"You'll find Sonic rushing into pits.."

Sonic Rush was an incredibly interesting game to watch the development of. For those of us that enjoy surfing such sites as IGN, or Gamespot, this was likely a game that caught the eyes of Sonic enthusiasts everywhere. Because it was a Sonic game, it was inevitable that this game would sell a lot. However, I don't feel that it deserved a lot of the praise it was given, and I think a lot of people (perhaps not all) would agree with me.

Gameplay: 5/10

When I think of a Sonic game, I think starting easy and working your way up. Anyone who played the games on the Genesis remember Green Hill Zone, how it was quick, but simple. There is no simplicity in Sonic Rush. It was like the developers threw in the most complex gameplay they could possibly think of. Though I do admit the controls have a lightly steep learning curve, the actual game in itself is much steeper.

If I wanted to play memory games, I have a billion other outlets. When I play a video game, I do not want to have to memorize the many sprawling paths and alternate routes each of the zones have. I especially do not want to remember the positions of enemies, and which obstacles I have to avoid doing specific actions on, or when approaching. In this game, it is not abnormal to run into enemies twenty or so times when playing through a level. The difficulty level for a game, even in the first zone, EVEN ON THE FIRST BOSS, is of a factor that could literally make you insane. Of all the Nintendo DS games I've played to date, not one has made me as frustrated as Sonic Rush has.

I can handle falling into pits and hitting enemies eighty times an act, but when it takes me twenty tries to defeat the first boss, I start to have problems. And need I mention the fact that VERY few of the bosses are actually very inventive? The first boss in Sonic's story brought back memories of Sonic Adventure. Don't even get me started about the fact that some of the bosses are DUPLICATED in later levels. WHY?! As if fighting the first boss isn't enough, you have to fight him FOUR TIMES, twice as Sonic, twice as new character, Blaze the Cat (of which, no imagination was thrown in for her, either).

The only thing new about Sonic Rush that stands out, and is perhaps slightly welcome, is the Tension Gauge. The Tension Gauge fills up when you destroy enemies, or perform tricks while in mid-air or on rails, and decreases when you take damage or, inevitably (as you will find happening to you often), when you die. The Tension Gauge gives you a quick boost of speed, launching you to top speed in a half-second. This is perhaps the most merciful of the changes to the original formula, since when you get hit for the twentieth time that stage, you're so frustrated that you just want to finish the stage.

And did I mention, if you get a Chaos Emerald and get a Game Over on that act, you don't get to keep it? Yeah.

Graphics: 8/10

This is where Sonic Rush was obviously centered on. It takes advantage of the Nintendo DS's 3-D capabilities, and it's all the more obvious, especially in boss fights, and very little in actual acts except for gimmicks that get you places. Still, these are visually pleasing, and if you get the chance to stop and examine your surroundings, they seem to envelop you and pull you in. This has been a trait for ages in Sonic games, and is certainly this game's strong point, if only one of few.

Music / Sounds: 4/10

Sounds are decent. They're typical Sonic game sounds, the sort of stuff we've been growing up with when we've played Sonic games all our lives. There's really no complaints here. Except the horrible attempts at voice acting, and a lack of it where it really needs to be.

But what really irks me is the music. It's not enjoyable at all. Then again, music has never really been a strong suit (along with storyline) in Sonic games, so I wasn't expecting so much here. However, what really bumps the score down is of the awful music they've put into some of the tracks and boss stages. It is absolute utter trash. Many of them sound like people are talking and laughing, or worse, singing, in the background. Why?! WHY?! That junk is fine on the consoles, but do NOT bring that into the handheld realm.

This category's saving grace is the mere assumption that this is just a short foray of the stint, and the faux pas will not happen again in future games.

Final Score: 5/10

I am being VERY generous here. The extremely frustrating gameplay, the lack of rewards for particularly frustrating endeavors and playable characters (why can I not play as Knuckles or Tails, the only ones with innovation outside of blinding speed?!) all adds up, bringing the score down to a low, low 5. There is very little of note that adds a positive influence on the series, especially for the handheld systems. It reminds me of a poorly meshed together Sonic Advance, with shades of color from the Adventure and old Sega Genesis series.

Really, Sonic Team. You need to do a lot better than this.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/21/05