Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II

Blog Post: Just As I Predicted Tim, You Are An Anti-Sonic Fan

Matt The Hedgehog — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 18:53:00 GMT

Aw my god Tim, I was right! You're now officially an Anti-Sonic fan.

Ok here's the review.

Sonic 4 Episode 2 is a fantastic sequel. Why? Because Tails is included along with Metal Sonic.

Sonic 4 Episode 2's story begins with the reunion of Sonic and Tails on the Tornado airplane. Eggman(Robotnik) is up to no good again, and this time, things get completely tougher than ever before. Sonic will have to rely on his best pal Tails in order to face off both Eggman , and Metal Sonic. Metal Sonic returns just to get his revenge on Sonic for what he did to him in Sonic CD.

Your high speed journey begins at Sylvania Castle Zone (Tribute to Mystic Ruins), during your gameplay, you run into sections that require Sonic and Tails to team up. This adds amazing surprises to Episode 2. However, you must be careful when you're in flying sections, you must be an expert at Sonic games in order to get past the co-op sections. The gameplay of Episode 2 is fantastic!!!

The sound of Episode 2 is absouley memorable!! It sounds so much improved!! It sounds like music to my ears, the new chip tune ain't so bad, it's amazing!!

The graphics looks absolutely great! They're so much better than the graphics of Episode 1. The characters look so beautiful, they're the best graphics I've seen in a 2D Sonic game!!

The controls are really easy to use (If you're an expert at Sonic games), I really loved the improved controls soooooo much!!!! They work completely fine to me!!

The ending will make you go "Aw man! I'm glad Sonic and Tails didn't die." Sonic and Tails escape the Death Egg with escape pods right after you deafeat the Final Boss. Eggman and Metal Sonic goes down in flames, and Sonic wins.

Sonic fans, I highly Reccomend this Sonic game to be recognized. Along with Sonic Colors, and Sonic Generations.

Blog Post: My 10th Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (iOS)

Apricot — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:27:00 GMT

iOS Version

Do you like Sonic games? Do you like platformers? Do you have $6.99 to spare? Well, if you answered yes to at least one of these questions, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 will probably be the game for you. With four brand new zones, special stages, Metal Sonic, Dr. Eggman (Also known as Dr. Robotnik.), and Tails, this is a game you do not want to miss. Read my review on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (iOS) to find out if this is a Sonic game you'd want or if it is a failure.

Gameplay: As expected, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 is made of classic Sonic elements blended with some modern sprinkles to create fun gameplay. The levels in Sonic 4 Episode 2 are the clearest examples. The levels were crafted very nicely, executing challenges and fun in a smooth manner. In addition, SEGA has included the classic red star rings and chaos emeralds (see third paragraph under the gameplay section) to the mix. When playing, you will notice that there are 5 words including the following: Sylvania Castle Zone, White Park Zone, Oil Desert Zone, Sky Fortress Zone, and Death Egg Mk.II Zone. Sylvania Castle Zone takes place on classic-like land and even underwater. White Park Zone is, basically, an amusement park where it has snowed. The levels in this zone take place in 3 places: a "snowy wonderland," on a roller coaster, and underwater in the freezing cold water. Oil Desert Zone takes place in, as the name implies, a place in the desert where people (or probably robots in this case) pump oil. Sky Fortress Zone is a zone that takes place in the sky. You start out by getting to Eggman's sky fortress using Tails's ship. Then, you will play inside the fortress and make your way to fight Eggman. Finally, in the Death Egg Mk.II Zone, you will fight the two bosses that you have been fighting throughout the whole game once and for all: Metal Sonic and Dr. Eggman. With each of these zones including 4 acts (except for the Death Egg Mk.II Zone because that has 2 acts), Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 delivers an expansive amount of content for your money. If you also get Episode Metal, then expect a lot more content from that.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 has quite a few characters along with just enough boss battles to satisfy. As always, the main character in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 is Sonic, a hedgehog. In this game, Tails, Dr. Eggman, and Metal Sonic will also see the spotlight because they are included in the trifle character cast of only 4 people, the people I listed. Now, this is excluding the wide variety of enemies, ranging from flying, robotic turtles to polar bears. You should expect to see many enemies and many scratches from those enemies. Along with those enemies, what better way is there to kill Sonic than with bosses? Well, as you might have already suspected, Sonic 4 Episode 2 delivers those extraordinarily excellent boss battles. The boss battles are a bit limited when you consider the fact that Metal Sonic and Dr. Eggman are the only bosses in the game, but you will probably be very pleased with what is provided by SEGA. Also, when I say that they are the only bosses, I do not mean that you will be fighting the same thing multiple times. One minute, you will be fighting Metal Sonic while running in an amusement park and the next minute you will be in the air avoiding his attacks from his ship while attempting to hit him. In conclusion, there are bounties of enemies, a trifle of characters, and a handsome helping of bosses packed together in this one game.

