"Sometimes, Less is Better"

I would like to begin with saying that I have been a Sonic fan since the Genesis days, but have not really had access to the games until recently since I never owned any Sega systems. Because of this I have pretty much gone through the whole history of Sonic in a few months and have been able to see how it has evolved over time. I have all of the Sonic games except Advance 3 and Shadow (it counts because it is in the same universe). Since Sonic & Knuckles I feel like the games have been trying to take a different turn, especially in offering variety. Variety is good, don't get me wrong, but I have noticed too much of it offered in the newer Sonic games. The Adventure offered too much gameplay with characters that were made to be boring parts of the games. The recent 2D games (pretty much the Advance games) seem to be offering too many characters to play as with little difference between them to make it worthwile, making the games' value go down, whereas having less characters might have actually made it better. Also I would like to add that the Advance games feel too much like all they are doing is taking the old Sonic games and merely souping them up, so it feels like the same old thing just a little modernized. One could say the same about Sonic Rush, but it is the fact that they actually decided to go back to the old formula, rip it apart and then re-create as it should be with the new features of the DS that makes this game so good. Enough babbling though let me get on with my traditional form of review, which is in parts.

Graphics (9/10):
It looks wonderful. Even though it is side-scrolling all of the stages are wonderfully done. They are not necessarily super detailed but they have an attractively simple look to them that makes the game flow very nicely. Especially since the game is fast paced, it actually looks better with this level of detail since you can enjoy the sites without having to stop and look. The characters and enemies all seem to be 3D and look wonderful with the colorful stages. The boss battles look absolutely amazing as well and the dual screen usage works seamlessly well with this game graphically. One point is gone though merely because, even though the backgrounds are pretty good and go perfectly with the stages, they are not detailed enough so it sort of takes away from the rest of the good looking game. Don't worry though, overall this game is absolutely beautiful.

Sound (10/10):
For the most part the sound effects in this game are the same old sounds, but they all sound good and in place. What really gives this game the 10 though is the fact that the music is probably the best music I have ever heard in a Sonic game. Almost every track is a catchy tune and this may be the only portable game that I would actually want a soundtrack too. The music is fast paced and is perfect for a Sonic game. Bravo to whoever did the music, he needs to do music for Sega games more often (and if he is the regular than he has just created a masterpiece).

Control (9.5/10):
The controls are pretty darn simple. You run, and you jump. There are of course a couple other moves you can do with Sonic and Blaze but essentially that is how it is played. Easy and simple. The bonus stages for getting the Chaos Emeralds are the same as Sonic 2's half-pipe stages except you control Sonic with the stylus. As long as you go in order with those stages it is very easy to get used to it and it works very nicely actually. It is the one thing the touch screen is used for but at least when it is used it is used well. So all in all the controls are good, almost perfect, although sometimes the spin dash doesn't seem to be as effective anymore.

Story (6/10):
Ok the story for the most part sucks. It is the same old story as most all Sonic games: Robotnik wants the Chaos Emeralds for world domination. It only gets a 6 instead of a 5 because the addition of the dimensional rift and all at least adds a bit more interest, although it makes for some extensively unnecessary talk scenes. I will admit though for a game like this story isn't really that important, here it is mostly the gameplay that matters, leading to the next part of the review...

Gameplay (9.2/10):
As aforementioned, unlike the Advance games, which feel like a rip with additions of old Sonic games, this feels like a remastering of the old mechanics. It is much of the same, you run from left to right trying not to get killed. The enemies are placed nicely though, forcing you to make good use of your tension gauge. The obstacles are also creative enough so that you have to work to get the goal, but it isn't annoying and it doesn't really slow you down much overall. The boss battles are creative and fun but there are two factors that prevent this from getting a 10. First of all one of the boss battles is repeated with a couple of new attacks which isn't very creative and secondly the game should have more stuff to do in it. It is fine to have a short story mode but there isn't really anything extra to do besides getting the Emeralds, which isn't really that hard to do. The best part about Rush is the fact that only Sonic and Blaze are playable, meaning you don't get multiple characters with the same gameplay. Actually the stages are modified for each of the characters, stories are slightly different and moves are slightly different too. Essentially they are the same but they are also different enough so that you don't get bored going through the second character's story. The multiplayer is simply racing with another person and can be fun for a few races but the jewel of this game truly lies in the single player. The dual screens are used perfectly by the way, allowing you to see what is going on above or below you so you don't have to hold up or down to see, making it easier to decide which path to take on the move and making this game even more fast-paced.

Overall (8.74/10):
If you like fast-paced side-scrollers then this is a must have. Upon beating the game, it is likely that you will want to go through certain levels again because they were that fun, and what better way to do that than by doing it with a buddy (since it has Download Play functionality with every stage as long as you have played the stage)? If you aren't the biggest fan of side-scrollers but you are in the mood this game is definitely worth renting since it can be beaten in less than a week. Either way this game is worth playing. It is nice to see Sonic being done right again.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/19/05