Sega has a lot of Sonic titles that they have recently released, but none of them is as good as the original Sonic series for the Sega Genesis platform. After almost two decades, the real sequel to Sonic 3 is here on the next generation consoles: the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. At this year’s E3, the first episode of Sonic 4 was playable at the Sega booth, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to give it a try.
Fans who played Sonic 1-3 on the Sega Genesis will be pleased to know that Sonic 4 lives up to the series in terms of the gameplay and designs. If I were to compare the old Sonic games from the Sega Genesis to the ones on the next-generation platform, the only difference that I can see are the visuals. Using the next-generation graphics of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, Sonic 4 looks phenomenal as the level designs are well-crafted and have vibrant, colorful graphics.
As I started playing Sonic 4, the impression that it gave me is that I was playing a Genesis title except with better, crisper graphics. In Sonic 4, speed is not the only thing the player will need to focus on. Each of the levels in the game is much bigger than the ones on the Sega Genesis. There are a lot of paths and hidden passages for Sonic to run through. The way Sonic rushes into different places, and the elements of each level that was used on the Sega Genesis version, can all be found in Sonic 4.
The flow of the game is the same as the previous Sonic series. There will be a series of check points and at the end of each act, a boss will appear for Sonic to fight. From the play through that I did in that demo, Sonic 4 is something hardcore Sonic fans should look forward to. The levels are entertaining and it retains the classic feel of the Sonic series for Sega Genesis.
Sonic 4 Episode 1 is scheduled for release this Summer on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Check back with us near the release date of the game.