Just like many past Sonic games, chaos emeralds and red star rings have been rounded up and glued into the game. Each of these items serve different purposes and brings different ways of finding them. First of all, chaos emeralds are included in this game just like in episode 1. To find these emeralds, you must jump into a huge ring at the end of the level before the sign flips to Sonic. In episode 1, you were supposed to find them the same way, and you were supposed to use motion controls to tilt your way to the emerald. Well, in episode 2, you will not be using motion controls. Instead, you are going to do it the more classic way by moving Sonic to collect the rings while running in a speedway. In these special stages where you collect chaos emeralds, you must overcome barriers. When I say barriers, I mean you are supposed to collect, at the minimum, the amount of rings displayed on the screen. If you don't, you lose. Also, if you do beat the whole thing, it will be available for free play in the menu. While chaos emeralds are found at the end of the level, you will find red star rings somewhere in the level. Red star rings serve one purpose and one purpose only: to accomplish 100% completion. These red star rings add to the challenge and make it harder to complete the game, but they are a nice addition to an already astounding Sonic game.

Graphics: The graphics are gorgeous! This is a beautiful Sonic game with bright, colorful visuals that appeal to the eyes. Backgrounds are layered very nicely and are brilliantly crafted while the visuals pop-out and speed right past the competition. In addition, future levels are layered into the background to make the game more realistic. For example, at act 1 in White Park Zone, in the background, you can see where act 2 will take place and where the boss battle will take place for White Park Zone. Anyways, if you are looking for a gorgeous, 3D, classic Sonic game, this is what you are looking for.

Sound/Music: Classic, upbeat music with a dash of repetitiveness is what you will find in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2. All you will hear is some excellent music, but it can get annoying listening to the same tune over and over again. I am not saying that the music is bad, but, after a while, it can get very repetitive. Personally, I think the music is very nice, but I don't think you would want to hear the same exact sound repeat over and over again. Anyways, you will enjoy the music in Sonic 4 Episode 2 but beware; it can get a bit annoying after a while, especially when you die a lot.

Controls: The controls aren't the dandiest [controls] ever, but they work well for this version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2. The controls are composed of 3 elements: joystick, tag button, and action button. As always, you use the joystick to move your character. In this case, you will either move Sonic or Tails. The action button is used for many things, each thing depending on using it in a different way. You can use it to make your character jump, spin dash, attack, and fly (Tails only). Some of these actions depend on how you use the joystick. For example, if you hold the joystick down, tap the action button, then release the joystick, you will do a spin dash. The brand new button, the tag button, allows you to join with Tails to perform a special action. When you are in the air and click the button, Sonic and Tails will join, allowing you two to fly up. Be aware that Tails will get tired after flying upwards a bit. When you are on the ground and click the button, you will make Sonic and Tails join to create a special spin dash in which both of them are together. Finally, when you are underwater, you can make Sonic and Tails join each other and be a "submarine" (it is the same thing as being able to fly except they can swim underwater better). The controls can get annoying at times, but, usually, they are good and won't give you any problems. If you think that the controls are bad in this game like most iOS adventure games, then think again. The controls are presented brilliant and respond perfectly. Actually, the controls are better than the usual controls that developers give you in adventure games on iOS. They can get you at times but that will not be frequent. If you have the option of getting this game on the XBOX 360 or the PlayStation 3, that would probably be a better option control-wise, but, if you are like me and only have a device running iOS, that is your best option.

