Sonic Rivals

"In Backbone Studios, "old-school" translates to " pale imitation" in this blast-from-the-past style Sonic game."

Before Sonic had his hands full with the Adventure series back in the days of the Dreamcast, Sonic used to be a two-dimensional platforming mascot. It seems that Sega is doing their best to focus their marketing onto the mediocre-to-outright-blasphemous-tarnishing-of-an-icon 3D Sonic games (like the recent Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic 360) rather than on their excellent-but-underrated 2D-to-the-bone Sonic games for both the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and DS.

And now, thanks to the collaboration of Sega and Backbone Studios Vancouver, we have yet another 2D Sonic game, this time on the shiny PSP. Amidst the many Xbox360 remakes of old classic games and above-average titles like Death Jr. and the DS version of Age Of Empires, Backbone Studios decides to expand their territory to put some “back-in-the-2D-day” life into the old franchise.

Just a little titbit: I actually know a few people from the studio who are working on this game. There were some conflicts and design issues they had to deal with during the production of the game. However, that does not affect the fact that I will review the finished product as is.

In other words, there's nary a trace of ass-kissing here; that honor goes to the other major reviewing websites out there.

So the question is: will this 2D Racing Platformer be a new-yet-familiar direction of the Sonic series, or will it just be a shoddy effort of emulating the old-school-ness of the past games of the series, only with a shiny coat of paint? Read on, ladies and gents, as we scrutinize Sega/Backbone's latest handheld game starring the true-as-blue icon of the 90s.

Story:

Dr. Robotnik/Eggman has captured Amy and Tails and encased them into little cards. It's up to Sonic and Knuckles rescue them. Along the way, they conflict with Silver, a hedgehog from the future, and Shadow, an evil clone of Sonic. Sonic and Knuckles put their rivalry into play to see who can rescue the captive furri…er.. anthropomorphic animals first.

This is as much as you can get. No twists and turns, no stunning revelations whatnot.

This half-baked recipe-of-a-story adds cliche-plotlines, sprinkles extra kiddie-dialogue onto it, and is topped off with a large dose of familiarity. It serves well to a young audience of a Saturday morning cartoon, but the plot is there for the sake being tacked onto the manual. Next.

3/10

Graphics

As we all know, most games for the PSP, through technological means I have yet to grasp with , have really great visuals, and Sonic Rivals is no exception. It is really pretty to look at. Sure, you basically blaze through a stage in a few minutes, but from the colored blurs to distinguish between the mascot racers, to the authentic-yet-particle-pretty thematic stages (organic for the first four stages stage, mechanical for the last two), it's worth noting.

The camera angles set for this game can get a bit disorientating, however. There are times, when zooming past the levels, when the designers thought it would be a nice idea to stylize. While some instances (like the loops) are alright, other times (like falling off to a part of the Coliseum level) were just unnecessary and actually hinders gameplay. Even PSOne's Pandemonium (a decade-old game) and PS2's Klonoa knows when and when not to do stylized camera angles on a 2D game. Then again, that's probably me, so other players used to the shifting camera styles of First Person Shooter games would be alright with this.

But, apart from that and the rarely-occuring slowing-down of the frame rates, it's something you can show to your friends regarding the crystal-clearness of the PSP's graphical processing chip.

7.5/10

Sound

If I recalled, the team responsible for the GBA versions of Sonic (Sonic Advance 1-3) made an effort to make the music catchy and reminiscent of the harmonizations of the old-school synthesizers and 16-bit sound tools. In fact, they even go as far as to put it faithful remixes from the old titles (Sonic 3's second level plays the remix of Sonic 1's first stage tune).

So why is it that the majority of the music on this “old school” game reminds me of the dreck they play on the speakers in import cars driven by a stereotypical Asian raver? Okay, that may be a bit too harsh, but the music here is a hybrid of techno and fluff, “fluff-techno” if you will; music that is passable and uninspired that would pass off on a stereotypical kid's game.

However dull the soundtrack is, the victory fanfare DID make me jump for joy.

On the positive side, the sound effects are just acceptable; nothing to shout about, but nothing to get pissant at either. From the Sonic spin dash to the sounds of the characters passing through a speed booster panel, it's just FX fillers that pass the mark. When the hedgehogs (and echidna) start running their yaps in-game, you'd swear you were forced to hear a crappy Saturday morning cartoon, with corn-induced catchphrases abound. I miss the days when Sonic conveyed his attitude with the idle actions he does on-screen.

For a normal game, it passes off as average; for a sequel to a game known for its catchy and memorable tunes, Backbone should know better.

4/10

Control/ Gameplay

Sonic Rivals is a result of taking the 2-Player mode of Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles, and turning it into the main game itself. Players race against the A.I or a friend, via Ad-Hoc, and race through the stages; the basic rule being that the first one to the finish line wins. Players also compete with their opponent over who scores the most hits on the Boss when facing against one of Robotnik's murderous machines.

You have 3 modes of play: Story mode, Challenge mode & Circuit Cup mode. Story mode is a run-through of 6 levels, each with their own bosses, in a race against a rival or, later on, against time. Challenge mode is self-explanatory, where you are required to accomplish a few set goals (win a round with x number of rings, a set amount of time, etc..); you get cards for all that trouble. Circuit Cup's objective is to win all three of the pre-determined levels to win, you guessed it, more cards. I'll get to the cards thing on a later paragraph.

