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Sonic and the Black Knight

EMAIL PRINT wii

6.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 51 critic reviews
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Based on 92 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sonic Team

Genre(s): Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: March 3, 2009

Summary

Sonic and the Black Knight is a Wii-exclusive adventure. Part of the storybook series of games that began with Sonic and the Secret Rings, this title brings Sonic into the world of Arthurian legend and offers the world's most famous blue hedgehog the chance to become a knight. Using the unique Wii control system, this game takes advantage of both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk to offer an interactive experience that Sonic fans will love. Created by Sonic Team in Japan, this innovative game takes Sonic into a medieval world and arms him with a sword to aid in his effort to save the day. Sonic and the Black Knight hosts an irresistible cast of characters and teaches Sonic fans what it takes to be a true hero and the ultimate knight. With a series of missions set in stunning Arthurian-inspired locations, Sonic and the Black Knight promises a fast-paced adventure. [Sega]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

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...

Nintendo Power

If you're looking for an engaging, unique, well-polished take on the world's most famous hedgehog, Sonic and the Black Knight delivers. [Mar 2009, p.88]

games(TM)

There are no nasty surprises, no ill-considered gameplay changes and no sense that Sonic Team is ever confused about what the game is supposed to be. It’s a game that is totally comfortable with itself. And it has every right to be. [Apr 2009, p.106]

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Once again Sega comes so close to getting it right - and then ruins it with another gimmick.

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GameFocus

In spite of its faults, there’s a lot to like about Sonic and the Black Knight, provided you’re not holding a candle for games long since past. Sonic’s trademark speed is still there, and while the level designs are simpler than they were in the past, there’s still enough fun packed in here to be worth at least a weekend of your time.

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GameDaily

Mindlessly shaking the remote gets old and the easy missions pose little challenge, but the storybook presentation, well-animated cut scenes and wealth of hidden items make Sonic and the Black Knight worth a rental.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Kids will eat this up, no question. Older gamers who like either Sonic or good action games owe it to themselves to at least rent this, if only to see whether or not it’ll leave the correct taste in their mouth before committing to a purchase.

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3DJuegos

Sonic visits the Camelot's Kingdom in a game with a strange sense of contrast. The power of a sword and the speed of the blue hedgehog are actually incompatible in a product which, however, shows the secret talent of the Sonic Team. Gorgeous visuals and impressive sound shocks in the player due to a poor gameplay.

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Gamers.at

In his new adventure the blue hedgehog gain the usual speed very slowly, but when he gathered momentum Sonic and the Black Knight provides despite of all its faults a few hours of nice amusement.

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Vandal Online

Undoubtedly, this will be one of the most talked about games of the Sonic franchise. Its story and presentation are good. However, the many errors in control completely diminish the experience and could make many to lose their patience.

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Wii Brasil

Summarizing, the game has a beautiful scenario and a great soundtrack, but when you control it, you'll miss the lack of precision and will see how weak the story is, with its short duration showing it's mediocre and a step back comparing to Unleashed.

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Everyeye.it

It's a shame that Sonic has to speed down to attack his enemies during the run through wonderful Camelot-inspired backgrounds. The game looks fantastic, sound great, and when we are allowed to run fast, dodging obstacles or jumping on the head of our enemies it also plays very well. But too often we are forced to stop our run to fight the enemies, in a simplistic hack&slash structure that tone down the overall impression that the game leaves to the gamers.

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NintendoWorldReport

For every interesting mission, there is an equally lackluster one. The platforming is satisfying, but the sword combat is awful. This is a game of checks and balances, and in the end, it's just another mediocre Sonic game.

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Cheat Code Central

There are enough levels and missions included in the Story mode, and the Battle mode could be fun with friends. However, the game is not very challenging. The dullness and occasional frustration are tough to overcome.

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Gamervision

Visually it’s a success, with wonderful blur effects and animations accompanying the colorful world. The gameplay is even something worth paying attention to, as it shows that Sonic Team hasn’t entirely forgotten how to make a Sonic game. However, it falls apart, and the repetitive nature of the missions can become grinding.

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Meristation

Sonic is back, but we still don't feel that he's found his style. Sonic and the Black Knight is very much the same game that we first discovered with its predecessor, but with a better graphic engine that makes more the experience more comfortable. Its a shame that the gameplay system is not able to bare the weight of the game. Still, It'll be a good choice for those who are willing to spend some time with sonic the hedgehog.

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Cubed3

On the one hand it looks and sounds fantastic, features plenty of nods to previous Sonic games, and is even fun on occasion. On the other hand, however, it's hindered by flaky controls, level design that is excruciatingly irritating at worst and insipid at best, and a sword mechanic that simply doesn't meld well with the rest of the action.