Game Center: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2, just like episode 1, is supported by Game Center. Sonic 4 Episode 2 has 25 leaderboards to climb up and 12 achievements to unlock to keep you busy for quite some time. Each level in Sonic 4 Episode 2, including the special stages, has its own leaderboard in which you can try and get to the top by getting a higher score in the level. Also, there is a leaderboard for "Total Time," a leaderboard that combines all of your times into one time and sees how you compare with the rest of the world. Also, the achievements available to unlock are excellent. The achievements range from clearing a level, to beating a boss, all the way down to collecting all of the chaos emeralds. Some of the achievements are bad because it requires something (not in the game) for you to do to unlock it, but most of the achievements for Sonic 4 Episode 2 are very nice and unlockable without a certain requirement. For example, to unlock the achievement "Tag Partner," you must complete one act in multiplayer mode. Anyways, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2 contains some flabbergasting achievements along with some nice leaderboards that will keep you entertained.

Save Spots: As you might have expected, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 saves after you complete a level. Usually, this is a bad thing, but it isn't with this game due to checkpoints. In each of the levels, checkpoints are frequent to find. Checkpoints save your progress during the levels, so, if you die, you start again at the checkpoint. In this game, if you exit the game before you finish a level but you still hit a checkpoint, your data will stay in tact (saved), and you are able to start playing from your last checkpoint. Plus, the game saves each level at a time (when you beat a level it saves), leaving your score safe and sound all the time. In addition, Sonic 4 Episode 2 backs-up all of your data to iCloud. That is a very good addition that keeps your data very safe. This means that if something happens to your idevice, all of your data is safe. For saving, Sonic 4 Episode 2 handles it very well and will keep your data safe.

Replayability: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2's replayability isn't something to praise but it also isn't something to scoff at. Sonic 4 Episode 2 contains 12 acts, 4 boss battles, 4 special stages, and, if you have Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1, you can also play Episode Metal. That is quite a bit of content that will keep you busy for a while, but what about the replayability after you beat it all? Well, I am glad to inform you that Sonic 4 Episode 2 is replayable! It isn't highly replayable like a game like Super Mario Bros., but it is replayable. When you beat everything, you can go back and replay levels you have already beat in an attempt to surpass your previous high score. In addition, there is a time attack mode that can have you replay levels just so you can beat your time! If you are hunting a replayable game, then this might be the meat you are looking for, but, if you want something that is very, very highly replayable, this just might be a guppy.

Replayability: Moderate

The Conclusion: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 is spectacular! It is excellent and is a solid, classic, platforming Sonic game that you will enjoy. It does have a few flaws, but they aren't major flaws or anything that should drive you away from buying this game. If you have $6.99 to spare and want a fun game, this is what you should get. I highly recommend this game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 & 2 Official Website

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Episode Metal: Unlike how extensive the main mode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II is, Episode Metal includes only 4 acts, but all of these acts are very fun. First of all, each and every one of these acts are difficult, which is a good thing. Act 1, in my opinion, would end up being the hardest of the four with traps and enemies galore. The controls don't do much justice in these acts when considering the fact that they hurt you in the more difficult situations. Second of all, playing with Metal Sonic couldn't be much better than this with creative courses and carefully-placed enemies. It felt weirder for me to play with Metal Sonic in the beginning after being used to using the tag button, but I got over it quickly. Finally, the story Episode Metal delivers is pretty good. I was left a little bit questioned in the end when the story trailed off after Metal Sonic took a rocket to fly after Sonic, who was flying on Tails's plane, but I enjoyed the rest of the story. What happens is Metal Sonic gets powered up by Dr. Eggman after being defeated in Sonic CD (see the App Store for more details on that game), and Dr. Eggman commands Metal Sonic to go after Sonic. Later on, Metal Sonic gets powered up even more by a energy ball, which helps him reach Sonic. In conclusion, Episode Metal is an excellent addition to an already excellent game. If you have Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, then go and unlock it right now. If you don't [have Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1], then go ahead and buy it. You'll get a fun game along with 4 extra acts for Episode 2. If you haven't already gotten Episode Metal, then I recommend that you do. You will definitely enjoy it along with Episode 1.

NOTE: Please note that I cannot review the multiplayer section because I don't have a friend with this game, so I am unable to try out that section.

The device I used to play this game is an iPod Touch fourth generation running iOS software 5.1.1.

