Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (2010)

By Aaron N

The lightning quick blue hedgehog returned to his roots in 2010 with the game Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1.  Sonic returned to action in a four level downloadable game for all three major consoles and also for apple software.  And once again thanks to my amazing girlfriend who bought me this, I was able to experience Sonic's return to its roots for myself.  Sonic has recieved much criticism lately since his move to 3D gaming way back on the Sega Dreamcast.  I for one liked Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, but I seem to in the minority.  I do agree that the 3D sonic games have been subpar.  The worst in my opnion being Sonic the Hedgehog that came out in 2006.  I couldn't even finish that game it was that bad.  Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the early pillars in gaming and helped launch Sega into being a viable competitor to the dominant Nintendo.  Turning back the clock seemed to be just what our favorite hedgehog needed.

Graphics:
It really seems that game developers now have caught a hold of how to take great graphics and the 3D style and bring it into a two demensional world.  The graphics on Sonic 4 were top notch.  Although a tad bit cartoony in nature, Sega was able to still have the high quality graphics that you would expect from a game in this generation and also keep the spirit of a 2D sidescroller.  Nothing is lost in this game as all the movements of the enemies and Sonic are very fluid and crisp.  There are no skips or problems in the game.

Story:
They don't explain the story in this game but did they ever explain the story in any Sonic game?  I mean sure when they introduced Knuckles they had to a little bit, but the story was never really neccesary for past Sonic the Hedgehog game pre-Sonic Adventure.  They all had the same Dr. Robotnik, or Eggman as he is called now but he will forever be Robotnik in our hearts, is threatening to destroy the world and Sonic has to make his way through different zones until he finally comes face to face with the evil eggshaped doctor.  Sonic 4 is no different in this aspect.  There really is no story but it doesn't matter because come on it's Sonic.

Gameplay:
This is where Sonic 4 really shines.  This is one of the most fun game you will play in a while.  The levels are formulaic and repetitive but it really doesn't matter.  Each level differs just enough from the previous one that you are able to enjoy the repetitiveness and not have it get annoying.  Since this is only part of the whole game you have four zones to play through.  The zones are a throwback to previous zones in past Sonic games, but at the same time they are made to be different where it is a completely new experience.  The boss battles against Robotnik are the usual you would expect.  There is a pattern to everything he does and you just have to figure out what that pattern is and from then on you are golden.  The levels increase in difficulty slightly as you progress but they have just enough difficulty that you feel accomplished when you spin the sign at the end of the level.  There was one problem though with this game, the final boss is incredibly difficult.  You will find yourself getting very angry at him and the game.  But while I say this is a problem, it is also a strength of the game.  For the first time in a long time I felt like I had to beat the final boss, scratch that I needed to beat the final boss.  I would be at work and I would think about how to beat him or how much I couldn't wait to get my hands on that controller and have another go at him.  And when you finally do beat him you feel very accomplished.  I have not had a gaming experience like that in a while.

Music:
The music is exactly what you would expect from a Sonic the Hedgehog game.  The songs are very catchy and they fit the zone you are playing at the time.  The music in Sonic 4 is the type you will find yourself humming or whistling as you will be unable to get them out of your head.  This is especially true for the songs in the final level for you will be playing those a lot because of the difficulty. 

Overall:
All in all Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a must have for all Sonic fans and for all gamers in general.  It will have you wanting to play it over and over again and it will make you feel like a child again.  It is easy to pick up and start playing.  This coupled with the extra stuff to get, like emeralds, gives this game a lot of replay value.  And this made my girlfriend 2 for 2 when it came to video games this year, can she pick them or what?

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 gets a 9.5/10