It's deserving of your time and your money despite its length. But more importantly, it's deserving of the name 'Sonic The Hedgehog 4'. That was always going to be this game's biggest challenge, but it's succeeded with aplomb.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 is the best Sonic game I have played for a long time; and I absolutely loved it.

Sonic 4 is what fans of the blue hedgehog have been waiting: a lightning fast 2D platform game that recovers what made the original game a true classic.

Sonic 4 represents everything that any fan of the franchise could ever wish for: a marvelous level design and a gameplay that proves, once again, to be one of the finest examples of intense platforming.

The fact is, Sonic 4's first episode is so much fun that it makes you forget about the world and think of nothing but the game. It encapsulates the pure thrill of gaming that many contemporary titles seem to comatosely forget.

No just a rehash, but a brilliant game in itself. Sonic reigns once more. [Issue#232, p.88]

Sonic is back and is as fast and smooth as ever. Can you download as fast as Sonic can run? If so, get that game now!

Forget all those earlier PS3 Sonic games, as we finally receive one that does the blue hedgehog proud. [Issue#199, p.102]

Sonic 4: Episode 1 is a short, but well-crafted entry in the series. It's hurt by a lack of innovation and a relatively high price given that it's basically half the length of a regular side-scrolling Sonic, but still carries a pretty hefty $15 price tag. If you're a casual Sonic fan, you're probably better off waiting for it to be discounted at some point on PSN or as an Xbox Deal of the Week, but series die-hards will definitely get $15 out of it between playing through it, then replaying stages for better times and leaderboard scores.

Sonic 4 harks back to the days when video games tested your dexterity, timing and patience. It's challenging, immaculately designed, super-fast, and a fitting return to form for a character who is - next to a buxom archaeologist and that dungaree-sporting plumber - arguably one of the most recognisable icons of all time.

Sonic is back and is as fast and smooth as ever. One of the best Sonic game in a long time.

Saying it's the most fun I've had in a Sonic game in 15 years isn't actually saying a whole lot, but it's certainly a great start.

Sonic goes back to his roots and delivers a fantastic game on the PlayStation Network. This game contains levels from previous 2D Sonic games, but the graphics are now in HD. After a lot of Sonic games that weren't good, this is the one to get!

But for every archaic design choice that's needlessly re-trodden for the sake of sticking to 'the blueprint', Sonic 4 introduces other new features that help to replace the nostalgia with a bit more substance. Just the simple ability to quick-jump to any zone, act or special stage in any order (and to compete with your mates scores and times) makes this instantly better than its predecessors. Long-suffering Sonic fans rejoice; the magic is back. [February 2011 p80]

Not only is this Sonic as we remember him, with all the familiar powerups and rings to collect, there are also plenty of new additions to keep the experience fresh. It's a fantastic rollercoaster ride, and although it's short, it's everything we hoped for in a sequel to the classic 2D platformers.

After a decade of failures, all those extra lives Sonic's collected over the years have finally come to fruition. [Issue#51, p.119]

Playing Episode 1 felt like hanging out with an old friend who still has all his best moves and looks better than ever. [Dec 2010, p.73]

The best Sonic game to come out in the past 16 years.

Sonic 4 is short, but sweet and well worth downloading.

It may not be the be all end all Sonic game that professed enthusiasts like myself have been waiting 15 years for, but Sonic 4 is a fun, frenetic download for fans and newcomers alike.

It's not a perfect retro revival and can be blown through in a few hours, but this is a much better-and purer-Sonic experience than we've seen in years. The difficulty can range from easy to very hard; the final boss is particularly ridiculous.

Everyone involved in this project from greenlight, to the cunning PR strategy, to bravely naming the game Sonic 4, to the polished final product, should be immensely proud – and now, fans who've stuck with Sega and the Sonic series through thick and thin, can be too.

It has the flavour of the original Sonic, but refined. It may result too short for its price, but it is very replayable.

Dimps Corporation had the not-so-easy task to release a sequel without making a remake out of it, keeping it trustful to the original game design while adding new features. As a result, Sonic 4 has its ups and downs and does not stand the top quality of the Mega Drive age Sonic. Nevertheless, Sonic 4: Episode 1 is much more "Sonic" than the latest entries in the franchise, a must-have for the hedgehog's fans and all those unlucky players who never ran in those fancy red shoes.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 delivers a thrilling experience: it is a pleasant return to the past. Unfortunately, players will complete this chapter in a couple of hours, and the price is a little bit high.