Blog Post: Sonic & Tails 4 episode DEUX

Rob Ruthless — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:19:00 GMT

First off people need to ease up on Sonic for just a bit... It's not this man-hedgehog's fault that this bi-tailed fox is the world's worst ally in the history of gaming. I mean come on!!!!!! Luigi, Robin, Clank, and Sully from Uncharted are all commendable allies. But this dude "Miles" Tails! Yeah I said "MILES" (Stephen A. Smith voice) the Kwame Brown of video-game sidekicks! I mean dude can't even hold Sonic for more then 5 seconds.. It's just like Sonic 3 in HD, just this time-around Tails is a more of a punk slash weakling. The boss fights were epic, and the stages are cool because you never do them same thing twice in each stage meaning if you were to play it again the path would probably be different, and the HD back-grounds were amazing to look at. The inclusion of Metal Sonic in a Sonic CD form stages with a splash of HD makes for good times. Now I hear people complain about the weak sound track, but what I don't get is why are you complaining when you can pick tracks from your playlist that are saved on your hard drive... Ain't nothing like playing a Sonic game while jamming away to Queen's Radio Gaga!!! Viva Freddie Mercury! and long live Sonic.. Keep cranking out those episodes, because I want to play with Knuckles to climb and glide around.

Blog Post: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II Review

Frosty — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:55:00 GMT

A blue ball named Sonic flashes from left to right and back again in a jumble of exploratory choices. The spiny speed demon bounds off a red spring and rockets through a speed booster; the momentum is palatable as he blazes through a loop, corkscrew, and lamppost in a flash. The original 16-bit Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog games successfully bottled this sense of speed—which Super Mario rarely delivered. Unfortunately, Sonic Team's forays into the 3D platforming realm have hit debilitating speed traps in terms of gameplay structure and momentum.

Though their 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games tend to fare better, Sonic Team's latest collaboration with the Osaka-based development team Dimps, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, fails to remember Newton's first law of motion: "the velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force." It's a simple concept we've all heard in introductory science classes and an integral facet that the flagging Sonic should begin to comprehend as paramount to his survival in a modern gaming landscape.

In Episode I, Sonic was weighed down as though all the chilidogs he devoured in his '90s ABC animated series finally got to him. Sonic has regained some of his momentum for this new game, but accelerating is still a plod and movement at low speeds is basically a humiliating experience. The sense of velocity in the game comes from overly hurried and downright annoying on-rails segments that bounce you off multiple springs and shoot you out of cannons before you can explore the stages further. The essential balance between exploration and fleetness is off-kilter. This would be a larger problem if the settings warranted additional investigation beyond collecting every Red Star Ring for an achievement.

Eighteen months have passed since the first Sonic the Hedgehog 4 episode, and this new chapter still tips its hat toward old races with each level design. Sonic brings his golden-haired sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower along for the ride across four stages comprised of three main acts and a boss battle. Episode I drew inspiration from the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, so it's only natural that Episode II would have remixed versions of Sonic the Hedgehog II's Aquatic Ruin, Oil Ocean, and Wind Fortress Zones. The snowy amusement park rides in White Park Zone prove to boast the preeminent level designs as Sonic and Tails zip across constantly shifting roller coaster tracks. Each level is polished and multihued, but lacks the enjoyable and contextual platforming that players experienced with the original games.

Most of these stages are shiny and hollow husks and the boss battles follow suit. Dr. Robotnik and his goons take cheap shots against the player at every turn and the impreciseness of Sonic's homing attack and Tails's sluggish flying can be terminal. There's also little joy or menace to these encounters aside from outlandish surprise attacks. It's easy to cheat the game when this happens, though. For instance, when you fight against Metal Sonic atop Tails's red Tornado biplane it's effortless to just replenish your coins right after getting hit by a laser beam. The cheapness of the gameplay is evident.

Dimps and Sonic Team sap any remaining bits of nostalgia out of the franchise in other areas as well. Sega CD's Metal Sonic makes an appearance in one of the game's many asinine boss fights, and Chaos Emeralds can be collected by playing those memorable half-tube special stages. A chiptune-aping soundtrack and co-operative play round out the retro aesthetic.

Those last two elements are the prevalent stumbling blocks for Episode II. First, the music in this game is absolutely grating. Loops of electronic noise practically squeal in your ears and the curt melodies are nauseating for extended periods of time. (A gravity-defying Death Egg mk. II stage paired alongside the disorienting music may make some players a little nauseous.) The boss battle tunes are particularly disconcerting, since the melodies are boiled down to an uncomplicated nine notes, ad infinitum. It's better to mute the music in the options menu.

