For a game that relies on the fluidity of its mechanics, Sonic Frontiers often feels thoughtless.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Slant’s nine-year relationship has seen its ups and downs.
At its best, Sonic Mania makes classic zones from past Sonic the Hedgehog games feel unpredictable again.
The original Crash Bandicoot is better remembered for what it was and what it meant than what it is.
In a year that the Wii U gifted us with Mario Kart 8 and Bayonetta 2, games that displayed what the system could do graphically, Rise of Lyric’s graphics are simply unacceptable in 2014.
The sorry “story” segments largely amount to random combinations of the four main characters trading bad jokes, such as running the difference between “who” and “whom” into the ground.
The once easy-to-operate Wisp abilities are carried over as well, but here they’re manipulated with the Wii U GamePad’s touchscreen, and utilize the controller’s gyroscopic capabilities to ill effect.
Multiplayer situations, whether online or local split screen, deliver approximately the same amount of flexibility as regular play without diminishing the variable fun factor.
It’s a totally innocent, bubbly game that doesn’t bother with a complicated plot or clever scriptwriting.
The game allows you to purchase a wide variety of weapons (machine guns, rockets, pistols, grenade launchers, flamethrowers), but there’s very little difference between them, particularly in the late game.
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.
Though Sonic turned 20 yesterday, the spiky-haired Sega mascot’s appeal has always come down to his enduring teenage spirit.
There are a few orchestral-sounding pieces, another element reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy, as well as the high-octane, foot-pounding beats we’ve come to expect from Sonic games.
It’s a return to classical form, casting off the more fashionable dressings of the “reboot” and the “update.”