A Triumphant Return to Classic Sonic Greatness

I’m not sure why Gamestop dropped the price of Sonic Rush to 14.99, and then after a week, even lower to 9.99 but I sure hope everyone reading this will have the chance to buy such a great game at such a low price.

I picked up Sonic Rush as I was a huge fan of the original Sonic the Hedgehog series for Sega Genesis, and this looked like a return to the classic 2D platform games that made Sonic famous. Sonic Rush did not disappoint – it was certainly a return to the super fast, addicting gameplay that was so good on the Genesis and was lost on the Dreamcast.

Story

As typical of Sonic the Hedgehog games, story is quite minimal. You have the choice to play between Sonic and a pink cat named Blaze, who seems to be recurring in newer Sonic games. I guess Sega needed a girl equivalent, sort of a Sonic version of Princess Peach. Dr. Eggman (I still like to call him Dr. Robotnik) has stolen all the chaos emeralds and it’s up to Sonic to get them all back.

Gameplay

As anyone who has played a Sonic game before knows, Sonic comes down to gameplay. It is ultra fast, with plenty of button mashing, and it often moves so fast it’s nearly impossible to even follow Sonic on the screen. After a series of acts, you get to face off with the infamous Dr. Eggman’s newest crazy machine. (This is the level “boss.”)

The bosses impressed me from the start. They are done in 3D, but the gameplay feels very much like it did in the original. The 3D is really more just a function of switching between multiple versions of 2D. For example, in the first boss you must run back and forth on a platform to avoid being hit by Eggman’s aircraft. However, the view will occasionally switch sideways, and you have to jump the craft rolling. So, while it is technically 3D, the familiar gameplay style is the same. In my opinion, this is a positive thing, as I was a huge fan of the original gameplay style. If you were excited by the new ׁD” aspects, you may be disappointed.

The gameplay in Sonic Rush is very similar to Sonic the Hedgehog 2. You fly through levels and essentially have to time a bunch of jumps, while also occasionally figuring out a “puzzle.” Later levels can be very challenging and very confusing, and like past games, beating levels in Sonic Rush can be very rewarding.

While I feel that the gameplay is excellent, there are several flaws I attribute to the Nintendo DS handheld. These are detailed in the last section, entitled “Flaws with Sonic on the DS.”

Graphics

Graphics were similar to original graphics, but rendered with some 3D and cleaned up. The game runs very smoothly, and the levels are flawless. Similar to the recent New Super Mario Brothers games, developers kept graphics simple but smooth. You will not be blown away by revolutionary new graphics, but you certainly will be able to experience a visually pleasing, non-glitching game of Sonic.

The bosses are actually in full 3D, and while this does not affect the gameplay, it is very visually impressive. This also allows you to feel like your playing a new DS Sonic, and not simply a repeat of the old Sonic series.

Overall, the graphics are very impressive.

Sound

The soundtrack in Sonic was very good, as always. The songs are well thought out and don’t get too repetitive.

The story part of the game, though, does not include any actual voices. Considering we get to hear Sonic in movies and the TV show, it doesn’t seem like it would have been all the difficult to add actual voices. This would have added to the realism and allowed for more immersive play.

Voice-overs aside, the soundtrack and tunes in Sonic are classic and very well done.

Flaws with Sonic on the DS

Sonic Rush is really well put together, and a return to the classic Sonic, but many of the new features I felt were exactly what detracted from the game.

The two screen view is simply annoying. The level is split between both vertical screens, allowing you to see what is above and below you. If Sonic jumps high or falls, you move to the other screen. While this seems cool at first, it is unnecessary and annoying. It added very little to the game, and quite honestly, gave me a headache.

The game would make much more sense on one screen, and I feel like the developer’s felt they had to somehow honor the dual screen design, even though one was more logical.

The Bottom Line

Sonic Rush was an excellent game. It brings back all the good features of the fast-paced, addicting original Sonic series for Sega Genesis. The soundtrack and graphics are well done, and certainly add to the value of the game. There are some minor issues with the dual screen design, and some voice-overs for the storyline scenes would have been nice.

Overall, I definitely recommend the game. I would pick it up now before they all sell out at the ridiculously low sale prices.