The co-op play for Episode II is available locally or online, but both experiences are hampered by poor power and speed balance between the characters. Tails operates much as he did in the Genesis days, following Sonic around until he needs to fly up to unreachable areas or roll into a ball and dash through barriers and enemies. Tails can also use his double tail as a propeller while underwater.

All of these moves work on a basic level. Sadly, there are several instances where they are awkward or highlight lazy game design. (The thrill of discovering a new area in a stage is entirely robbed throughout by constant handholding. or in the case of co-op play, a distracting catch-up mechanism that teleports the slower player to keep pace with the leader.) Sonic and Tails deserve better than this.

It's easy to tear apart a new Sonic game after fans have been burned so many times in the past. It may be best for Sega to give this franchise a protracted respite before augmenting its efforts down the line. Sonic's latest adventure is a playable game in the strictest sense of the term. Taking only baby steps toward the gameplay heights reached by postmodern platformers likeDonkey Kong Country Returns and Rayman Origins isn't a good look for Sega. Unfortunately, Dimps and Sonic Team's combined effort to address fans' concerns can only be evidenced in fits and starts here. A Sonic game needs legs and this installment in the series burned out halfway through the race.

This review originally appeared in Slant Magazine.

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-VFj6YpBA]

Blog Post: Sonic 4: Episode 2 Review the ignore tim edition

Meta77 — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:33:00 GMT

Tim i feel bad for you son you got 99 problems but common sense isn't one of them. You really suck at reviewing sonic games. I don't even know why GI lets you review the games to this day. News flash just cause you liked him in the 90s doesn't not make you a big fan of him that just means you like a game when it came out. A fan would point out the good and bad while not %@%@%@ about how its not like the genesis era game in every @%@% review you make.

Episode 2 while not the best game is still quite fun. It was exciting to see metal sonic return though I'm still sad its technically a prequel story before the adventure series. Yet it was good to see him. I had hoped he would have been a stellar final boss but he appears a lot the further you get into the game. the addition of tails was good and he comes in handy when you need to be saved in a split second or to attack certain bosses. While this does make it easy to win some battles its a neat little concept but I did not care for. The physics are a tad better from ep 1 but there are still times sonic will go flying much further than you intended for him to in the game.

The music is pretty good as usual sega does a pretty job in ep2 one thing that bugged me was they used the same boss theme from ep 1 for most all the bosses. Though its still a good beat i wish they added something new. Though they do use a few new tones that sound good for the battle at hand such as

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqQCkoF7dA&feature=relmfu]

Online i do not really care for in the 2d games it just seems out of place but if it where the 3d games i could see it being a little better as the 3d say SA2 choa battles would be neat to see my little dragon choa kick some @@%@ while speaking that choa baby mess and me saying ah i see.

Its a nice game to have on you xblg collection or your psng collection to play sometimes. Sure its not a game you'll probably want to play a million times but its good for what it offered.So at least try the demo. Its pretty fun.

The final boss is also a thrill *ignore video is you dont want spoilers* but hes a pretty fun boss battle

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUtC1ZqiWao&feature=relmfu]

This is the boss tim #@%@% about yea tim hate to say it but you just suck at the newer games if we gamers can can ace this guy as easy as this guy did

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NpQFyYmH04]

Blog Post: Play Sonic 3 and Knuckles instead

ocdfreak — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:32:00 GMT

I was a huge fan of the Genesis Sonic games. Sonic 1, 2, and 3 & Knuckles were some of the best 16 bit era platformers to come out of the pipeline. However, ever since the Genesis died, Sonic games have gone in the wrong direction. Sonic Team claimed to realize their missteps, and after hearing their fans (some of them rather shrill, but being annoying didn't make them wrong) they promised to "return to Sonic's 2-D roots". What we got was Sonic 4: Episode I. After failing miserably to truly bring back Genesis era "momentum based physics", Sonic Team tried to appease the fans with Sonic Generations, which did a slightly better job, but honestly only had about three good levels, so chalk another one up for failure.

