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Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Official logo
Developer(s)Dimps, Sonic Team (co-developer)
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Takashi Iizuka
Composer(s)Jun Senoue
EnginePhysics
Platform(s)PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare,[2] iOS[3]
ReleaseEpisode 1
October 7, 2010 (2010-10-07)[1]
  • iOS
    October 7, 2010[1]
    WiiWare
    PSN
    XBLA
Genre(s)Platformer
Mode(s)Single player

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ4, Sonikku Za Hejjihoggu 4) is an episodic platform video game as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game was developed by Dimps alongside members of Sonic Team[5] and is intended to be a return to the roots of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Episode 1 was released in October 2010 with slight variations in exact date and price amongst its four platforms, iOS, PlayStation Network, WiiWare, and Xbox Live Arcade.

Plot

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is set shortly after its predecessor Sonic & Knuckles; in the game, the main protagonist Sonic destroys Doctor Eggman's space station, the Death Egg. With the Death Egg destroyed and Angel Island returned to the sky, Sonic decides that it is time to take a break. After parting with Tails and Knuckles, he sets off to explore new territories alone; however, unbeknownst to him, his nemesis Dr. Eggman has survived their last encounter, and has revisited and rehashed some of his "very best" robotic creations in another attempt to defeat Sonic.[2] Sonic must travel through a variety of zones to defeat Doctor Eggman once again.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot of "Splash Hill Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1.

The game is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer reminiscent of the original Sonic games.[4] Players control Sonic the Hedgehog,[6] using mechanics such as the original spin dash and power-ups including Speed Shoes, alongside the Homing Attack, seen in 3D Sonic games. Players will be able to use online leaderboards to compare level completion times and high scores.[4] For the first time since Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic can transform into Super Sonic during regular levels after collecting all the Chaos Emeralds.[7]

The game is playable in up to 1080p high definition on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,[4] and 480p on the Wii.[8] The iOS version of the game can be controlled with either the accelerometers or a virtual d-pad, with certain levels also utilising accelerometers.[9]

Each Zone contains three acts followed by a boss battle, which are similar to boss battles from older Sonic games, but with variations added.[10] Acts from the Zones can either be accessed in any order via a world map, or played continuously one after the other.[11] Once all zones are cleared, players can access the final Zone, E.G.G. Station. Special Stages, accessed by the original Sonic the Hedgehog style of finishing an act with 50 Rings and then jumping into the Giant Ring that appears, are based on those of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, but also require the player to tilt the playing field in order to navigate Sonic through a maze, collecting rings to open gates.[12][13]

Episodes

Episode 1

Sonic is the only playable character. It contains four main zones, Splash Hill, Casino Street, Lost Labyrinth, and Mad Gear, and a final level, the E.G.G. Station, which contains the final boss. If the game is finished with all 7 Chaos Emeralds collected, a cutscene is shown in which Eggman is seen with the shadow of Metal Sonic, with his red eyes lighting up. The cutscene ends with "To Be Continued".

Development

File:Sonic 4 Concept Art.jpg
Concept art of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 of the Badnik Motobug from the first Sonic game.

The game's existence was first revealed at GameSpot on September 9, 2009, under the code name Project Needlemouse, derived from the name of Mr. Needlemouse, an early prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog pitched to Sega by his designer Naoto Ōshima. The site published a brief teaser trailer,[14] and an interview with Sega's Ken Balough who acknowledged that "old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay" and stated that "Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots".[4]

On January 11, 2010, Sega of America began a "character countdown" on their blog, removing potential playable characters from a list, which by January 14, 2010 revealed the game would feature Sonic as the only playable character. Also shown was concept art which showcased classic badniks from early Sonic games.[6] On February 2, Sega updated the front page of Sega of America's website with a short flash animation which featured a sample of music from the game, reminiscent of old Genesis/Mega Drive sounds.[15] The game's proper title was revealed on February 4, 2010, as Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, along with debut footage.[8]

The game is being developed primarily by Dimps, with some members of Sonic Team. The project leader is the current head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, who has worked on various Sonic games – notably as senior level designer for Sonic 3 & Knuckles, to which Sonic 4 is billed as a direct sequel.[5] Music and sound are composed by Jun Senoue, also a mainstay of recent Sonic games, and are intended to be reminiscent of classic Genesis titles, via the use of drum samples from Sonic 1 and 2 and relatively lo-fi synth samples.[16]

The decision to create the game using a 2.5D graphical style was made after considering old Sonic fans' possible reactions to the game versus those of younger players:

This is sort of recognition that Sonic is a brand that has a wide variety of fans in a wide variety of age groups. We have a fan base that's very young, and they want a little more of a Loony Tunes-ish [sic] kind of gameplay ... But we also have an older fan base who liked Sonic as he was in the Genesis days. And if we want to keep that fan base happy, we should provide games that cater to them as well. So it's more of a splitting a little bit of the brand.

— Ken Balough of Sega

A friend of mine who's a prominent executive at a major hardware company sat down with his kids to play Mega Man 9, as a Mega Man fan. He's probably about, say, 45 years old, and his kids just didn't get it – they didn't understand. They just looked at the graphics and instantly tuned out. Whereas he was just overjoyed and in little nerd heaven.

