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Sonic the way Sonic should be!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 74 / 84
Date: November 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega's mascot has been around a long time, and has always had a following. With Sega dropping console status and just sticking to development, all of the various Sega franchises have drifted around and landed in various places. Sega's most famous character, Sonic, and all of his gang have landed in the strangest place of them all: Nintendo.

I realize that Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems and Sonic Heroes have come out multi-platform, but Sonic Adventures were released on Gamecube, and Shadow the Hedgehog has just come out on Nintendo's box. Also, the former rival is home to the real Sonic games: Sonic Advance 1, 2, and 3 on the Game Boy Advance.

It's true, that Sonic belongs in 2D. The sense of speed, of gravity-defying, dizzying velocity is really something that never translates well in 3D. Sonic just doesn't move as fast and doesn't control as well as he does when he's blazing through the 2D worlds that populate his games. Something is always lost in translation. There's no feeling of rocketing through worlds at insane speeds.

Well, the Advance games remedied that, but they didn't quite have the scope and balance of the original sonic games. Yes, they were fast, but they were also ... kind of small feeling. They felt like portable versions of sonic games. They were good, but I always preferred the old-school Sonic games as the real achievements.

Well, Nintendo has a new portable out, with a lot more power, and so it was just a matter of time before Sega would bring the Hedgehog over. How does Sonic Rush make out? Well, let me just say this: I might have a new favorite Sonic game. And if not, it's very close.

Sonic knocks the Blue Hedgehog kicking and screaming into a new handheld glory. This is a giant, beautiful game, with the kind of level design not seen since the old-school sonics. With the two screens of the DS, the Hedgehog's vertical now, with levels that launch our hero sky-ward and back across both screens without any real trouble in the transition between screens. It's fluid and gorgeous.

Actually, gorgeous is a great word for the entire game. The levels themselves are classic 2D. Not overly flashy, but beautiful and perfect for blurring past. With Sonic, flashy little details aren't as important as looking good for the split second you'll see it, and the levels don't dissappoint. Sonic himself is a 3D model, a pretty good one that moves wonderfully on the screen and makes for some nice effects on levels as he sometimes is thrown closer to the screen due to cranes, elevators, and slides that push forward in a wonderful melding of 2D and 3D.

The boss battles, though, are done entirely in 3D. So far, I haven't had the kind that takes place in an arena (where you can move all over) but instead on tracks where you can go left and right. But the boss is 3D, and you move in 3D space, and it really works in a retro sort of way. Yes, it's 3D bosses, but they move and behave with patterns that are wonderfully old-school.

Yes, there's a second character, a purple female feline named Blaze the Cat, but I've spent most of my time right now with Sonic. It seems that she controls similarly, and thus there's no lengthy distractions with slower characters (I'm looking at you, Sonic Adventure games!). This one's all about speed.

And the control! This game is perfect. It's all tight and responsive, and you'll need it, because with the speed Sonic goes, one mistake will send you careening into an enemy or plunging to your doom. It's not overly challenging (none of the Sonics are, if you ask me), but it's good and it does require skill, and that's really the whole point.

I love this game. I love Sonic, and this is one for the ages. Trust me, if you want a great classic console experience, this is it (and it fits in your pocket)! It's a must buy. It won't disappoint, I guarantee it.

BLAST OFF!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 21
Date: November 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

THIS GAME REMINDS OF THE TIMES WHEN GAMES WERE 2-D(WHICH I HATED)EVEN THOUGH I FEEL DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS GAME.IN THIS GAME OUR TWO HEROES SONIC THE HEDGEHOG AND A NEW HERO TO THE SERIES QUEEN BLAZE THE CAT ROCKET FROM BOTTOM SCREEN TO THE TOP SCREEN OF THE D.S. JUST LIKE THAT.(IN THE FUTURE SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SHADOWS GIRLFRIEND.EWWW.A HEDGEHOG AND A CAT?)ANYWAY YOU'RE 3-D AND SO ARE THE YOUR ENIMIES EGGMAN AND EGGMAN TIMES TWO.TO ME IT'S TIME FOR DOUBLE THE YOLK INSTEAD OF DOUBLE THE TROUBLE.HE HE HE.THIS IS ANOTHER MUST FOR FANS OF SONIC AND CLASSIC GAMES

Old school sega, new blood.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: November 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I loved sonic on the sega game gear and on the other sega consoles, so when this came out i went and bought. i was not disappointed. Althought there are times that i get frustrated, its frenetic action never lets down. The main thing is speed. do what you have to do to get through FAST. The backgrounds, enemies, and track blazes by as you go faster. The special zones, though, are my favorite. Here sonic is 3D and so is the landscape (what there is of it) but it still manages to be quite a fun experience. Putting in extra lives is a major help, if you only had the rings, this game would be very hard. this is one of the best DS games that has coome out. if your DS collection does not have this you will be sorely lacking.