Altogether I feel like it's a great throwback to old Sonic games, but at the same time I wish it was a little more refined and had removed some of the annoyances I had with the previous 2D Sonic games.

Most importantly, it nails the fun of hitting springboards, bouncing off enemies, and defying gravity with pure speed. While hardly perfect, it's solid enough that even reviving the old "Se-ga!" before the title screen feels appropriate. After a decade of missteps, Sonic has earned it.

Sonic 4 is a good first episode.

It's the level design that saves Sonic The Hedgehog 4 and elevates it above the more recent but inferior 2D entries like Sonic Advance. [Christmas 2010, p.116]

It's a solid game regardless of its franchise, and for Sonic that's as much of a breakthrough as anyone could hope for.

What I can say is that I had a blast with it, and those who remember where Sonic came from probably will too.

Sonic is finally back. Not that he was away, but he hasn't been in this sort of shape since the Genesis-days. That is not to say that he's completely like the old Sonic, because there are plenty of little niggles here for the fans to get irritated from. Still, he's fast and runs from left to right, just the way we like him.

With a toe-tapping soundtrack, glitzy presentation and obvious accessibility, Sonic 4 Episode 1 has much to be proud of. Gamers who recall the early nineties and yearn for a simpler time when true 3d was restricted to bad sci-fi movies should lap this title up, but there's definitely a sense that it could, or indeed should have been more.

This isn't the sequel we've been yearning for all these years. It's a fancy looking homage; a game that regurgitates old levels with shiny new visuals. Sonic 4 does a fantastic job of recreating the retro Sonic experience that defined many a childhood, but ironically this could be considered its biggest shortcoming.

It may stimulate nostalgia glands just as intended but this is the best modern day Sonic game by only a surprisingly small margin.

Quotation forthcoming.

Those who are new to the Sonic series, or are just looking for a game to shoot through in under 2 hours will find a good bit of fun here. However, those who have played past iterations of Sonic, preferably the Genesis classics, should proceed with caution, as many of the things that made Sonic great are absent in this latest outing.

Some may say that there is no place for Sonic in 2010 and that that the game is dated and boring by today's standards. But I say Sonic should be given a chance, and that there are plenty of people out there who have never played a Sonic game the way it was meant to be played.

You've come a long way, made some mistakes, and now you're trying to make amends for them. It shows a great amount of maturity on your part to admit that you're flawed and can be better a perso-er-hedgehog, but you've still got a long way to go before things are back to the way they were between you and me.

This faithful but inconsistent throwback to the earliest Sonic games mingles high-speed thrills with a few too many frustrations.

To have waited for this long though... we probably should have gotten a little more polish and originality for the price tag.

There is little doubt that many fans have been calling for this kind of Sonic the Hedgehog game for a long time. If you are one of them, it'll leave you happily wallowing in nostalgic bliss. Or, if you're like me, the frustrations and the annoying bloody music may just be enough to convince you to give up on the whole retro gaming thing for good.

If you like your gameplay oldschool and you still harbor a crush for Sonic in his most primitive form, this is the closest you'll come to a Sonic 4 for Genesis. For everyone else, save your points and avoid this game like it's got the monkey-flu.

Sonic is still straight up one of the most aggravating characters in any game on any platform.

Not the triumphant return we was hoping for. It's a big no-no with so-so controls in a Sonic game.

Rather than representing a revitalization of the Sonic brand, Sonic 4 is a failed, desperate grasp at recapturing its former glory.

If fans would like to hear a mockery of Sonic name, then Sonic the Hedgehog 4 should be at the top of their list for soundtracks to listen to.

Sonic The Hedgehog Episode 4 seems to be more of a Sonic the Hedgehog 1.2 (calling it "A.5" would put it too close to the brilliant Sonic 2...). The levels don't surprise, the soundtrack bores, and more importantly the blue hedgehog's inertia and dullness make it a real disappointment in 2010. We'll try not to resent it too much, since it's a rather cheap downloadable game, but it's still a very short game as well. Love is blind, so some may still enjoy it, but we'd rather advise them to try out the DS games, which are closer to today's expectations of a 2D journey with the supersonic hedgehog.

Sonic 4 is an utter mess of a game, cobbled together in a manner that puts the entire franchise to shame. It feels sluggish, broken and lazy, but at least it only lasts a couple of hours!