All this was supposed to change with Episode II. A "return to momentum based physics", bringing back Metal Sonic, and many other promises to those of us who still love dearly the Sonic games of old. Well, turns out this game is utter crap. While some of the levels are kind of aesthetically pleasing, the game still doesn't feel like "Sonic 4". The gameplay feels nothing like the Genesis Sonic games, and this isn't from lack of memory. I dust off the Genesis and play the old games with my girlfriend every summer, and they are as fun as they ever were. This game is not remotely like the old games. The level layouts are rigid and claustrophobic, and the designs yell "Dimps" from the rooftops. I know Sonic Team defends the homing attack as gameplay evolution, but it just ruins the experience for me. Homing chains and scripted spring sequences are just annoying, uninspired, and downright lazy.

Another problem with this game is the music. The music is absolutely impossible to stand. The tunes sound more like music from children's educational television programming than a hardcore platforming soundtrack. I have to wonder if the music developers have played ANY of the Genesis Sonic games. All of those had killer soundtracks! The boss music is one of the worst offenders. Instead of an intimidating track full of heavy suspense, we get a short and uninteresting loop. Not only is the music itself bad, but whatever instrument set they have used to play it makes my ears bleed. I have no problem with synthesized music, in fact I already stated how much I love the tracks from Genesis Sonic games, but the interments used in this game need to die in a fire.

Next, I want to talk about the boss battles. Man, they are terrible! I'm happy that they didn't rip them straight from a previous game like the bosses in Episode I, but they could have at least created new bosses in the same style. The egg man battles are just plain boring, and the Metal Sonic "battles" are more like crappy gimmicks. I don't want to see another "race" or side scrolling boss ever again in a Sonic game. They were an interesting novelty in Sonic Advance 2, but by no means should more than one ever appear in the same game, and none at all should appear in a game with only 4 actual levels. The bosses were probably the best part about Genesis Sonic, and these pitiful encounters pale in comparison to the dumbest bosses from the Genesis games.

The next item on my hit-list is the Tails gameplay. First of all, it is unnecessary. I want to play Sonic, and having Tails is a nice addition, but certainly shouldn't be a required component for key gameplay elements. In addition, the gameplay elements themselves are annoying. If you want to fly, you have to watch a 2-seconds "co-op animation" every freaking time you want to fly. This is cool to watch ONCE, but anytime after that, it becomes tedious. Sonic should be fluid, and taking a short pause every time you fly really gets in the way of fluid gameplay, and it just ruins the immersion.

I bought this game because I had high hopes that wrongs would be righted. I made a mistake. Having completed the game once, I will not boot it up again on my PS3. In fact, if I ever run out of space on my hard drive, that will be the first thing to get deleted to make room. I can only hope that one day Sonic Team will create a true sequel to Sonic 3 & Knuckles; but I am pretty sure that day will never come. I've decided to move on. After Sonic Adventure, I made an oath to never play Sonic again. I kept that oath until I bought Sonic 4 Episode I. I then bought Generations and Epsiode II. I should have continued to stay away, and just been content to boot up my old friend the Sega Genesis. I'm done playing new Sonic, again. The next time Sonic Team promises me that they have "brought back that classic Genesis gameplay", I will wait for the Gameinformer review to tell me whether its safe to come out and play. If a true return to form occurs, I'll buy it in a heartbeat, but I'm fairly sure I won't ever be buying another Sonic game ever again.

Blog Post: Sega Desecrates Sonic 2's Legacy With Inane Co-op

Tim Turi — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:50:00 GMT

Tails spent his early Genesis days as Sonic’s co-op partner. Dedicated player twos across the world used the sidekick’s flight ability and invincibility to help the hedgehog exact revenge on Dr. Robotnik. Unfortunately, the two-tailed fox was always left choking on Sonic’s dust when things picked up speed, thus 2D Sonic co-op never felt truly balanced. For downloadable title Sonic 4: Episode II, Sega attempts to create a compelling two-player experience whether you’re controlling Sonic or Tails. Thanks to the characters’ shared vitality and some egregious levels and boss fights, the end result is an awkward mess.[Excerpt]

Episode II follows the first installment’s formula closely: Pick from one of three zones, play special stages to earn chaos emeralds, and beat them all to unlock the final stages. This time we’re treated to gorgeous castle ruins, a snowy amusement park, and a desert level filled with oil slicks. While all the Sonic 2-inspired environments look crisp and vivid, the level layouts are riddled with boring, spring-to-spring autopilot stretches and cheap shots from out of the blue. During one underwater segment, robotic enemies create impenetrable ice barriers, imprisoning Sonic and Tails while you watch them drown. The overly zoomed-in view of the action makes avoiding tricky oncoming hazards even more troublesome.

