Tag Archives: gotta go fast

The Android's Aural Receptors (Music/Sound), The Android's Favorites, The Android's Jetpack Augment (Platform)

Sonic After The Sequel

The clever guy behind Sonic Before the Sequel (one LakeFeperd) has recently released another Sonic the Hedgehog fangame, Sonic After the Sequel. Set between Sonic 2 and 3 this game follows the oppressor Sonic and the heroic liberator of the proletariat Dr. Robotnik in the aftermath of the Death Egg’s destruction and as they notice Floating Island’s appearance. But the storyline is always tertiary at best in going fast games so that’s all I’ll say on that front. Let’s get down to brass tacks:

This is the best Sonic game since Sonic 3 and Knuckles. This is a genuine, bona-fide, old-school 2D Sonic game. If you took someone who had never heard of Sonic, had them play through the series, and inserted this between 2 and 3, I’d honestly be surprised if they could tell this is not a canonical Sonic Team game. The most important things to know are that Sonic handles near-perfectly and that the levels are extremely well designed. In a series which is famed for extremely tight controls this is obviously vital. The only handling flaw I can point to is that the spin-dash feels a little weak at times, but it’s a minor quibble and never actually causes any problems.

This is how I look when I play this game.
This is how I look when I play this game.

The levels are many and have the typical Sonic variety, with the twist that there’s no annoying Carnival Night-esque levels that make you pull your hair out. No, every single level is interesting and fun, and often (as in Cocaine Coast Sugar Blast Zone) have gimmicks that are actually neat and fun to play with.cks that are actually neat and fun to play with. What’s more each of the Zones hides a special star which, upon collection, opens up a fourth, bonus act in that zone. The actual amount of content is pretty nuts and there’s a lot to do. Oh, and the special stages where you collect the Chaos Emeralds? I’d rank them as the best special stages in Sonic history. They’re perfect. The only objective is to Go Fast and it’s massively fun when you do so.

Special mention also has to go to the soundtrack, which was provided by a number of composers who clearly understand their videogame music. There are tracks here that rank among classics from the series and it’s just another example of how solid this game is. Basically if you want free Sonic of high quality, then download and play this game.

Get it here. And get it soon in case SEGA sends a C&D

The Android's Jetpack Augment (Platform)

Sonic the Hedgehog 4

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You may not be aware that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is even a thing. Well, it is. Sega has been releasing “episodes” of what is supposed to be an old fashioned, oldschool Sonic adventure for the past couple of years, and I finally broke down and bought them the other day, despite some misgivings.

Well, I’ve played both Episode 1 and 2 quite a bit, and here’s what I’ve got to say about them:

THE VERDICT:

The games play pretty much like Sonics 1 – 3&K. Sonic gets the homing attack which he got later on his life, and which at first annoyed my inner purist before I realized that it actually fit in rather nicely and adds some neat new play mechanics and allows for new level design ideas. In Episode 2, you also get Tails as a sidekick, which introduces a couple additional new moves which also fit in nicely. The Episode 1 Sonic feels a bit “floaty” to me but Episode 2 fixes that right up.

This is the best Sonic gif you will ever see.

The levels are almost entirely based off of classic ones from the Genesis era. That’s not to say they’re remade with few changes, or even rebooted a la Sonic Generations. Rather, they’re all new levels that feel like they could take place in Aquatic Ruin Zone or Oil Ocean Zone or Metropolis Zone or a combination of them. You will recognize many, many familiar enemies and level mechanics. Unfortunately none of them seem to stand up as strongly as their original inspirations, even though some moments come close. Oddly, the best levels are the ones that are the most unlike prior Zones. (A level where you dash along roller coaster tracks and another that takes place during a night filled with fireflies come to mind.)

The art is passable and fits the style of the game. Episode 1 goes for a sort of… halfway-cel-shaded thing that is kind of weird but, like as with many other odd things with Sonic 4, this gets axed with Episode 2.

The music is the weakest part of Sonic 4 by far. I wish I could say it wasn’t, because I love classic Sonic music, but in this game it ranges from being “almost good” (one or two tracks) to “barely tolerable” (most of it) to “MUTE, MUTE NOW, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING” (a few unfortunate tracks).

OVERALL: I don’t know if the steep price (Somewhere in the vicinity of $30 for both episodes) is worth it for anyone who isn’t a die-hard Sonic fan, but if you can snag these on sale and you enjoyed the Genesis Sonics then they’re not bad buys. If you’re just going to get one, get the second, although getting both will open up a secret “third” episode featuring Metal Sonic which is kind of fun. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 may not live up to the first 3 (and a half) “numbered” Sonic games, but if you like going fast, it’ll keep you entertained for more than a few hours and give you a few thrilling moments that remind you of your very first time playing Sonic. And isn’t that worth almost any price?