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Play.tm

As it stands this is an interesting development in the struggle to divine a way forward for the blue hedgehog. But unfortunately it's an experience that isn't nearly as much fun as it sounds.

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N-Europe

Sonic in name only, this is yet another example of an experimental series off-shoot that while nicely presented does little in the way of gameplay to convince fans.

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Armchair Empire

Sonic and the Black Knight is a fun diversion for kids, and a glimmering star of hope for longtime fans, but it’s going to take a lot more experimentation to restore the greatness of the mascot who once stood toe to toe with Mario

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Eurogamer Portugal

If you are big fan of the series seeking an alternative experience, you may find here a product to consider. The characters presentation and some of his words may be enough to please the fans. Simply there are choices that if in previous games didn’t work, in this format they do less.

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GameShark

It seems that Sonic Team is emerging ever-so-slowly from the hole it’s dug itself into with the Sonic franchise.

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Games Master UK

Like hedgehogs and motorways, super Sonic speed and slow sword combat don't go together. [Apr 2009, p.66]

GameZone

Fans of Sonic and the Secret Rings may want to rent Black Knight to experience the speedy, roller coaster-inspired stages. But most players will be disappointed, frustrated and frequently annoyed by stage interruptions and other gameplay elements that should not exist.

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1UP

Black Knight is a competent action game starring Sonic and friends, but one that's replaced the classic gameplay Sonic fans seek with overly simple swordplay. It'll do the trick just fine for younger players still infatuated with the blue porcupine, but everyone else will likely be just as let down as I was.

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GameTrailers

Why Sega decided to skewer[] one of our beloved childhood heroes on the tip of a clunky, sword-swinging spree is beyond us, but at this point, it simply hurts. Maybe someday we’ll live to see Sonic take back the speed that is so rightfully his, but for now, the only sprinting he’ll be doing is on the bad end of a running joke.

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NGamer UK

Much like a value supermarket sausage, this is 18% Sonic and 82% sawdust. Avoid it. [May 2009, p.56]

XGN

The only two things that make this game playable, are the graphics and the sound. Of course its nice for the Sonic fans, but even the fans will get tired of Sonic this way.

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Worth Playing

Unfortunately, the execution is so flawed that it is going to take a dedicated player to reach the "fun" hidden within. The controls are awkward and uncomfortable, and the gameplay mechanics are unintuitive. The level design is weak, and the boss fights are simply embarrassing.

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Gamer's Hell

The game is fun for the hour you'll spend beating it. Just in that time alone, you should be able to collect over half of the items, but playing through the levels again to get the rest just seems unnecessarily repetitive.

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WonderwallWeb

Sonic and the Black Knight has all of the high end graphics and production that Sonic fans come to expect, it nearly gets the Sonic formula right but spoils it with the poor execution of the sword attacks.

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ZTGameDomain

Sonic and the Black Knight has so much unused potential. Fun for a short period of time, but the lag and shoddy gameplay would make even Robotnik turn in his grave. Although not completely terrible, most of the points come from the incredible production value and the sheer fact that it’s clear the Sonic Team are trying, they’re just not listening.

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VideoGamer

Even if you accept that the Sonic games aren't built for hardcore gamers, that they're now designed to appeal to the mainstream, that's no reason to accept shoddy gameplay. Back in the 90s the Sonic versus Mario debate raged across the planet's playgrounds. Nowadays, there is no argument, and it's because of games like Sonic and the Black Knight.

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Multiplayer.it

Sonic and the Black Knight is visually striking but once started waggling the Wiimote it becomes clear how poor the gameplay is. It is just sad to realize every new 3D Sonic game happens to fail: apparently Sonic Team is trying to renew the franchise but perhaps the true Sonic is the old, linear and 2D platform we still love.

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GamePro

Are the four player mini-games enough to interest those with zealous hedgehog love? Maybe, but it's really too bad that the combat is so annoying, because the game actually looks great, especially the storybook painting cut scenes. Ah well, better luck next time, Sonic.

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Level7.nu

Even though it might sound odd that the central premise of the plot is a big sword it actually works in this game. The main issues we have with Sonic and the Black Knight is the controls and overall gameplay. It's just not that fun to flail about with your arms in the long run. This is sadly yet another mediocre Sonic game without redeeming features.

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AceGamez

If you like your gameplay simple and don't spend hours playing games then you'll probably enjoy Sonic and the Black Knight, which is pitched at the more casual gamer.

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Game Informer

I wish I could say that this game's poor design and execution was a surprise, but let's be honest: old Sonic's been down so long it looks like up to him. [May 2009, p.87]

GameSpot

Sonic finds shallow, frustrating gameplay awaiting him in the legendary realm of King Arthur.

