega made a few really weird choices like centering a game around Sonic's darker counterpart with guns (Shadow the Hedgehog), and entering next-gen with a completely broken game (2006 Sonic the Hedgehog). Aside from not fixing the gameplay (rather, making it more broken) they introduced some very awkward story elements.

Although Wii game Sonic and the Secret of the Rings was better received, it continued the awkward stories.

Sega returned with Sonic Unleashed, which was again slaughtered by the press, though Unleashed actually got quite a few things right;
The PS3/360 versions used the new hedgehog engine, and after years there was finally a Sonic game that looked better than Sonic Adventure 2... not only that, it looks beatiful. The speed levels were awesome too... the bad part? The other half of the game was something no-one was waiting for, a beatemup with another stupid idea for a character (it's not that the actual fighting/platforming is that bad, it's just that no one was waiting for it/wanting it from a Sonic game).

Oh, they also released another game on the Wii that was slaughtered by the press because it was a stupid idea (Sonic vs the Black Knight)

So... Sonic Team (actually, Dimps again) threw any idea they had (either good or bad), including their hedgehog engine (nice waste of money there) out of the Window and made a mediocre 2d game calling it Sonic 4... and the press likes it, which is actually just silly, but to be expected.

Meanwhile, the Wii is getting the next proper Sonic game (Sonic Colors)... now hopefully that does things right where Unleashed went wrong.

Oh, btw... despite Sonic games repeatedly getting slammed in press reviews, I've read somewhere that most of them actually sold really well.


I have the 10th anniversary Sonic Adventure 2. If you looked back then, Sonic was the cool kid in town. Then he entered puberty... next year he'll finally turn 20, so maybe with growing up he'll learn how to behave. :p

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Played Sonic Battle Samor?

[Samor]

The fighting game; yes... I remember it being a bit of a grind. Passable, but not really good. If you loved the SA2 storyline you might like it just for that, I guess...

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Dunno why but I really enjoyed it, just about the most fun I've had playing a sonic game.

[Strike105X]

Sonic for the genesis & sega CD plus the two Sonic Adventure games on the DC that's where the series shined for me.

[emwearz]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is as close to a perfect Sonic game as you can get to me (Yes I know they are technically 2 games). I played Soinc Adventure when it first game out, I dont think its some horrible games, I just always felt its camera let it down (It feels chunky and snapped in at times).

Not horrible games, but not on par with the five 16bit games.

Samor, good read.

Cheers Strike105X, Sil, Cid and others for subbing.

[Paratech]

I don't think SA or SA2 suck, but the 3D sonic games camera sucks.

[Samor]

IMO they fixed that in Unleashed, but it took way too long ;)

The camera in SA2's better than in SA, but installments after that didn't improve on it (the notorious 2006 Sonic made it worse again. I don't think there was anything that game did right).

What I disliked about Sonic Heroes is that after a running jump, you'd land and keep running automatically, whereas in SA you'd completely stand still if you didn't press forward. Sonic Heroes' method makes you fall off small platforms quite easily unless you'd immediately perform a standing jump after a running jump, stopping the movement. That way I got around that flaw, but it's silly if you have to do it all the time just to cancel a running jump implementation that doesn't work with most of the game's environments.

[Paratech]

Sonic Unleashed would have been almost perfect had there been to Werehog levels. The game is still nice, I have the Wii and PS2 versions.

[emwearz]

Sonic turning into a werehog.....Sonic's romance being human... They really did screw the series up a treat.

[Samor]

Sonic Unleashed would have been almost perfect had there been to Werehog levels. The game is still nice, I have the Wii and PS2 versions.

if they had replaced the werehog with knuckles and named the game "Sonic & Knuckles 2", it probably would've been praised.

[emwearz]

if they had replaced the werehog with knuckles and named the game "Sonic & Knuckles 2", it probably would've been praised.

I dont think so, Zelda TP was a big hit and look at links transformation on that. I think as long as the gameplay outweighs the original 'wtf' factor of the transforming, then the game will still be 'praised'.

[Paratech]

if they had replaced the werehog with knuckles and named the game "Sonic & Knuckles 2", it probably would've been praised.

Not with the werehog levels as they were, now if there were 2D levels like the Sonic levels with Knuckles, then yeah, but not the way the levels were made for the werehog.

Sonic is about speed, not searching and hunting.

:evil: