Fourth Time's a Charm (Sonic 4 Review)

If I were to think of one word that could sum up Sonic 4 it would be simplicity. Sonic 4 is in many ways back to basics. Its in my humble opinion a welcome return to form that this series has been needing for a very long time. While Mario has improved and benefited from a 3D format, I think Sonic is perhaps best in his 2D incarnation. Sonic 4 is back to old school basics and gameplay. It’s simple. You travel generally from left to right picking up rings as you go between various Zones and Acts. It’s the basic Sonic formula many old school fans have come to know and love. Bearing a graphical style similar to that of Sonic Adventure, this is perhaps the game that should have been on the Dreamcast to start with. Many of the things cluttering and plaguing the series over the past decade have been stripped away to make things less muddled or confusing. Gone are the unnecessary abundance of characters. Gone are the zany, melodramatic plots. Gone are silly gimmicks designed to make the formula seem more fresh or new than it is. Sonic 4 focuses on what matters; dashing through hoops collecting rings and smashing into things curled into a ball. It’s the reason we all fell in love with Sonic to start with and Sonic 4 mercifully focuses on that and nothing else.




That’s not to say that the 3D Sonics have nothing to bring to the table. Included is the homing attack present from the 3D games as well as the ability to pick and choose any stage to replay at any time. Anyone familiar with the Sonic Rush titles developed by Dimps should already feel at home here. The controls feel somewhat sluggish at first but it just takes getting used to and you’ll come to find that the controls are actually pretty tight and responsive. Level design has improved from the Rush games as well, placing more emphasis on platforming and timing than making Sonic zip at insane levels of speed, although there are plenty of moments that have that as well. In addition to retro level design the game boasts a retro soundtrack as well with musical selections that are highly reminiscent of the Genesis classics. This is just personal opinion but this style of music just fits Sonic the Hedgehog better. It’s timeless and adventurous and just encapsulates the feeling of just having fun, which is what the series initial intention was.



If Sonic 4 has any failing it’s that it doesn’t feel like Sonic 4. A more apropos title would have been “This is Your Life Sonic the Hedgehog” as the game feels more like a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Many stages were clearly inspired and in the case of the Casino Zone, outright ripped straight out of Sonics 1 and 2. Every boss battle with Robotnik, excuse me Eggman is generally a rehash of boss battles you’ve had before in those games as well and even the level designs often employ the same tricks as the Genesis games. Veterans should easily be able to spot many of the level design tricks employed here and as a result it makes the game seem somewhat too easy as a result. While tugging at nostalgic heart strings is never really a bad thing per se, it helps to bear in mind that this is supposed to be a sequel. While the spirit of the originals should be kept in mind with the design it’s important to make us feel that this in fact Sonic 4, a brand new adventure with the spirit of the originals intact. Nothing in Sonic 4 makes it seem vastly original or different than the ones that came before it and it has no identity as a result. The developers of Mega Man 9 understood this concept perfectly, it’s one that Sega and Dimps should have kept in mind.

Haven't I seen this somewhere before?




Yep.

Even still despite it’s short length at only 4 Zones each with 3 Acts Sonic 4 doesn’t feel like a terrible game at all and is a welcome game that is at least 10 years overdue. Most average players can beat the game in about a day, but the real fun and challenge of Sonic 4 is replaying the levels trying to get that high score or beat that level just a bit faster. It’s an old school philosophy of gaming in mind, one that seeks to challenge and test you rather than tell a grand epic story. Some games work better that way. I would love to see a grand sweeping tale from Red Dead Redemption. When it comes to Sonic I just want a fun, vibrant platformer with catchy tunes and colorful backgrounds. This is only Episode I of Sonic 4, so here’s hoping that Sega continues it with an Episode II and maybe adds Tails or Knuckles or even Shadow as playable characters and gives us some more original stages and boss battles. All the same Sega, allow Dimps to design your Sonic games from now on. They’ve done more for this series with one simple downloadable game than you have with 6.

Thumbs up for Sonic 4.