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PALGN

Slow, mindless and dreary gameplay deals another blow to Sonic's struggle to survive in the 21st century.

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InsideGamer.nl

Sonic and the Black Knight is the perfect game to break your arm. The only thing you do is sweeping around the Wiimote, which is really boring. We could say "better luck next time", but to be honest: We don’t believe in a good Sonic-game anymore.

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Eurogamer

Sonic's stuck in a rut, then: he can run as fast as he likes, but no matter the fancy new tricks he learns, he just can't seem to keep up any more.

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Kikizo

Insultingly easy, repetitive, unfunny, strained, shallower than it thinks it is and certain to sell loads, simply because it's got Sonic on it and it's advertised on TV. If you care about what you play, don't play this.

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D+PAD Magazine

As a package Black Knight is competent: the frame rate is consistent while the visuals, taking their cue from Secret Rings, suggest that Sonic Team’s capability with squeezing results from the modest hardware is more successful than their understanding of how Sonic should feel as a game.

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Gamer.nl

Again Sega doesn't seem to realise what made the old Sonic games so much fun. By wielding a sword, the game loses a lot of speed and the choice to let Sonic play short and meaningless missions doesn't fit the franchise. Even Sonic fans will have a hard time liking this game. It seems that Sonic blew his changes on the Wii.

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DarkZero

What Sonic and the Black Knight amounts to is a game that has been polished to within an inch of its life, yet one that sadly misses the point everywhere else.

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Total Video Games

Control issues prevent any true sensation of a classic Sonic title from emerging, while any subtle depth is virtually eradicated by the overwhelming sense of simplicity.

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Thunderbolt

Another disappointing effort.

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MEGamers

The extras in the game are irritating and pointless.

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IGN

This is a Sonic game that craps all over everything that has ever made the series interesting and then adds pointless waggle.

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Edge Magazine

The left to right weaving that gave Secret Rings old-fashioned zip has been jettisoned for narrow paths, funneling you from one fight to the next. Add on-rails cart rides and regular pauses to hand rings over to local villagers and this becomes Sonic's most static adventure yet. [May 2009, p.97]

Teletext GameCentral

Sonic speeds ever further away from his roots and into one of his most ineptly-designed games so far.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 92 User Votes

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

Matt W gave it a6:
To josiah h: I agree that many people do buy sonic games for the feeling of nostalgia. However, sonic games are made with anything but low budgets. The graphics for this game are some of the best to date, and the CGI films are just enticing. Not only in this game but in other sonic games like unleashed as well. Though Sonic may be getting battered with gimmick after gimmick of unnecessary gameplay, I'm looking at you werehog, the production values are quite high.

Joey R gave it a10:
Sonic and the Black Knight is an amazing game with a great story and fun gameplay. Honestly most of the people that rated it badly probably haven't actually played it, because what they complain about doesn't exist in the actual game. I can't see why any gamer (sonic fan or otherwise) wouldn't like this game!

evan c gave it a10:
I think this game is a great game to have i dont know why this game has been rated bad the gameplay is great sure the voice acting pretty bad but still a great game to have.

[Anonymous] gave it a9:
I liked Chris' Comment, so I agree fully ... by the way: Most of the Magazines played through the normal campaign but didnt take themselves the time to face the later-on levels, which get really extremely hard and challenging. These levels are really well done. Make a rental, try yourself and realize, that this is a Top 10 Wii Game this year. Somehow sad, but true.

Campbell C gave it a10:
I think that this is a good stupendous game! Just because it has a few flaws doesn't mean it isn't worth buying. It's not SEGA's fault there all so many good games lately. Give Sonic and Sega time to land and get running on their feet again like the old days!!!!!1

josiah h gave it a1:
Most people buy these sonic titles for the nostalgic feeling they get when they play them and think back to the original, fun, ring collecting adventures. Sonic has followed the road of most celebrities and has been corrupted by fame and money. Nintendo insists on spawning a new sonic game every 11 minutes and spending a lower budget than the amount of money in my change jar. This game was not the worst, it was just bad. And in the hopes that nintendo will finaly put our dear rabid, old, decrepid hedgehog out of his misery.

Keith P gave it a10:
I like Sonic and the Black Knight. I always wondered what Sonic would be like if he had a sword with him. I don't know why people think it's a horrible game. I guess some people aren't even trying to play the game. Games are supposed to be challenging. You can't say you don't like the game if you haven't even given it a chance. Not all of the new Sonic games have to be similar to the old Sonic games. I'm glad there are some changes to the Sonic games. I don't think Sonic and the Black Knight is horrible at all.

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Sonic and the Black Knight

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