Before I begin my massive rant, I want to say that Sonic’s jump to rival consoles after Sega was forced to become a third-party developer initially showed a lot of promise. The Sonic Advance trilogy is a great set of platformers (though the reasons differ with each instalment), and all are definitely worth playing. The handheld games would generally remain more playable than their console brethren, though as decent as Sonic Rush was it started the ugly trend of the series becoming less about finely-crafted platforming and more about “holding right to win”, using the new boost ability (which, unlike the Spin Dash, had no potential penalties) with nothing to stop you. As for its sequel, Sonic Rush Adventure... well, the less said about that, the better.
Sonic Heroes, the next major title to be released, was where the rot in the series really began to be apparent. Initially the game did show promise, with level designs that were more reminiscent of the Mega Drive games with the same bright colour and vibrancy. However, the mishandled team dynamic (where the player controlled a team of three characters and switched between them to use their different abilities to advance) was fudgy and insultingly-signposted. The controls had somehow grown looser since the Adventure games and no effort had been made to improve the camera. The story was an insulting mess, and all of the characters seemed to do their best to flat-out annoy the player.
This disappointment was followed up by Shadow the Hedgehog, a laughably inept attempt to appeal to the “mature” audiences, complete with hideously out-of-place guns and vehicle sections. The one interesting idea it had – the morality system, where players could choose to side with the heroes or the villains – was ruined by its inept execution, and the game required that it be beaten no less than eleven times before the true ending could be revealed. It was a shambles, but still managed to outshine what followed...
Sonic’s 15th anniversary game, titled Sonic the Hedgehog, was... Well, I already wrote about it at length in GameStyle’s review. I called it one of the worst games ever made. I claimed that Sonic was dead to me at that point, after so many disappointments. Now that it’s been five years and I’m over the shock of just how dreadful it is, I could probably be more constructive if I tried to do a full write-up now. However, my stance on the game is unshaken; it is absolutely abysmal, hopelessly inept in every conceivable area. Never had a game threatened to kill a franchise so thoroughly before it came along (though the recent Metroid: Other M seemed to be trying to take its crown as the worst thing to happen to any game franchise in history). It really was that terrible, and it’s a game that most of the fan-base has since tried to forget about.
By this point it seemed obvious to me and many others that Sonic games just didn’t work in 3D. The “Storybook Series” on the Wii, starting with Sonic and the Secret Rings, tried a more experimental tack, making Sonic move on-the-rails. While this game did compare favourably to Sonic the Hedgehog, with more creative and lively visuals and some stunning set-pieces, in hindsight the game was also heavily flawed. The Wiimote controls were awkward, actually requiring that more responsive controls be unlocked during the course of the game.
Sonic Unleashed saw the development of the “Hedgehog Engine” and more integration of 2D platforming within the speedy Sonic levels. However, once again the efforts were horribly implemented, as the platforming was rudimentary at best with the levels being the epitome of the “Hold Right to Win” mentality. Sonic was nigh-on uncontrollable, and ironically moved far too fast, leading to him crashing into obstacles and falling down pits that would require clairvoyance to avoid on the first go. These sections were frustrating, linear and downright unfair, while the night-time “Werehog” levels were a slow and monotonous God of War rip-off. The game was only slightly better than the 2006 effort, but it still had my jaw hitting the floor in just how dreadful it was, especially with the utterly wretched hubs and medal-gathering necessity.
One of the more curious games to come out of this era was Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, an RPG developed by Bioware on the Nintendo DS. It too, however, was something of a stinker, with a dreadful combat system, wonky controls and group puzzles, and some of the absolute worst and most annoying audio I have heard in any game. The only decent thing about it was the story and dialogue, with surprisingly good characterisations of the Sonic cast, but even then it wasn’t up to Bioware’s usual standard. Such potential, but such meagre results.
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
Watching the downfall of Sonic over the last decade was very painful for me, as someone who has grown up with and loved the classic entries to this very day. I wanted Sonic to be relevant and appear in good games again (though he did get that appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for what it was worth), but a large part of me suspected that he should have bowed out with grace and dignity after the mascot craze of the 90s had died down.
Then I heard news that finally, after 17 years, my prayers were answered. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was getting made... as a series of downloadable episodes. Never mind, I thought; episodic gameplay didn’t do the new Sam & Max games any harm, after all. The point was that I was finally going to be able to play a classic-style Sonic game, with momentum and actual platforming and everything! I have to say that I was legitimately excited.
Then my hopes would be dashed completely when the game was actually out. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode One has made me pray that Episode Two never sees the light of day, at least not without significant improvement. Broken physics, mundane level designs and cynical attempts to excite the nostalgia glands made for a game that was once again an absolute mess to add to the veritable sea of terrible Sonic games that had formed by this point.
I was about ready to give up on Sonic games entirely by this point (though I knew I’d end up playing future instalments anyway, wretched fool that I am), but then I started hearing positive press about Sonic Colours, a game developed for the Wii with comparatively less fanfare than the retro throwback. What I ended up playing was a real shot in the arm; a game that was not just “decent for a Sonic game”, but could objectively be considered a good game full-stop. It took a look at what was wrong with the Sonic gameplay from Sonic Unleashed and took steps to refine it, with tighter controls, a more balanced difficulty, more vibrant environments, a greater emphasis on platforming and exploration, and a gimmick that didn’t detract from the core gameplay at all. I didn’t go so far as to say it was perfect, but as I said in my review it was the first Sonic game that I had legitimately enjoyed for a long time. It may have been the Sonic game released in 2010 with the least amount of hype, but it was the one that was infinitely more deserving of success (though according to my colleagues at GameStyle, the DS version isn’t really worth the bother).
Hopefully the refinements and improvements evident in Sonic Colours will be expanded on in the forthcoming 20th anniversary outing, Sonic Generations. Incorporating both the classic momentum-based platforming (complete with a more classic-looking Sonic) and the more speedy rollercoaster-like modern gameplay, the game promises to be a celebration of all 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog, with re-worked versions of some of Sonic’s most famous stages. I have my own personal wish-list of levels I’d like to see return alongside the confirmed Green Hill (from Sonic the Hedgehog) and City Escape (from Sonic Adventure 2):
Labyrinth from Sonic the Hedgehog
Chemical Plant from Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Casino Night from Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Ice Cap from Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sandopolis from Sonic & Knuckles
Lava Reef from Sonic & Knuckles
Death Egg from Sonic & Knuckles
Stardust Speedway from Sonic CD
Windy Valley from Sonic Adventure
So all that’s left for me to say now is Happy Birthday, Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s been a rough ride, but I sincerely hope a bright future of great Sonic games is due upon us all, as the blue speed-freak deserves it as one of gaming's biggest and most enduring icons.
To read Part One of this feature click here
