The bigger picture is intricate levels that use depth of field brilliantly neon cities stretching into the distance whilst hot air balloons hover in the foreground. The game’s crammed with details: flowers dance as you run past, a speed trail blurs everything in its path and puffs of smoke fly from Sonic’s shoes when he brakes. It’s just Sonic, a D-Pad and a jump button, and a fantastic gaming engine that’s lightning fast and looks fantastic, especially in 480p. There’s next to no frustration here: no broken mechanics, no irritating voices, cutscenes or sidekicks. Whether you’re racing around loops or dodging huge machinery that threatens to pulp you in an instant, you’ll genuinely enjoy yourself.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 1 @ SAGE 2010 ZIP
Players who’ve never enjoyed the hedgehog’s 16-bit outings may find it trickier, but for many it’s like riding a bicycle and they’ll zip through most stages. Experienced Sonic gamers will rack up a few extra lives per level, amassing a total well into double figures before the final stage, with only a few stages posing any real trouble.
In fact, little brings the rhythm down, including the difficulty. It's not just the interactive parts either: the level layouts contain plenty of hidden rooms, destructible walls and extra lives dotted in hard to reach places. At times it almost feels like a "Best of Sonic the Hedgehog," such is the array of classic elements on display: loop-the-loops, giant cogs on which to run, grabbing air bubbles underwater and dozens more all bring back plenty of memories. The inspirations for the four Zones will all be instantly familiar to anyone who played Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2, and each zone contains plenty of graphical elements or platforming stages to raise a smile.
As well as being used to cover large gaps by chaining enemies as in Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for example, it soon proves a useful tool for switching routes, letting you reach areas just out of regular jumping range by locking onto a distant monitor or spring.Īnother area in which the game combines classic Sonic gameplay with a twist is the level design.
The biggest change to Sonic is the inclusion of the homing attack from his 3D adventures, used to lock-on to everything from enemies to springs, switches and generally anything that needs activating.