Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (XBLA, PSN, Wii) Review

Posted by Trace Aber on 10.18.2010

Sonic returns to his roots after 16 long years - is this the good Sonic game fans have been waiting years for, or just another disappointment?


Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1
Developer: Dimps, Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Rated E for Everyone

Ahh, Sonic. The little speedy blue hedgehog that raced through levels and won our hearts and imaginations as kids. I would consider myself a lifelong Sonic fan, but only because I’ve ignored just about every Sonic game that has been released since Sonic Adventure 2, and thus I’m able to ignore all of the terrible games that our blue friend has been put in. After over a decade and a half of waiting, fans are finally getting what they’ve been begging for – an old school, side-scrolling Sonic game without all of his stupid buddies getting in the way. Sega answered our pleas, but is it enough?

As you can gather from the title, this is not the full story of Sonic 4 – just the first arch of it. That means you’ll be getting twelve levels total – three separate levels for each of the four zones, in addition to the boss battles that occur at the end of each zone. In keeping with the tradition of the old school games, the storyline is ridiculously simple – after destroying the Death Egg in Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic decides to explore new territories alone and finds out that Dr. Robtonik is alive and kicking, and is using some of his best robotic creations from the past to take Sonic out this time. Robotnik’s plan is flawed from the beginning – Sonic has already beat these guys before. Of course, I probably shouldn’t be looking too far into the story here.


I mean, how do you explain a hedgehog trapped in ancient ruins fighting cute animals turned into robotic creatures ?

Sonic 4 features zones that should feel familiar to those who played the original trilogy of games, though don’t let the familiarity fool you – these zones are entirely reinvented for the most part. Splash Hill Zone, the game’s first zone that bares a strong resemblance to Green Hill Zone from the first game, is probably the least varied, but the new graphics do a good job of making it feel different enough. Some of the other zones are similar in theme only, but have completely new ideas incorporated into them, with my favorite levels of the game coming from the Casino Street Zone. While they did hide an old slot machine in there, Sonic can win some rings or even extra lives by running through a series of cards while trying to match three. These are placed all throughout the levels and the more cards you can flip over the more likely you are to win. It’s a real simple mechanic but it makes the level way more fun than it should be.

Each level has plenty of different paths for you to explore and uncover, really helping the replay value. Some of these may only lead to an extra item, but others can send you to a whole new part of the level. I’m still finding new paths on my fourth playthrough, which is something you can’t say for a lot of games nowadays. There are also a lot of cool sequences in the game, such as the magic card ride in the casino levels that see you riding a giant wave of cards throughout the level in a pretty cool visual effect. There’s also mine cart riding, the occasional boulder chase, and even TNT that you have to light to clear obstacles in your path. In addition to all of the new stuff, you’ll notice some sequences ripped straight out of the old games; thankfully this is more of the exception and acts as more a homage than a rehash.

The bosses at the end of each zone are, for the most part, extremely easy. Splash Hill Zone and Casino Street Zone has the same bosses as their original counterparts did, albeit with a new sequence of attacks. The final boss starts out as a fun test of skill, requiring you to take out the original four forms, then takes a turn to more of an endurance test than anything as you have to fight a few more robotic creations from the Eggman himself. The Lost Labyrinth Zone boss may be my favorite to do battle with, if only because it requires excellent anticipatory timing.


I was pretty surprised when he tried to smash me with that ball, to be honest

With all of that being said, this game feels like a reimagining of the old games more than it does a remake. Some people may be upset that this or that changed, but this isn’t meant to be the exact same game, and I like the fact they tried new things. The physics of the game can feel a bit off on your first couple of tries, but after a couple of levels it should become second nature. You can nitpick all you want, but if you’re there to enjoy the game it won’t make a difference.

Sonic’s homing attack returns in Episode 1, and the level designers made great use of it, often requiring quick reflexes if you want to get to that secret area. Unfortunately, sometimes the homing attack will lead to your death if you’re trying to get through a particularly tricky part, and can become quite frustrating. Also, the homing attack automatically targets everything, and the noise this makes gets old fast.


“I’m telling you man, it’s not because I suck or anything. It’s the homing attack’s fault!”

The special stages from the original Sonic the Hedgehog make their return, albeit it slightly modified. You still rotate the stage and teeter on the brink of motion sickness, but you’ll also have to collect a certain number of rings before you can unlock a gate and finally reach the emerald. You can access these stages by jumping through the ring at the end of the level if you have fifty or more rings.

Graphically, the game had 3D graphics on a 2D platform, and the results are pretty good. The backgrounds are well done and the Lost Labyrinth levels are especially impressive. Sonic does have a pretty crazy running motion, but most everything else looks smooth. The music fits with the rest of the game as it is both familiar and different, though I must admit that none of the songs have replaced the original ones in terms of quality.

Pros
-Old school platforming fun
-Familiar but different in nearly every aspect
-Multiple paths throughout each level
-Great for nostalgia


Cons
-Can be completed rather quickly
-Bosses are too easy
-Homing attack can lead to your death in tight spots

The 411
Some people were expecting this to be exactly like the original trilogy, and to me that would have been disappointing. Instead, Sega called back upon some of the best parts of those games and changed things up a bit to keep it fresh. It’s not an entirely perfect game and if you want to nitpick then you can certainly find something wrong with it. In the end though, it’s a fun Sonic game, and I haven’t said that in years. It can take a level or two to adjust to the new stuff, but after that it’s completely worth it. The price is a bit steep, but unfortunately that seems to be the case with just about every XBLA/PSN game released now.

Graphics	8.5	The new art looks great, and there are little nods to the old-school sprites sprinkled within
Gameplay	9.0	It's classic Sonic action with a new twist
Sound	7.0	Decent soundtrack but fails to live up to the original songs
Lasting Appeal	6.5	Criminally short for the price
Fun Factor	8.5	One of the most fun times I've had with an arcade title in a while
Overall	8.0   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 12 Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Screenshots