Co-op is available locally and online, but you’ll likely lose any friends you finagle into playing it with you. Episode II fails in its main goal: Make playing as Tails fun. Joining forces to fly to new heights or roll into a gigantic spin dash is rarely a satisfying exercise in discovery. The game flat out tells you when to use special team moves, and tinkering with them outside those instances is a waste of time. In the classic games, players were free to explore the lofty heights of levels for goodies, but the frantic pace of Episode II carts you along on rails to new locations before you can look around.

Trudging through the lackluster levels is bad enough, but the boss battles are the worst in the troubled series’ history. Dr. Robotnik has been beaten so many times that he’s not even trying anymore. Both players share one reserve of rings, and one hit to Sonic or Tails scatters them everywhere. Doubling the chances of getting hit means more lost rings than a jewelry store robbery. In one encounter, Sonic and Tails chase Robotnik’s gigantic scrap-metal robot up a tower while trying to coordinate aerial attacks. The constant barrage of boxes, Tails’ clumsy flying, and Sonic’s inconsistent homing attacks will likely have players reaching for their system’s power button. The rest of the showdowns with Dr. Robotnik and Metal Sonic are just as infuriating.

Ditching the second player and going solo offers brief bouts of playability. Single-handedly coordinating the duo’s flight and rolling abilities makes passing tricky spots less awful, but certainly doesn’t make them a blast. At its best, playing only as Sonic offers glimpses of Episode I’s solid platforming. After a terrible flying segment aboard Tails’ biplane, I had a good time speeding across Robotnik’s flying fortress. Floating on huge turbines and avoiding afterburners reminded me of Sonic 2’s Wing Fortress Zone, but only until it’s interrupted by another horrendous boss fight that makes me question Dr. Robotnik’s Ph.D.

The game also attacks your ears with the worst faux-Genesis musical loops I’ve ever heard. The Sonic series boasts some of the best 16-bit music ever, but Sonic Team is clearly not interested in them. Instead, we get the shortest and most grating loops I’ve heard in recent memory.

Playing Sonic 4: Episode II co-op is like returning to your favorite family vacation destination as an adult and bringing along a friend. You point at the broken attractions and try to convince them how good things used to be, but no amount of nostalgia can change the fact that the powers that be have let your beloved memory deteriorate.

Blog Post: Sega Desecrates The Legacy Of Sonic 2 With Inane Co-op

Tim Turi — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:50:00 GMT

Tails spent his early Genesis days as Sonic’s co-op partner. Dedicated player twos across the world used the sidekick’s flight ability and invincibility to help the hedgehog exact revenge on Dr. Robotnik. Unfortunately, the two-tailed fox was always left choking on Sonic’s dust when things picked up speed, thus 2D Sonic co-op never felt truly balanced. For Sonic 4: Episode II, Sega attempts to create a compelling two-player experience whether you’re controlling Sonic or Tails. Thanks to the characters’ shared vitality and some egregious levels and boss fights, the end result is an awkward mess.[Excerpt]

Blog Post: Sonic & Tails Team Up To Bring Fans Hope

Tim Turi — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:22:00 GMT

Sonic didn’t exactly make a splash with Sonic 4: Episode 1, and Sega is well aware of the game’s lukewarm reception. Sonic Team has listened closely to feedback and is incorporating changes and all new features to make this Genesis-era tribute feel better than ever. In my time with the game, I teamed up with gaming’s most famous two-tailed fox to check out a snow and castle level.[Excerpt]

The alterations to the gameplay are immediately apparent. Sonic 4: Episode 2 reincorporates the Genesis titles’ trademark momentum, something that Episode 1 was lacking. Now taking a roll off a steep drop will keep the hedgehog rolling in a ball, and you’re not required to keep the analog stick pressed in the direction you want to roll. The entire game feels more fluid and less sticky this time around, allowing you to settle into the fast-paced flow the classic games are known for.