Here's to sonic the hedgehog!

This is what Sonic is all about.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Sonic Rush is just that; a rush. I don't hesitate to call it the best Sonic game since Sonic 2. But why, you ask?

The graphics are simply the best Sonic graphics ever seen on handheld. Not only are they appropriate; in many cases they're also actually _pretty_. Sound - well, 4Kids Sonic is tolerable in this game, and Blaze is inoffensive enough. Tails and Cream still have voices so high they might cause nearby dogs to bark, but fortunately they only have a few phrases. The music however is brilliant; with Hideki Naganuma of Jet Set Radio (Jet Grind Radio in the US) fame on board as a composer, it was always going to be hard for them to go wrong. Particular soundtrack highlights for me are Ska Cha Cha, A New Day, Metal Scratchin' and Bomber Barbara, although all the songs are great and fit surprisingly well.

Control is just superb, superior to any Sonic game of the past decade. The problems caused by the levels throwing an enemy into your path in the Advance games are a thing of the past, with your Boost move more than able to take out enemies without you so much as slowing. Plus, the tricking from the Advance games has finally been given some form of a _purpose_; it helps you recharge the Boost meter. Level design still throws the occasional bottomless pit or crushy block at you (one or two zone in particular are guilty of this), but you soon learn the layout and within a few lives you'll be able to fight a way through. See these levels are long, and difficult, but difficult in a way that makes you _want_ to keep going and makes you feel like you've really acheived something when you finally do win.

Take it from someone who's been playing Sonic games for 13 years: this is a game anyone who even remotely likes Sonic (or 2D platforming of any type) has to own.

The Best Sonic Game Since "Sonic CD"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: December 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

What was great about the old Sonic games?

-Fast, fun, addicting gameplay that gradually increased in difficulty over time
-Graphics that kept up with the speed beautifully
-Catchy music
-A simple story that is reason enough for a sequel
-It was all about Sonic...

What is great about the new Sonic games?

-Better graphics and music
-Sonic Advance 2's "Burst Mode"
-Pulling off different tricks and moves like grinding et. al.

While Sonic Adventure was seen by many as the next evolution in Sonic games, I personally thought that Sonic Advance 2 was more so than Sonic Adventure. Sonic Adventure didn't focus on the core Sonic gameplay enough, the 3D was (and is still) touch-and-go, and a lot of the new characters are simply copies of the existing characters. And the new extreme/dark visual style is forced, over-the-top, and just plain silly. Shadow the Hedgehog is the WORST "Sonic" game ever made because it encompases everything that made the new games such a departure from the classic games.

While Sonic Advance was a classic Sonic game with the modern art style and more characters, Sonic Advance 2 came out of nowhere to steal the spotlight. The game focused on speed with its "Burst Mode" which allowed characters to go even faster. Throw in seemlessly grinding and the aerial tricks, the game truly took what was great about the classic games and modernized it.

As a hardcore Sonic fan, when I heard there would be a Sonic game for the DS, I got it so I could have a backlit screen for the GBA series and to play the Sonic game that would eventually come out. What a pleasant surprise it is to now say that Sonic Rush ended up being the best modern Sonic game made! The graphics (3D models with 2D sprites are perfect for a handheld) were great, the music (which brought back memories of Jet Grind Radio) was amazing, and the gameplay was classic Sonic.
Throw in Burst Mode, the Tension Gauge/Boost, grinding, aerial tricks, and the awe-inspiring stylus-controlled Special Stages, Sonic Rush is THE BEST SONIC GAME MADE SINCE SONIC CD!!!

...and for those of you who are complaining that its too hard...practice up, n00bs...

A ton of fun, but very, very short.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 21
Date: December 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Having enjoyed Sonic Advance I was eager to get my hands on Sonic Rush. With brilliant graphics and the fastest gameplay yet in a Sonic game it sure does make for a great video-game experience. But there's just not enough of it and not much is made of the Nintendo DS potential outside of some slight touch-screen interaction and a tall graphics.

As always the levels range from tropical islands to mechanical metropolis with all the usual powers ups, springs and speed barriers. They are brilliantly designed and contain so many loop-the-loops and massive jumps that you'll go cock-eyed. The sheer speed that you can fire through the levels is amazing. The music top-notch too and there are loads of cool tunes.

