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Sonic Rush

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8.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 43 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 29 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sonic Team

Genre(s): Action, Platform

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: November 15, 2005

Summary

Everyone's favorite blue dude with 'tude, Sonic the Hedgehog, blasts his way onto the Nintendo DS and takes high-speed action gaming to a new level...literally! Sonic pairs up with royalty - Queen, Blaze the Cat - from another dimension to save the universe from utter destruction. Sonic Rush takes full advantage of the dual screens on the Nintendo DS system to deliver a frenetic adventure with dizzying dives, near vertical curves, extreme jumps, brain-twisting loops and more. [Sega]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Sonic Rush Adventure

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Sonic may be in a rush, but Sega clearly wasn't when they crafted this glorious game. [NGC Pocket]

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Play Magazine

That Sonic epiphany we've been waiting for all these years has finally arrived. [Dec 2005, p.70]

Digital Entertainment News

One of the few DS games that not only takes advantage of the platform but doesn’t try to shoehorn in use of every feature as well as having great gameplay.

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Gaming Age

Not only is the game very polished and extremely fun to play, it doesn't abuse the DS by trying to take advantage of all of its features.

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GameShark

Sonic Rush pays tribute to the original game but also adds some welcome new features that really make this game more enjoyable than ever.

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GameBrink

Overall in terms of game play Sonic Rush offers great Sonic game play with evolutionary changes that really were needed to make the series feel fresh again.

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Game Over Online

The stages are huge, well-detailed, and genuinely fun to poke around in. As far as side-scrollers go, it's high quality.

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AceGamez

Sonic Rush is not only a great Sonic game that takes you back and shows you what made him great, and it's not just a great evolution for the series either - it's simply a great DS game that will last you a good while.

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IGN

An extremely polished DS title. It does a great job offering a fantastic, energetic old-school challenge that keeps the classic gaming style alive.

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NintendoWorldReport

Sonic Rush is an excellent pick-up-and-play title that's as addictive as any in the series, and has better graphics, sound, and presentation than any title before it.

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Nintendo Power

SonicTeam has done a magnificent job of distilling Sonic to its purest essence without making it feel like we're treading old territory. [Jan 2006, p.105]

N-Europe

Like Sonic this game breaks through barriers of speed, sound, time and convention. A true return to form indeed.

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Nintendojo

Sonic Rush may be the best side-scroller on the DS so far. The level design is inspired, and the rush of speed, to use an appropriate word, that should be inherent in Sonic games is not only present, but may be at its most intense yet.

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My Gamer

Not even "New Super Mario Bros." has topped this game. An instant Sonic classic.

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Gaming Nexus

Aside from some repetition and a few minor technical flaws, Sonic Rush delivers a wholly satisfying old-school experience, kicked into extreme overdrive.

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GameBiz

The action is fluid and fun, though some of the difficulty is a bit off. It looks gorgeous, and I give top props to the developers for the engine in both the normal stages and 3D boss battles.

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VGPub

If you loved Sonic way back when, never lost touch or want something that will help you traditional gamers dip your toe into the new DS pool then go down to your local retail store at sonic speed to pick up this quick yet fresh entry into the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

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N-Insanity

Any Sonic fan, or fans of sidescrollers in general, would be a fool to pass this game up. Sonic Rush is truly a blast to play and a fine example of what Sonic games should be all about.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Would I rate it above the Advance games? Yes. Would I rate it above the Mega Drive games? No. And before you think it, it’s not nostalgia; this reviewer’s Mega Drive is still hooked up and in use.

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GameSpot

Sonic Rush moves Sonic's 2D adventures over to the DS, and that positive trend continues with a platformer that focuses on raw speed while still managing to do interesting new things, particularly when it comes to the handheld's dual-screen format.

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Cheat Code Central

This game is well done and even though I have played it for two days straight, there is still more to see and do.

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1UP

With a bright, buoyant soundtrack, sharp, eye-catching visuals, and tightly-wound responsive controls, Sonic Rush is the Sonic game Sega's needed to make for years.

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GamerFeed

The game supports full online support through Nintendo's WiFi service, although hooking up with friends and staying close to servers can prove a bit hasslesome at times.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

The action is all the more overwhelming spread across both screens of the DS, requiring sharp changes in focus from screen to screen as Sonic sprints a one-minute mile.

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Total Video Games

Fantastic levels designs, intense gameplay, enjoyable boss encounters and plenty of new tricks brings Sonic back to finest.

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G4 TV

Sonic Rush is the best hedgehog game since the beloved Sonic CD, and platforming fans will have to be taking some serious downers to not get a rush from what Sonic has to offer on the DS.

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Nintendo Insider

Sonic Rush is still a little too out there for me to appreciate as fully as the classic games on the Sega Genesis, but it is a big, big step in the right direction, with improved gameplay mechanics and greatly improved level design.

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Modojo

It's just so well polished and lightning quick that it just begs to be played by anyone who loves Sonic, Sega, excellent platform games, or just pretty colors.

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Yahoo! Games

It's vibrant and fast, easy to pick up, and as satisfying as a speeding hedgehog can possibly be in the long run.

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PALGN

Sega have successfully blended basic 3D and amazing 2D into the game, anyone who has moved away from Sonic in recent years has a great reason to come back to the series now.