Episode 4 marks the return of Sonic’s flying sidekick Tails. Sonic’s loyal friend has always possessed the ability to fly, and could lift Sonic to new heights in the hands of a second player in Sonic 3. While Sonic 4: Episode 2 will feature a two-player co-op mode, my playthrough was limited to one-player. However, all of Tails’ tricks are at your disposal. At the press of a button you can team up to fly through the air, swim quickly through water, and even roll up into a gigantic ball to barrel through obstacles. Teaming up to steamroll larger enemies and bust through barriers is easy to pull off and always available.

The two stages available to play were White Park Zone and Sylvania Castle Zone. Sonic outruns his share of avalanches in White Park, and in a tribute to Sonic 3’s Ice Cap Zone, also incorporates some surprise snowboarding sequences. I liked creating a super spin dash with Tails to forge a path through masses of snow. You’ve got to keep moving, however, as slowpokes are bound to be crushed when the tunnels eventually collapse. Tons of wintery trees and festive carnival rides populate the background. The levels of Sonic 4: Episode 2 are definitely better-looking than the bland environments of the previous entry.

Sylvania Castle Zone features moss-covered castle walls and plenty of moving platforms to navigate. Players have to spin dash special wheels to lower barricades, similar to the terrain-altering mechanisms found in Sonic 3’s Marble Garden Zone. I really enjoyed sprinting through the ancient ruins, but I hope the next act takes Sonic and Tails inside the castle for some spooky encounters. Remember the ghost enemies and puzzling sections from Sonic & Knuckles’ Sandopolis Zone? I’m expecting something along those lines.

I went into my hands-on time with Sonic 4: Episode 2 skeptical. Sega has a way with getting me pumped for new Sonic games, only for me to taste bitter disappointment upon actually playing through a new title. Sonic Team really seems to be giving fans the game they want with Episode 2, and the inclusion of two-player co-op makes the whole package a lot more intriguing. I like what little I’ve played so far, so color me cautiously optimistic to get my hands of the final game later this year.

Blog Post: Sonic & Tails Team Up To Bring Fans Hope

Tim Turi — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:22:00 GMT

Sonic didn’t exactly make a splash with Sonic 4: Episode I, and Sega is well aware of the game’s lukewarm reception. Sonic Team has listened closely to feedback and is incorporating changes and all new features to make this Genesis-era tribute feel better than ever. In my time with the game, I teamed up with gaming’s most famous two-tailed fox to check out a snow and castle level.[Excerpt]

The alterations to the gameplay are immediately apparent. Sonic 4: Episode II reincorporates the Genesis titles’ trademark momentum, something that Episode I was lacking. Now taking a roll off a steep drop will keep the hedgehog rolling in a ball, and you’re not required to keep the analog stick pressed in the direction you want to roll. The entire game feels more fluid and less sticky this time around, allowing you to settle into the fast-paced flow the classic games are known for.

Episode II marks the return of Sonic’s flying sidekick Tails. Sonic’s loyal friend has always possessed the ability to fly, and could lift Sonic to new heights in the hands of a second player in Sonic 3. While Sonic 4: Episode II will feature a two-player co-op mode, my playthrough was limited to one-player. However, all of Tails’ tricks are at your disposal. At the press of a button you can team up to fly through the air, swim quickly through water, and even roll up into a gigantic ball to barrel through obstacles. Teaming up to steamroll larger enemies and bust through barriers is easy to pull off and always available.

The two stages available to play were White Park Zone and Sylvania Castle Zone. Sonic outruns his share of avalanches in White Park, and in a tribute to Sonic 3’s Ice Cap Zone, also incorporates some surprise snowboarding sequences. I liked creating a super spin dash with Tails to forge a path through masses of snow. You’ve got to keep moving, however, as slowpokes are bound to be crushed when the tunnels eventually collapse. Tons of wintery trees and festive carnival rides populate the background. The levels of Sonic 4: Episode II are definitely better-looking than the bland environments of the previous entry.

I went into my hands-on time with Sonic 4: Episode II skeptical. Sega has a way with getting me pumped for new Sonic games, only for me to taste bitter disappointment upon actually playing through a new title. Sonic Team really seems to be giving fans the game they want with Episode II, and the inclusion of two-player co-op makes the whole package a lot more intriguing. I like what little I’ve played so far, so color me cautiously optimistic to get my hands of the final game later this year.

File: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Tim Turi — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:18:00 GMT