You can play as Sonic, with his usual abilities, or as Blaze the Cat, who has her own mission opposite Sonic. Obviously this involves defeating Doctor Eggman, but you now have a 'rush' ability which acts as a booster to make Sonic or Blaze go even faster.

My major complaint is with the Special Stages. They are the same as the were in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, involving the 3D tunnels. And they are impossible. The one that I actually managed to enter requires 160 rings to catch the Chaos Emerald. Not only do I not think there were even 160 IN the whole stage but it's impossible to keep a hold of them as there are so many dangerous obstacles and traps. Plus, you control Sonic with the stylus pen in this stage and it's not got such a great response.

And the last boss is impossible also. There is no way to defeat Doctor Eggman and the controls frequently contradict each other, it's all down to bad programming. The game sure has a few bugs (nothing major) that should have been sorted out.

So apart from the special stage and the final boss, the game is just too damn easy and has nothing to bring you back for more. Yes, I had loads of fun playing it but it would be only worth the money if it were longer and had more to it.

Graphics A+
Sound A+
Gameplay B
Lasting Appeal B-

Finally, a new Sonic the Hedgehog game that is worthy of being called excellent!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Let's face it: Sonic Rush is one of the best games out there. It has challenging levels, nice graphics, and bouncy (and somewhat catchy) music. It has very few flaws, and seems to be the fastest sonic game yet!

The story is simple, but intriguing, and the two characters are slightly different, making the levels double in replay value. The levels are huge and stunning, and each one seems to bring on a new challenge.

Sonic and Blaze's models are gorgeous, and so are the backgrounds. They are not over or underdone. The speed is perfect (after all, Sonic IS about speed) and the frames are never slow or choppy. The boss battles are an amazing highlight: some change from a side-scroller to a 3D arena! Others are in a "donut-like" arena, which Sonic or Blaze run around in. Most bosses are different than the other, with a few harder remakes of earlier machines.

The music is... Interesting... It is kind of unexpected at first, but has the sort of "funky" rhythm that will make you want to hear them over and over again. This music sets the level tone quite nicely.

Game play is colorful, addictive, and fairly challenging (but not TOO hard). The only thing halfway "wrong" is the fact that many levels have blind jumps and enemies, which might require a few lives to get past. Many of these instances would make you lose a life if you did the slightest thing wrong. But this is not really a problem, as much as an extra challenge or reflex tester. There are quite a few story cut-scenes and lines, which are an added extra that helps you understand what is going on. I find these lines interesting and somewhat comical, plus the word choice is nice and nothing like that of the rather disappointing game "Shadow the Hedgehog".

Finally, to the person that said that the special stages were impossible... Ha! They were really easy! The last one is quite difficult, but it is very possible (hint: continually press the pause button so you can more easily dodge those spiky mines). The final boss is pretty easy, too! (You must hit his hands, then run to his arm and press down on the white part, then hit the cockpit when he stops shaking) Once you get all seven Chaos Emeralds with Sonic, you unlock a fairly challenging (and completely awesome) secret boss with "Super Sonic" and "Super Blaze" against Eggman and Eggman Nega.

Overall, Sonic Rush is an excellent game that all Nintendo DS owners should consider. The game-play does seem to go by fast, but it has excellent replay value, music, and graphics. Sonic Rush is perhaps the best Sonic game to date, in my opinion.

Sonic rushes back to his former glory

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Sonic must have run through a few too many loops on his early Genesis exploits, because he got dizzy and lost sight of what made him so great when his games popped up on 3D consoles. Since the Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure, I've felt that the blue blur's been suffocating and he needed to find that elusive air bubble to catch his breath and float back up to the top. With the DS's Sonic Rush, he's done just that. Sonic Rush is the best Sonic game since the Genesis.

I have to admit that Sonic Rush has a story that bored me to death. It's the same idea as every other Sonic title -- Sonic has to chase down Eggman in order to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds and stop his evil plans. The only real difference is the introduction of Blaze the Cat, who is basically a female, pink, feline version of Sonic that is a little fireier than her blue counterpart. She's got a separate, equally-long quest of her own with a slightly different story, and she searches for the Sol Emeralds rather than the Chaos Emeralds. When it comes down to the gameplay, though, I didn't really worry about why I was running rapidly through forests and deserts. I didn't have time to.