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RewiredMind

You played the original Sonic games for the eye-numbing speed, the best-in-class platforming action, the wonderfully detailed backgrounds and of course, the challenge. With Sonic Rush, Sega have managed to cram in all of that with improvements, although some may not like the way in which the difficulty level is achieved.

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DarkStation

Thwarting Dr Robotnik's nefarious schemes have never been this fun, especially with the blue hedgehog on the DS. Good clean fun for Sonic fans all over.

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Games Radar (in-house)

Even if linking up with friends is a toss, hitting the single-player with Sonic or Blaze is more than enough pandemonium for one person.

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Game Chronicles

It’s annoying however to be traversing through a level and then without any warning or because you were moving too fast you’re thrown to the bottom of the screen and death. I’m all for a challenge, but this kind of punishment simply is not good design.

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NTSC-uk

With the fast and furious gameplay of old once again rediscovered, it’s only the odd moments of glaring level-design error that cause the kind of dismay that a selection of the 3D titles offered up.

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Game Informer

The great level designs provide frantic fun, but despite my many fond memories of Sonic, it's difficult to heap praise on a game that makes me feel like I'm still playing the Sega Genesis. [Jan 2006, p.157]

Sydney Morning Herald

Exploring as Sonic or new character Blaze the cat is rewarding, even if enemy placement can be stupidly punitive, demanding rote memorisation or lightning use of the dash attack to avoid calamity.

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Edge Magazine

It instantly shares the same atmosphere and pleasure as the original Sonic classics did 15 years ago, even if it does little to move them forward. [Christmas 2005, p.111]

Eurogamer

As much as I might admire the precise way everything's been put together, and enjoy compulsively dispatching Zone after Zone, I still can't abide the way it builds you up and then runs you straight into someone's swinging baseball bat without warning.

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GamePro

Sonic Rush certainly isn't revolutionary, and it only barely makes use of the touchscreen, but it is a decent distillation of what's kept a sprite-based Sonic alive in the age of textured polygons, as long as you're fine with more of the same.

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GameSpy

The designers did attempt to break up the simplistic game play a bit by forcing Sonic and Blaze to stop and fight a handful of mechanical terrors every once in a while, but it doesn't really add much to the overall game.

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Gaming Target

Sorry, but Sonic Rush is just a mediocre offering and should be passed over for better titles unless you are a big fan

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Gamestyle

Perhaps the first Sonic game that had Gamestyle reaching for the instruction manual. It starts a bit vague in regards to how it should be played, but it soon clicks into place.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Marlon B. gave it a9:
Hands down this game has revolutionized the Sonic franchise! When I played Sonic Advance I thought "hey, this isnt half bad" Then the sequels which truly made me feel like a bad ass with the incredible speed they brought, but that NOTHING compared to what Sonic Rush brought! Take the speed of Sonic Advance, multiply that by "holy pepperoni?!" & you got Sonic Rush. It aint called Sonic Rush for no reason. But Speed isnt the only thing this game brought, the tricks (oh the tricks!!) now that is the milk in my cereal! In the game when you jump or you're on a rail you gotta do tricks. Its simpler than it sounds, a simple press of the b, a, or r button. but of course these tricks have a purpose, the more you do, the more your rush meter fills. Now you can be boring & speed Sonic up the advance way (run till the after images show up) or you can use your tricks to your advantage press y or x and RUSH to get an instant speed boost! this with the amazing level design makes Sonic Rush an instant classic. there parts of the level though where you jump & you're doing your tricks and all of a sudden an enemy is there to ruin your combo, but they're easily ignorable. the game has its minor flawss though but again, they're minor but are what prevented the game from getting that perfect score. for example, the boss fights. they're either very easy or extremely irritating. the fact that I can only hit the boss when he (or she, blaze) is in position really makes it slow paced, and if i miss, i gotta wait till he's in position again, ugh! and then there is blaze. nothing really terrible about her but if you ask me, seems like she is begginer oriented with her no bonus levels, slower speed yet superior aerial abilities which really makes versus mode unbalanced. foix that and this would be a perfect game. Sonic Rush is most definitely a must have for ANY sonic fan!!!

Mark K. gave it a9:
The best Sonic Team have done in years! A must for any sonic fan.

Natsuri I. gave it a9:
Three words: Get this game! Sure, there are some hard points where you may take a spill, but the learning curve and difficulty, plus the storyline, makes it all negligible. The only thing missing are the original voice actors. (i.e., Jaleel White)

Arlantaniar gave it a10:
The best 2D game from SonicTeam. Music is perfect, levels are interesting, Bosses are hardly-defeating, even subject is good! (I mean, this story is interesting). This game shows, that Sonic team still have a great talant... and the grows up in it with every game!

Giorgio gave it an8:
It's sonic. It's fast. It's colourful. It's fun to play! A high-level platform game to add to the DS list. The levels are huge, even if their number is small. 3D bosses are a nice addition, too.

P. Scott gave it a4:
Really disappointing. I know I'm the only person on the planet who thinks this, but Sega seem to have put most of their time into the graphics and nothing else. The voices and music are terrible and the zones suck. The only good things are the boss battles. It looks like it was made just to shove a Sonic game onto DS, and to try and make him look cool. Avoid this, and get the original Sonic Advance.

Corey S. gave it a9:
It may be short but Sonic Rush has a suprising amount of replay value. This may be the fastest 2-D sonic game yet.

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