Sonic the Hedgehog 4 PS3 Review

Sonic the Hedgehog is the beloved Sega mascot that has been dragged through the dirt in recent history as a result of horrible 3D games and quirky gameplay mechanics that have taken Sonic so far from its roots, that the spiky haired blue hedgehog is unrecognizable today to fans of the original Genesis games.

Sonic 4 is an attempt by Sega to bring Sonic back to its 2D roots and glorious Genesis days, but with updated high definition graphics on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Sonic 4 is available on the PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and iOS systems. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is priced at $14.99 on the PlayStation Store, which means that after a few episodes, the game can easily surpass the price of a retail game.

Sonic 4 consists of four main zones, a special stage zone for collecting Chaos Emeralds and a final boss zone. Each of the four main zones is made up of three acts and a boss level. All of the levels are based on or inspired by previous Sonic games, mostly Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In Sonic 4, Splash Hill Zone, Casino Street Zone, Lost Labyrinth Zone, Mad Gear Zone, and even the final boss zone E.G.G. Station Zone look similar to Emerald Hill Zone Casino Night Zone, Aquatic Ruins Zone, Metropolis Zone, and the final boss Death Egg Zone respectively from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The Special Stages for collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds are directly taken from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Enemy characters and bosses are taken straight from the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2.

The only glaring issue with Sonic 4 is that the physics seem to be a bit wonky. Sonic has his standard jump and spin dash from previous Sega Genesis games, but now has a homing attack, made famous in Sonic Adventure. The problem with the homing attack jump is that if there are no enemies around and the player presses the jump button twice, Sonic will just stop in mid-air and drop like a rock. Also, Sonic has trouble reverting from a spin dash to a regular upright running position at times, especially during the boss fight in the Mad Gear Zone. These control and gameplay issues are annoying, but not game breaking. Overall Sonic 4 is extremely easy to beat, but players may be enticed to replay levels for higher scores or better times on the leaderboards. Sonic 4 has trophy support for the PlayStation 3 and achievement support for the Xbox 360.

Sonic 4 Episode 1 is a great game that seems more of an homage to the earlier Sonic games, specifically Sonic 2, than an actual sequel that Sega claims it to be. The game is being released as episodes and the number of episodes is still unknown. Hopefully, the future episodes will be more of a challenge and less pricey. After three or four episodes, the price Sonic 4 may be close to or surpass retail discs. Also, the future episodes need to deviate from copying so much content from earlier games and come up with its own unique levels, enemies, and bosses to standalone as a true sequel and bring Sonic the Hedgehog back to its former glory as the true champion of gaming mascots.