This game is just as fast and smooth as any traditional Sonic fan would want it to be. Each of the seven Zones (which feature two Acts each, making 14 levels for each character) is comprised of several different paths, loops, elevators, bumpers, pits, and more. Simply put, it's one of the most frantic games in the series. The action plays out on both the top and bottom screen of the DS in every level, and you'll always have to watch out when you hit a bumper and fly into the air or dive underwater and explore the depths. None of this detracts from the speed, and the game runs very smoothly regardless of how fast Sonic or Blaze is running. The use of both screens as well as the levels being a bigger challenge makes the experience slightly harder than I expected. I had frequent deaths, annoying restarts from checkpoints, and the like. This stuff was pretty grating but it just pushed me to play better, and there wasn't a single death that made me want to stop playing the game. It's only seven Zones long, which means that a single sitting could be enough time to finish the entire game, but earning grades on each of the level and trying to achieve a high score was enough incentive for me to replay most of the levels.

Despite all of this crazy speed, the game controls well. There are a few new moves that differentiate the "hold the right button and jump occasionally" control scheme of past Sonic games. Sonic and Blaze can bust a few tricks in the air that fill up a meter on the left side of the screen. This meter allows both characters to execute a dashing move that kills enemies and propels you forward even faster than normal. Each character also has their own attack that is mapped to the right trigger button. Sonic does his dash-jump made a staple by Sonic Adventure, and Blaze does a little hover move that kills enemies. Combat in Sonic is a little difficult at first, as the game moves so quickly that it's tough to even see enemies on the screen. It eventually turns into a twitchy reflex to hit the dash button and kill enemies in your path, and in the closed-in areas of the game, finishing off your foes is as simple as using the R-trigger attack.

I have to mention my favorite part of the entire game. Actually, by "part" I mean "parts". In every Zone there are hidden objects that propel you into the half pipe coin-collecting stages from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. These stages are controlled using only the stylus, which makes them a lot of fun to control. By collecting coins and attacking enemies, as well as dodging obstacles, you finish these stages and find the seven Chaos/Sol Emeralds in the game.

Visually, Sonic Rush brings the beautiful, colorful 2D style of past Sonic games to the DS with polygonal, detailed character and enemy models. Adding to that are 3D boss fights at the end of every Zone. As I said, the game runs very smoothly and never hiccups, even when I would slam into enemies and lose all of my coins. The music goes well with the game, as it is a fast-paced rock and electronica mix that stimulates the action even more. The only annoying factor is the voices in the game. Sonic Rush is simple, fun and visually appealing to any Sonic fan. It isn’t perfect; the game is definitely too short. For the gameplay found here, though, it's one of the best DS platforming games out there. Sonic fans, grab a DS and enjoy yourselves.

Sonic Rush... Blaze is the Best!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: January 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've never really been a 'Sonic' fan, but when I opened up my Christmas present to find a Nintendogs Pak (pink) and Sonic Rush, I was quite suprised. After playing nintendogs non-stop for four days(its a brilliant game!), I finally opened up my Sonic Rush. It was difficult at the start but soon I got the hang of it. After completing Zone 1 and the extra hard 'VS BOSS' bit, I got onto zone 2 and was able to play as Blaze the Cat. I think Blaze is much better than sonic (sorry all you Sonic fans!) but thats maybe because I'm a girl.

After playing Sonic rush, I think its a good game. It seems that its quite a long game which is good. I've never played a Sonic game before but now after playing this game, I might consider it. The graphics are'nt as good as nintendogs and using the touch screen is only used on special stages which I find really dissapointing. Apart from that its a great buy for all you Sonic fans. Even girls!

P.S I love the music!!

Sonic Rush is a winner!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Nintendo DS was designed as a new handheld with 2 screens for double the gameplay. Of course, with something as cool as that, Sonic just had to make an appearance.

Sonic is teaming up with Princess Blaze the Cat, and they are on their way to defeat Dr. Eggman and his clone Nega. Sonic is, as usual, very speedy, while Blaze uses her firepowers.

This game has the usual Green Hill, Water, Casino and Sky Base zones, and the characters have "Burst mode" to make them speedier than ever. The emerald special stages are 3D tube run stages, and you get to move Sonic around with the magic pen.

I must admit, some of the stages were hard, but I was able to take another reviewer's advice. Once you complete all of Sonic and Blaze's stages, you will face a challenging, but defeatable boss, and you play as Super Sonic and Hyper Blaze. Super Sonic has to push obstacles toward the boss while Hyper Blaze gets to hack up flaming hairballs. (She is a cat, after all!)

Overall, 5 stars. A certain must-have for those who have a DS, and I hope more Sonic DS games are on the way!

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