Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

    Game » consists of 8 releases. Released Oct 07, 2010

    A Sonic Team and Dimps co-production, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is the first part of the next numeric chapter (though really the twenty-sixth entry) in the adventures of Sega's longtime mascot.

    rjay_64's Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (Wii Shop) review

    Avatar image for rjay_64

    A disgrace to the franchise

    Sorry, but this is true. There are several flaws to this title that make it undeserving of its "4" in the the title.  
     
    For one, the camera is too close to Sonic. Isn't this the same problem that plagued the Game Boy Advance version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog? Besides the fact that I cannot see what is ahead of me in a decent manner, the camera being so close just does not feel right. I want to see the whole world Sonic is in, not just a close up of Sonic. But alas, Dimps does not agree.  

     Awful close-up camera angle keeps you guessing what lies ahead
     Awful close-up camera angle keeps you guessing what lies ahead

     
    The levels are just bad rehashes of old Sonic levels from before. I would not mind so much if the execution was right. However, the execution fails. Casino Street becomes especially frustrating when you're being shot out of cannons with no idea where to go. Not only that, but besides trying to do a poor remake of the old casino level from Sonic 2, they chose absolutely the worst levels to rehash for the last two areas. No Dimps, I did not find the Labyrinth Zone from the original Sonic fun at all. The Lost Labyrinth Zone here has less water, but the awful puzzles that need to be solved in order to progress through completely shuts down all momentum. Do not get me wrong. I realize Sonic should not be all speed at all times. However, when certain puzzles are taking twenty deaths to figure out because of the time limit, something is amiss.
     
    Using the homing attack in the 3D games makes sense. In Sonic 4 though, it's completely ruins the mechanics. I thought Dimps was trying to capture the feel of the old titles? The homing attack does nothing, absolutely nothing to enhance the game. More often than not, it interferes with the timing of the jumps. Good luck trying to get across the card bridge in Casino Street. You will be cursing like a sailor when the card flips over, and in the frantic struggle to get to the next card you accidentally hit the homing jump.  
     
    Do not be fooled by anyone that thinks this captures the feeling of the old Sonic titles. Sonic 4 is an insult to the legacy of Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Sonic & Knuckles.  

    Other reviews for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (Wii Shop)

      Sonic 4 isn't terrible, but it's not amazing either. 0

         A familiar sight, indeed.   Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (Yes, the fourth Sonic The Hedgehog game, at last. There have been no others. Ever.) comes at a strange and somewhat appropriate time in games history. In the past couple of years, there’s been a strong nineties resurgence with titles like Street Fighter 4, Megaman 9 and 10, New Super Mario Bros, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat game, all hearkening back to their early-90s ancestry. Sonic The Hedgehog continues this trend with So...

      7 out of 8 found this review helpful.

      I really wanted to like this game 0

       It is difficult to look at a new Sonic game and ignore all the terrible 3D efforts they made previously. Although if you choose to ignore all these 3D games it does not look too bad. All of the 2D GBA and DS game's have been pretty good. Sega has finally realised this and made a brand new 2D console game for downloadable platforms. This game is back to basics with a retro action and feel. No idiotic stories or uninspirational support cast. Just Sonic doing what he is best of. Running fast and c...

      0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.