When you first boot up the game it feels instantly familiar, there are three options on the main menu including gameplay, battle and options. The gameplay options takes you to the single player option where you initially have no choice but to assume the role of Sonic. The storyline is fairly basic, and serves only as an introduction to get you into the game; basically Eggman has gotten his hands on the chaos emeralds again and it is your job to find them, the game isn't going to win any awards for the storyline, but it sets the wheels in motion.
Each level in the game (there are seven in total) is broken up into two acts and a final boss area. There are seven chaos emeralds to collect and these are collected by entering the bonus zones, which are scattered throughout each level. After completing a level you can go back and play through the level as many times as you want so if you miss the bonus level the first time through you can go back and get it next time. The bonus zones are a throwback to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and basically play out how they did in Sonic 2.
The first zone is always so welcoming, the second isn't
The newest addition to Sonic Rush is that the action actually takes place over two screens, rather than utilise the touch screen componant of the Nintendo DS your character actually moves from screen to screen, there are no visual indicators on the screen when your character is moving screens, which means it can often be a little difficult to keep up with what is happening. The characters don't change screen too often though and most of the action is split fifty-fifty between the two screens. The two screens does mean that there are duplicate paths in each level, which does add a bit of variety to the levels.
The game also includes an intensity meter, which sits at the left hand side of the screen, it actually took us a little while to realise what the intensity meter was. Just by sliding on rails or going airborne the intensity meter will fill up and as the meter fills up you can perform better tricks, which basically make your character more powerful. There are power-ups scattered throughout the levels that also increase your intensity meter.
After completing the first level you’re able to select from a second character; blaze the cat. Whilst other characters that has been added to the Sonic series like Knuckles, Tails or even Amy possessed some different and truly unique moves, Blaze the cat feels like Sonic in a purple outfit. This is disappointing and the best thing about Blaze is the ability to hover a little in the air by pressing the R button. Blaze has a backstory and is looking for the Sol Emeralds, but it is something that you’re unlikely to pay any attention to. We’re also unlikely to see Blaze the cat in any future Sonic Rush titles, simply because there are other characters that would add more to the Sonic series than Blaze.
The battle option on the main menu let's you take part in a race against other players. You can play even if your friend doesn't own a copy of the game via the downloading feature of the Nintendo DS. The multiplayer mode feels sparce, and you're able to play in any of the levels that you've previously completed, there are power-ups scattered throughout the levels that slow your opponant down or speed you up but it really doesn't make much of a difference. The multiplayer mode really is a disappointment though and it would have been good if there was a more scoped out multiplayer option. We also felt a little slowdown during certain parts of the multiplayer, which may be because there is so much happening on screen at once.
Notice how Blaze is in only one of these screenshots?
Gameplay wise the game is just as incredibly fast as we expected. At times it feels a little bit like you're a passenger in the game; but sometimes you will be locked into a room and be forced to defeat all the enemies to progress. The levels themselves are a good size, and feel a little longer than the Sonic Advance levels. There are a few moments in the game where if you miss a jump you will die, and sometimes it is hard to tell whether this is the case or not. The two screens on the Nintendo DS should have made it easier to judge if there is another path below you, but this isn't always the case.
None of the new features in the game (Blaze the cat and the trick system) are particularly revolutionary, we appreciate that Sega have tried something different, but ultimately Blaze makes little difference and the trick system is a little gimmicky. Spreading the action out over two screens works well, and we're pleased that Sega didn't just tack on a touchscreen componant just because the game is on the Nintendo DS.
The majority of the game is in 2D, except the boss levels which are in basic 3D. The 3D boss battles take place on the top screen of the Nintendo DS, with the bottom screen displaying you're own little cheer squad character as well as the health bar of the boss, defeating them in three hits isn't possible anymore and the bosses put up more of a fight. The basic 3D elements of the game work well and don't feel overdone.
Graphically the game is fairly impressive, with some incredibly good looking environments, each of the environments in the game is well modelled and has a lot of detail. Sega have done well to blend 2D elements and the 3D gameplay together well, without making either part of the game feel out of place. The graphics are some of the best we've seen on the Nintendo DS and even though you'll normally only be looking at one screen at once, both screens have an incredible amount of detail in them.
Going Up!
The sound is sure to be a talking point for hardcore Sonic fans because it is so remarkably different to anything we've ever heard in a Sonic game before. However, whilst the music is different it is very fitting to the game and suits the title well, it is also extremely catchy and we remembered most of the songs well after turning the Nintendo DS off. The voicework is all high quality, except the cheerleading during the boss battles is just plain annoying, and becomes irritating after only one of the boss encounters.
The single player game should last a fairly long time simply because you'll be replaying each level a few times. You have the option of replaying any of the levels and trying to improve your score, but only hardcore fans will probably go back and do this. We assume Sega were hoping players would want to go through the game again with Blaze, but this isn't really the case, we played through with Blaze just to see if there was anything new, and it really makes no difference to the gameplay. The multiplayer mode could have extended the lifespan a little, but it feels so flat and uninspired that you're more likely to play this on your lonesome.
Sonic Rush is one of the best 2D Sonic games ever developed, it is the Nintendo DS's best platformer (almost by default) and will please not only Sonic fans but platforming fans in general. Rather than be forced to utilise the unique features of the Nintendo DS, Sega have used the two screens in a different way spreading the action over two screens and for the most part this works really well. The sense of speed is amazing, but we're disappointed about the poor multiplayer and the irrelevance of Blaze the cat. Nonetheless if you've been worried about the Sonic franchise losing its appeal there is no need to worry any more.
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