1. Broome92

   10

   Ah nostalgia, always good to go back to the basics. The homing attack adds more utility to sonic himself. At times it can feel a little slow (starting off a run) and the last boss will spend a long time on my personal hatred wall but it all added to the fun. Best game since the adventure duo… Expand

   • Helpful? 4 of 4 users said Yes.
2. McGlone16

   8

   Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a solid follow up worthy of its title. Purists looking for a an exact recreation of the genesis days stay away as you will be disappointed. Those looking for a fun 2D sonic game will find their 15 dollars well spent. Sega and Dimps stick to the same basic formula as its predecessors, moving sonic from left to right as fast as he can through several acts, zones and boss stages. Sonic's arsenal hasn't changed much other than the addition of a homing attack which allows sonic to rapidly move from enemy to enemy. While Sonic doesn't feel as fast as compared to his more recent outings, the platforming is the best Sonic has seen, since the genesis days. The storyline is kept basic, there are no sonic friends to be found in this game (thank goodness). Specials stages are challenging and rewarding to those who want to hunt for all the emeralds. Time and score attack mode add replay people for those addicted to shaving seconds off their time or going for the high score.
   
   One gripe I do have is the lack of innovation in the the zones and acts, as all of them including the boss stages are essentially a rehash with a spin on former zones/bosses from former games. Hopefully this first episode is just a nod to the old games and this isn't repeated in the next episode.
   
   All in all, while one can find nitpicks in the physics or whatever they feel is not accurately carried over from the genesis days, Sonic 4 is a fun, fast, 2D platformer and huge step in the right direction for the Sonic franchise and brand.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. Funkymonk

   7

   Not awful just good. But is good acceptable? Surly the least we could expect was gameplay to match the standard of the 16-Bit originals with better graphics and perhaps some new ideas? But Sega couldn't even give us that (well, apart from better graphics). I've read most of the other user comments and agree with complaints and the psysics. While none of the little gameplay faults are deal breakers on their own, together they make for a more sluggish, less fluid experience then the originals. Sega would have been better just keeping the gameplay as it was.
   The other problem is the complete lack of new ideas. All levels are rehashes of old Sonic levels with the same baddies and slightly different layouts. The level design is actually very good but after 16 years you would think Sega would at least have some new level ideas.
   I will stress again it is pretty good and there is the potentia at last for Sonic to be truly great again so lets hope Sega listens to the fans properly this time and makes the neccessary changes for Episode 2.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 3 users said Yes.
4. caiolopez

   2

   Sega managed to almost make me cry - with sadness. I've been longing for a real 2D Sonic since Sonic & Knuckles came out. I even had a name for it: "Sonic 4". Well, years later they came up with Sonic 4. Let me break it down here: Sound FX: 10/10. They are the actual Genesis-Era blips. Music: 10/10. Superb work, kept the spirit of the original catchy songs. Level Design: 10/10. It really feels like a Sonic level, after all this years. Graphics: 5/10. Level graphics are good, but Sonic's model looks dumb, and didn't quite match the games graphic style. 2.5D didn't do the trick, this time. Finally, Controls: 0/10. It's just wrong. There is no inertia, especially when jumping. It doesn't control like Sonic. In fact, it doesn't control like anything I ever played. You release the D-Pad, Sonic stops. Like Pitfall. Nothing should control like Pitfall in 2010, let alone a game in a franchise know for its high quality gameplay.
   I really hope Sega fix that. I could also ask for some vintage skins for Sonic's model, but that would be just a fluff. The important thing here is the controls, and Sega managed to destroy the whole thing with a few lines of code.
   Score: (10+10+10+5+0) / 5 = 7
   7 * how bad the controls are = 2… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 5 users said Yes.

See all 45 User Reviews