Sonic Shuffle

"To Shuffle, or not to Shuffle..."

To Shuffle, or not to Shuffle, that is the question. Is the game as good as any Sonic game? The answer is no.

This is not your traditional Sonic game, nor does it have that ''Sonic feel'', but aside from that, it's not a bad game.

Gameplay: Beware. The first time you play this you will not like it. That was my impression anyway. I had to admit this game was the worst Sonic game ever. Such as the mini game Psychic Sonic. How the heck are you supposed to guess what letter was gonna come up next? However, now it's the mini game I earn the most rings from! Some mini-games, however, are boring, such as the mini game where you're running on the bridge. It's strange how the mini-game after finishing the Nature Zone is similar but much more enjoyable. However, by the time you're at Riot Train (the fourth out of five boards), you're get the hang of this game. The one setback of this game is the computer always seems to know exactly what card to get. And that's when the card is hidden! At first, the two hour-stages seem like a drag, but after a while, it's actually quite enjoyable. But did I mention the loading time is the worst I've ever seen on the Dreamcast?

Story: Definitely not your Sonic-Style story. Sonic and friends are transported to Maginaryworld, a world created from dreams. And only two people from Sonic Team actually worked on this game! The villain is Void (or is he? No, I'm not talking about Eggman) and you have to get the shattered Precioustone pieces and put them back together. Simple enough, neh? It's a cute story, but definitely a different trip than your daily Stop Dr. Robotnik storyline.

Presentation: The graphics are dazzling. That's the greatest aspect of this game. Everything is cartoony, which gives a feel for something ''Soniccy''. The greatest aspect is the art and animation in this game. It's simply beautiful. The music may not be top-notch, but bearable nonethless. My favorites are the Ending Credits Theme and The Anime Intro Theme. Splendid Graphics.

Replayability: When you finally finish Emerald Coast for the first time, you want to throw this game out the window. That was me when I played this. But give the game a chance. It's not one of those games that you like immediately. And that's everybody else's impression, too. To my surprise, I actually enjoy this game now.

I give this game a 7 out of 10. While it doesn't have that Sonic feel and it's not top-notch, it's good in it's own right.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/00, Updated 11/19/00