Sonic the Hedgehog

"Welcome to his world!"

I have been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog ever since I was 3 years old. And while I do NOT own a 360, I was able to play certain parts of the game in EB. IT DOMINATES.

Story: 9.5/10
This game gives all the past 3D Sonic games' stories a run for their money. In the city of Soleanna lives Princess Elise, a young girl who unknowlingly holds the power of Ibliss, The Flames Of Disaster, within her soul. Naturally, Dr. Robotnik learns of this (I refuse to call him Eggman; deal with it!) and sets about kidnapping the princess...until Sonic shows up, ready to save the day.

But someone else is watching. Silver The Hedgehog, a telekinetic hedgehog who lives in an apocalyptic world 200 years from now, has been able to travel back in time to stop The Ibliss Trigger, who he believes is Sonic.

Meanwhile, Shadow The Hedgehog is being pursued by a demon known as Mephiles The Dark, who is hell-bent on causing Shadow's demise.

I could write a whole review on the story, but that would be boring. I can say that it is well-written and hosts major character development.

Gameplay: 9/10

Talk about FAST! Geez!

Sonic, Shadow, and Silver are the main characters, each having their own storyline. Sonic is focused on sheer speed (duh), Shadow has a more action-combat style gameplay with his vehicles and powerful moves, and Silver is more puzzle-focused, using his telekinesis to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Each character also has two support partners, one of which will follow one of the hedgehogs during a stage similar to Shadow The Hedgehog.

Sonic's episode is the same tried-and-true method; run like crazy, demolishing anything dumb enough to stand in front of you. Parts of Sonic's stages have Super Speed Areas, where Sonic starts running REALLY FAST, and you must prevent him from hitting any obstacles. Sonic is accompanied by Tails and Knuckles. Tails is pretty slow, sadly, but he does toss Ring Bombs. Knuckles has some pretty good moves and average speed.

Shadow is more combat-based. Granted, you'll be running a lot, but Shadow comes equipped with Chaos Spears, tornado kicks, and four vehicles: A 4X4, a hovercraft, a motorcycle, and a glider. Shadow is partnered with Rouge and E-123 Omega.

Silver is the slowest of the three hedgehogs, but he does have his psychic powers, He can grab ANYTHING with his mind and hurl it at enemies. He can also stop missiles and bullets Matrix-style, but he can also hurl them back at the shooter (Eat your heart out, Neo.) Silver is mainly with Blaze the Cat, but he also gets stuck with Amy Rose a couple times.

Overall, the gameplay is solid and varied. The action is fast and fluid.

GRAPHICS: 9/10

Whoa. This game looks like it could take place in the real world. The graphics are solid, bright, and INCREDIBLY detailed. I swear, I can count the fur on Sonic!

SOUND: 9/10

Sonic Team has had the Sonic X cast provide the voices. They all sound fairly good. I especially like Mephiles' voice. The music is pretty good, with all you can expect from the Sonic series. I love how they worked in orchestral music as well as rock.

REPLAY VALUE: 10/10

Three episodes, tons of unlockable moves, nine characters, eleven varied zones. I'm pretty sure you'll be busy.

OVERALL: 9.5/10

This game does NOT deserve the bashing it has received from Gamespot and other such sites. However, it's your opinion. Personally, this is the best Sonic game yet, possibly of all time. If you are unsure, then I would recommend you rent it first. But if you're a True Blue fan, then BUY IT! NOW!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/06