Remember how locking Sonic the Hedgehog 2 onto Sonic and Knuckles allowed you play as the red echidna in the former? Well, that was cool, not just because we were Knuckles, but because he played differently than Sonic. Once again, Sega steals a page from its old playbook without understanding why it worked in the first place. As a big fan of Sonic CD, I was really looking forward to seeing how Metal Sonic would control. The Metal Sonic levels unlock if you also own Episode I. One of Sega’s selling points for Sonic 4: Episode II was the ability to play as Metal Sonic, who fans mostly remember from the much-loved Sonic CD. Wii), then it shouldn’t feel like a cheap imitation of the series’ best games. If they wanted Sonic 4 to stand on its own as a next-generation sidescroller (like Rayman Origins or New Super Mario Bros. My point is that if Sega wanted to do a proper homage, then it should have tried to make Sonic 4 look, not just play, like an old-school title. But it’s there, so I guess they want Sonic 4 to feel like a newer game? Then why are the sound effects straight out of a 1990s Genesis? In a 2D game it just makes the experience too easy. It was a clever way of making fast-paced, 3D platforming possible without falling to your death every other minute. Sonic has the homing attack that was first introduced in Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. Sonic and Tails both sport their modern looks, even though Sega just went to great lengths to reintroduce classic Sonic to the masses with Sonic Generations. Sure, the 2D platforming is similar, but the graphics are made out of lifeless polygons instead of rich, vibrant pixels. It just makes me wish I were playing one. Sonic 4 doesn’t feel like a Genesis game at all. The developers were even smart enough to program in the limitations of the NES, like slowdown and pixel flickering. Remember Mega Man 9? So many people loved it because playing it felt exactly like playing a Mega Man game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Is this a retro homage to its blue mascot’s awesome past? Well, then it should look like a Genesis game. After playing Episode II, I still have no idea. When I played the first episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, I really didn’t understand what Sega was trying to do. The second act of White Park Zone, which takes place on a wooden roller coaster, is the biggest standout thanks to branching paths that spring Sonic from background to foreground. But on the whole, the levels this time around are much more interesting and uniquely themed. Sylvania Castle Zone, for instance, is a blatant rip-off (or homage, if you prefer a kinder word) of Sonic 2’s Aquatic Ruin Zone from the Sega Genesis days. Some zones in Episode II still feel too familiar. I mean, seriously guys - we don’t need another casino-themed stage. Recent games have reduced his role to an inventor and mechanic who sits on the sidelines, but Episode II returns him to Sonic’s side, where he belongs.Įpisode I’s levels were boring retreads of ideas from Sonic’s better days. While Tails originally introduced a trend that would eventually drown the series with annoying animal sidekicks, he remains a classic and useful ally. You can also use the two-tailed fox to better navigate the game’s annoying underwater levels (seriously, does anyone actually like water stages?) and to perform a sort of super spin dash that can blast through obstacles. Teaming up with Tails can allow you to fly to hard-to-reach places and to save yourself from a deadly fall. The most notable difference between Episode II and its predecessor is the return of Tails as your loyal (and strangely immortal) sidekick.
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