"A great idea ruined by a shoddy port"

I haven't purchased a GameCube yet, so the lack of Sonic in my gaming diet was beginning to affect me. However, Sonic Heroes hasn't done much to restore my faith in Sonic Team's twisted version of humanity.

To start, I'm an avid Sonic fan and an even greater Sega fan. Their games have flaws, but often they push the envelop. Sonic Heroes is no exception with the team-based gameplay. However, there's so many ''wrongs'' to outweigh the few ''rights'' that the whole thing seems like an exercise instead of a game.

Graphics 7/10: I encountered no slowdown in the Xbox version, which some people have. I did, however, notice the RenderWare logo on the box, and that filled me with a sense of dread before I even popped the game in. Sure enough, the game is littered with clipthrough issues, fairly blocky environments, and a camera that can't do anything right (the last one isn't Renderware's fault). One can only imagine if they targetted the Xbox hardware in the first place.

Controls 5/10: This is what really drags the game down. In a game that enforces speed, having characters not do exactly what you're telling them makes it even worse. Oftentimes I had Sonic shoot off into the horizon without even getting close to the rail he was supposed to land on. It's so bad that, at times, you might choose the Fly formation just so you can readjust your landings. By far, this is the most disappointing aspect of the game.

Sound 7/10: Despite what others have said, I don't think the voices are an attack against humanity. However, the script is horrific, so I'll blame the scriptwriters (or scriptwriter, or intern they hired). The music is typical fluff, but the opening theme is kinda catchy in a way. Just don't listen to Team Rose's music for any extended period of time. Your ears will burn off.

Lasting value 7/10: You can play the levels again, but will you? I've got to admit that the different teams definitely add something to the gameplay (try Team Rose to make the game significantly easier), but the levels don't change enough between different teams.

Overall 5/10: There just isn't enough meat in this game to recommend it. If they polished the controls and graphics it would've been managable. Right now, though, it just seems like a shoddy port. Too bad. They really coulda done something for the franchise if they spent the time on it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 02/01/04