Azure Dream
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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the sequel to the 2010 Episode I, the game many reviews dubbed "old-school" without any understanding of what actually defined a classic Sonic game. Sonic fans were salty, and they yelled at Sega, "You can do better!" Devs went back and retooled the engine, and over a year and a half after the first installment, the second Episode is finally upon us.
This is what Sega considers to be the third title in the "Sonic 4 Saga," with Sonic CD plunked in the middle for plot reasons. There's also been conflicting reports whether this may or may not be the last Episode in the series.
Episode I will also be released for the first time in some countries, such as Brazil, on the same day.
Why no Wii announcement? In addition to the new graphical engine requiring more horsepower, Episode I had to jump through some major hoops to squeeze in under the WiiWare 40 MB limit, such as reworking the prerecorded music to play back in MIDI format. Nintendo has not since relaxed that limit on WiiWare developers, despite their more relaxed standards for 3DSWare, so no Episode II for Wii. Sega knows how much money Sonic makes on Nintendo platforms, though, so a possible Wii U announcement this E3 shouldn't surprise you.
Months after the events of Episode I, the Little Planet of Sonic the Hedgehog CD fame once more nears Sonic's world.
At the same time, Dr. Eggman unfurls his latest plot--it can't be pure coincidence.
With Tails in tow, Sonic sets off to investigate.
- 4 Full Zones (3 Acts + Boss Act each), in addition to the final Act(s) and Special Stages.
- Red Star Rings hidden in each stage, and 7 Chaos Emeralds to collect, with a result that shouldn't surprise you.
- Score Attack and Time Attack, with Online Leaderboards.
- Local and Online Co-Op Play.
- Lock-On: Owners of Episode I on the same platform unlock Episode Metal, a prequel to Episode II that revisits the first Act from each stage in Episode I.
- Synced unlocks between the Xbox and Windows Phone versions.
Episode I focused on Sonic solely. Episode II is designed around the idea of Sonic and Tails working together. This is most obvious by the inclusion of Tag Actions, context-sensitive moves that pair the two up for special maneuvers.
There are also two unique team moves activated by items:
Special Combination: Found in Gold Monitors hidden in some stages, Sonic and Tails bounce across the screen, destroying enemies and scoring extra points and rings for the number of times you hammer the jump button.
Combination Dash: Only found in Special Stages, it draws a tow rope between the two heroes, scooping up rings between them.
Those that have played it say the gameplay is improved, with a better feeling of momentum to the physics, and less gravity-defying strolls up walls. Although early reports say rolling is still busted, for reasons we cannot fathom.
And so we're clear:
Multiplayer Co-Op can be played locally or online, with choice of who plays Sonic and who plays Tails. Both retain their abilities, allowing Tails to fly and swim by himself. Either player can activate Tag Actions at their respective location, and both have a "Call" button that immediately summons the other player to their location. The camera zooms out to try to accommodate both players, but if one gets too far behind without dying, they become invincible and float toward the other player, where they can reactivate by pressing the Jump button. Both players share the same Lives and Rings pool. Tails can even pilot the Tornado separately of Sonic in Sky Fortress, which will probably lead to a few fractured friendships.
Owners of both Episode I and II on the same platform unlock Episode Metal, in the style of Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On Technology. Metal Sonic plays the first Act of each Zone, in reverse order, with some mild modifications to the levels to raise their difficulty. Mixed in are unique cinemas that try to actually add some plot to Episode I, and explain Metal Sonic's life since the fateful race in Stardust Speedway.
Metal Sonic features different, heavier handling than Sonic, but has no special abilities or unique routes to follow, unlike the advantages of playing as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and 3.
The Good: Compositions are longer and more complex than Episode I, with a few clever remixes thrown in.
The Bad: Jun Senoue still loves his electric cat synths.
The Ugly: Oil Desert Zone Act 2.
Samples:
Sylvania Castle Act 1
Metal Sonic Boss
Sky Fortress Act 1
?????? Act 1
In the words of Ken Balough, "Well it just wouldnt be a proper Sonic 4 game without a code leak!" In late April, an unfinished version of the game labeled Beta 8 was temporarily posted to Steam. Unlike with the first Episode's leak, which was ripped from Partnernet, Sega has acknowledged the leak was legitimate, and did not go after people posting full video playthroughs to their Youtube accounts. Thankfully, there's been no smoking minecart found this time, no resounding call for a delay. A lot of remixes of the final stage music, though.
Many professional reviews of Episode I amounted to "it's 2D, so it's just like the old games!" Keeping that careful amount of research in mind, reviews will be linked here as they're posted.
OXM: 7.5 / 10
Destructoid 5.0 / 10 ("Mediocre.")
Eurogamer.de: 8 / 10 (Translation)
1UP: B+
Metacritic Listing
Sonic Super Special Magazine #3 by Archie Comics includes a short story set between Episode I and II. Contains the phrase "load-bearing bosses."
Avatar Items are available on Xbox Live. You can get radio-controlled Tails and Metal Sonic toys, or have your Avatar run through a Special Stage halfpipe. Or dress up in a Tails fursuit. I'm not judging, man.
Premium Avatars are available on PSN, currently on discount for Plus owners. So if you feel the desire to pay money for tiny JPGs, you're in luck there too.
1080p PC Patch, and Tutorials on how to force Anti-Aliasing