All Sonic games live or die on their level design, and Sonic Rivals is treading on the middle fence here. There are a couple of new takes on the level obstacles, like the boosting blocks littered throughout the level which throws you through either vertically or horizontally depending on which button you press, and the power-ups used to help or hinder your foes. But overall, it is solid, but definitely nothing that would re-write the pages of Sega's platforming history.

Speaking of power-ups, apart from the usual shields, iceblocks and ring-attracting magnets, when you collect a Star power-up, it lets you activate your selected hedgehog's power; Sonic does a Mach 3 dash of epic proportions, while Shadow slows down your opponent to a crawl. These add that “gotcha” element that games like Mario Kart have; just when you're close to the finish line, you get your collective ass handed to you courtesy of an Ice ball from behind, freezing you in your tracks.

Try as you might, there are just so many loops and disjointed camera angles you can put before it gets stale. Some parts of the game, like the leaf-riding segment on Stage 1 Act 2 or the Catapult part near the end of Stage 2 Act 1, are totally unnecessary. Perhaps an additional mini-game (ala God of War) in which the victor gets a temporary speed boost would be advisable.

It's nice to know that despite the faults listed above, it controls perfectly. The jumps and usage of the items are solid, and Sonic's movement is just like the old games; picking up momentum and speeding off through the level is as easy as the Girls Next Door.

As much as it is a different take on the 2D platforming style of the game, it just
doesn't compare at all to the Sonic Advance series. Of course, it is still a fun game and is a healthy diversion, given that this sort of 5-minute-per-session gaming bodes well for the system it is on.

6.5/10

Replayability

Sonic Rivals features Ad-Hoc play, so you and a buddy can race head-to-head to see who's the better man at simulated hedgehog racing. The connections and loading are reasonable, without any flow being broken while playing. Notice that I said “buddy” instead of “buddies”, because it's only a 2- player experience.

Seriously, at this day and age, if a remake like the Power Stone Collection supports 4-players, I'm sure a game like Sonic Rivals could have the same sort of challenge, like Mario Kart, and it would not change the dynamics of the game in any way whatsoever. Why, Backbone, why?

Regardless, apart from the limited multiplayer feature, there's not a legitimate reason to go through this game a second or third time around, if only for extra menu skins, cards, and costumes.

5/10

Balance

Honestly speaking, the only irritating problem that hinders you from start to finish is the occasional bugs (like being temporarily stuck on certain parts of a level). Other than that, the A.I puts up a reasonable challenge. Although it does tend to pull off or fall for the same tricks (like saving the Star power-ups at a designated part of the level), it's neither too tough or too easy, so you will get a bit of a workout from the computer-controlled opponents.

Strangely, the A.I acts significantly different when you compete with them on the Circuit Cup or Challenge Mode, which is refreshing.

6.5/10

Originality

As much as Backbone would believe that throwing back to the old-school days of Sonic and giving it a fresh coat of paint is considered original, taking a look at the recent Sonic for the DS would prove otherwise.
On the other hand, this is the first time that the 2-player feature of Sonic 2 & 3 is expanded as the main focus of the game, so Backbone gets points for that.

Adding in to the fact that 2D Sonic Platforming games aren't as common on next-gen platforms, Sonic Rivals gets points for NOT being a remake for the PSP.

6/10

Addictiveness

I personally felt that this particular pick-up-and-play type of game is a mild diversion on a bus-stop at best. After completing and memorizing the tracks and enemy behavior, there's not much that can stop you, and pretty soon the monotony of scouring through twelve average and uninspiring courses tend to get to you.

It does not hold a candle to portable god-sends like Elite Beat Agents or Bleach DS, but for a quick-and-easy thrill to pass the molasses-induced entity known as time, you could do a lot worst.

5/10

Appeal Factor

Kids will definitely grab this UMD up, due to Sonic being a videogaming mascot the young ones can adore or look up to like an Italian plumber or a yellow electricity-generating rat would. Old-school gamers with a lust for old-school platforming are going to have to hold on to their copies of the Sonic Advance series, as this particular product, while looking and controlling like an old Sonic game, is just a pale shadow of an old Sonic game.

4/10

Miscellanous

So, let's talk about a particular type of content you unlock in this game, shall we?
Normally, art galleries in a videogame are meant to be viewed and admired at. Most games would let you use a zoom-in or, when viewing 3D models, rotating options so that you can get a clear glance of it. Case in point, the King of Fighter series still galleries and Concept Art galleries, the character models from most EA games, etc….

So why, in all that is holy and crystal clear, is it that the art cards that you collect in this game are beyond microscopic? Does Backbone not understand the concept of visibility and zoom-ins? When you present bonus content in games, as least do them correctly. This blunder here is the equivalent of getting a facial from a leper colony; it just doesn't quite work.

The other unlockables (costumes and menu skins) are at least bearable, but just uninspired.

3/10

Final Score: 5/10

This game is an equivalent of a one-night stand: Nice to look at and has an alluring appeal, but after a few hours of play, you've pretty much lost interest. This game is fun and is a good diversion, but it will neither turn heads nor redeem the franchise. However, Backbone IS aiming at the right direction; it just needs to push a lot harder in terms of quality.

At least it's way better than the last few next-gen Sonic games, though.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/06