— Christian Svensson of Capcom on Sonic 4[17]

Not long after Sonic 4 Episode 1 was officially announced, rumors surfaced that the game was available to members of the Xbox 360's online game testing service for developers, PartnerNet. On April 3, PartnerNet was shut down overnight due to the leaks. Footage from the leaks received harsh criticism regarding the game's physics and certain levels.[18]

On May 20, 2010, Sega announced that Sonic 4 would be available for the App Store for the iOS and that the game would be delayed from its original Summer 2010 deadline to Late 2010 to extend development time. Izuka claims that this was because while he planned for all versions to be similar, two levels that worked on iOS did not work as well for consoles. The iOS version retains these levels, which utilise accelerometer controls, while new levels were built for the console versions.[19][20][21] The announcement of the delay was also accompanied by an interview with Sega's Ken Balough, in which it was explained that Sega had taken note of fan reaction to the game and were incorporating said feedback into the development of the game. Areas specifically mentioned from fan feedback were a reworking of the "floaty" nature of the gravity and physics, and a redesign of some level design and elements in order to accommodate more of a momentum-driven gameplay that was a staple of earlier entries in the series.[22]

Reception

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 has received mixed to postive reviews. IGN gave the console version of the first episode a score of 8.0 and an Editor's Choice award, calling it "short but sweet and well worth downloading."[28] They rated the iOS version 7.5, criticizing a lack of Retina Display or leaderboard support for that version.[32] GamesRadar gave the game a score of 9/10, calling it "deserving of the name, Sonic the Hedgehog 4."[26] 1UP.com gave it a B rank, praising the game's speed while criticizing some occasional poor design such as boss battles and puzzles.[33] Popzara said the game was "as if a long-lost 'good' Sonic title was left to defrost in today's modern HD, graphics-hungry world.[34] GameTrailers gave the game a 7.5 score, calling it a worthy investment for Sonic fans.[35] Digital Spy gave the game three out of five stars, with reviewer Liam Martin saying with regards to living up to the game's hype: "Despite some issues with the size of the game and its difficulty (it's very easy), the answer is yes, but only just."[31]

However, some reviewers were less positive. GameSpot gave the game a score of 6.5, criticising some bad level design and dull bosses.[30] Edge gave it 6/10, stating "unchanged, old school design decisions can be as much of a deterrent as an attraction."[36] Joystiq gave it a 2.5 stars out of 5, calling the graphics "static and devoid of artistry" and Sonic's physics "completely wrong", ultimately making the game "an unsatisfying mishmash of remake and homage."[29] Wired gave the game 4/10, saying "it feels like the last nail in the franchise's coffin."[37] Strategy Informer rated it a 4/10, calling it "an utter mess of a game" that "feels sluggish, broken and lazy".[38]

It holds a Metacritic score of 74/100 on PS3, 71/100 on 360, and 78/100 on Wii.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Johnny Cullen (September 28, 2010). "Sonic 4 dated for October". VG247. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Official Site". Sega. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  3. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Announced For ‘Late 2010,’ iPhone Confirmed « The Sonic Stadium
  4. ^ a b c d e "Sonic the Hedgehog Q&A". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  5. ^ a b SEGA Forum – View Single Post – Who's making Sonic 4? Well, since you asked
  6. ^ a b RubyEclipse (2010-01-15). "Project Needlemouse Character Countdown – Finale and Concept Art!". Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  7. ^ Xbox360Achievements.org – Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Achievements
  8. ^ a b Sinclair, Brendan (2010-02-04). "Sonic the Hedgehog 4 goes episodic this summe". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  9. ^ E3 2010: Hands-On with Sega's 'Sonic 4' | Touch Arcade
  10. ^ Lost Labyrinth revealed by Sonic 4 JP Site | tssz|news
  11. ^ Sonic City Blognik | Sonic 4 Update Blog – Part 1.5
  12. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Preview – Xbox 360 Preview at IGN
  13. ^ Gamespot’s E3 Sonic 4 Interview With Gameplay Footage
  14. ^ Thorsen, Tor (2009-09-09). "All-new 2D Sonic rolling out in 2010". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  15. ^ RubyEclipse (2010-02-02). "Happy Hedgehog Day!". Sega. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  16. ^ Scans of the Sonic 4 Nintendo Power Interview | tssz|news
  17. ^ Pigna, Kris (March 2010). "Back From The Second Dimension". Electronic Gaming Monthly (238): p. 61. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  18. ^ Report of XBOX PartnerNET Shutdown over Sonic 4 Leak | tssz|news
  19. ^ News: iPhone delayed Sonic 4 – Sega – ComputerAndVideoGames.com
  20. ^ RECAP: RubyEclipse and Ken Balough’s “On the Spot” Appearance [iPhone Gets Exclusives] « The Sonic Stadium
  21. ^ Exclusive: Sonic 4 Gimmick Acts Bumped to iPhone/iPod Touch Release | tssz|news
  22. ^ Sonic 4, "Today on the Spot" | tssz|news
  23. ^ a b Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic
  24. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic. Metacritic.com (2010-10-13). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  25. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for Wii Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic. Metacritic.com (2010-10-11). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  26. ^ a b Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – review, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Review, PS3 Reviews | Games Radar.com
  27. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I PlayStation 3 Review – Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
  28. ^ a b Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Review – Xbox 360 Review at IGN
  29. ^ a b Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 review: Spin-dashed hopes – Joystiq
  30. ^ a b Petit, Carolyn. (2010-10-13) Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Review for Xbox 360 – GameSpot. Uk.gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  31. ^ a b Martin, Liam (13 October 2010). "'Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1' (XBLA)". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  32. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I iPhone Review – iPhone Review at IGN
  33. ^ Sonic 4: Episode 1 Review for PS3, Wii, iPhone from 1UP.com
  34. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Review (Wii, XBLA, PSN, iOS) – Popzara
  35. ^ Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Video Game, Review Pod | Video Clip | Game Trailers & Videos. GameTrailers.com (2010-10-15). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  36. ^ Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Review | Edge Magazine. Next-gen.biz (2010-10-18). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  37. ^ http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/10/sonic-4-review/
  38. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Xbox360 Review, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Player Reviews. Strategyinformer.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.

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