Sega has made a wise decision by throwing out all of that silly wish-wash that plagued previous titles such as Shadow the Hedgehog (what the hell were you thinking… guns!?), and have finally realised that Sonic is best suited with what he did back in his glory days. Sonic and the Secret Rings is primary based around speed, which has always been the trademark feature of Sonic. You'll need to put on your running shoes and prepare for a thrilling ride where you’ll be collecting rings, bouncing on baddies and absolutely blasting through each of the lustrous levels set out for you – just like old times.
Recently we had the opportunity to check out the blue critter in what will be his first Wii outing, and one that’ll certainly leave a lasting impression on fans. Secret Rings isn’t overcomplicated, and is easy to pick up in a matter of minutes, with most of Sonic’s movements being executed by one button and a few simple swings of the Wii remote. You’ll control Sonic as he zips through levels, collecting coins, jumping on baddies and collecting orbs that’ll allow you to move at a god-like speed for several seconds.
First and foremost, Secret Rings is an on-rails platformer where you’ll only have control of when Sonic jumps and in what direction he runs, as the blue hedgehog continues to run no matter what. While it takes away the gamer's ability to have complete control over Sonic, it does however eliminate a lot of the issues found in most of Sonic’s recent console outings. Thus, you'll no longer have to worry about playing in a sluggish adventure game, but rather have a gameplay system that provides a reminiscence of old-school Sonic titles, where the focus is purely on speed and a lot less on killing enemies. And that’s already a +1 from us.
Be prepared to once again run down long paths.
Much like most Wii titles, there’s a bit of a learning curve before you get a true grasp on how to control Sonic and his abilities. Understanding the sensitivity and Sonic’s manoeuvres can be a little troublesome at first; within a few minutes however, dashing about from side to side becomes relatively easy, and pretty darn enjoyable.
The controls are surprisingly responsive and easy to perform once you understand the motions that need to be relayed onto the screen, and within a matter of minutes we found ourselves having an absolute ball. Tilting the Wiimote left or right moves Sonic in either direction, and thankfully outrageous movements aren’t required. The Wiimote’s ‘2’ button is the only button that’ll be used, allowing you to perform jumps for Sonic (the longer you hold down the button, the higher Sonic will jump). You can halt Sonic’s speed to a walk by pulling the Wiimote back, which is especially useful to survey your surroundings for hidden paths.
In addition, there are several abilities to perform by simply shaking the Wiimote. The game automatically locks-on to enemies, so all you’ll have to do is jump and then quickly thrust the Wiimote forward to perform a quick spinning burst. You’ll also be able to execute chain attacks by continuously thrusting the Wiimote forward while in mid-air. There'll be various uses for the Wiimote throughout each level. From our experiences, we had to launch Sonic out of a catapult by pulling the Wiimote towards our chest and then shaking it forward to launch him. The bread and butter of Secret Rings is based around Sonic’s new speed burst, which allows the blue hedgehog to zip across the level at a lightning fast pace for several seconds. After collecting orbs, and filling a gauge on the screen, you’ll be able to perform this ability by simply shaking the Wiimote.
Controls couldn't be any easier or more enjoyable.
We were fortunate enough to play two levels from the game - Sand Oasis and Dinosaur Jungle. Each level portrayed their respective areas perfectly, with stunning architecture and special effects that brought the levels alive, and all of which suited each level perfectly - we were able to run through temples, zip alongside dinosaurs and climb enormous buildings. Levels are structured similarly to the typical old Sonic levels, with plenty of spiralling loops, rails and long stretches of land to run across and collect rings (and now orbs too), and not to forget a few baddies added in for good measure. Levels seem to be structured with several paths to explore too, with us being able to find different routes in both levels. Some of these optional paths can be found by simply running down a different path, but there are others that’ll require you to kill enemies or break hidden crates before they’re unveiled.
Secret Rings opts for its original arcade approach where you’ll be given an overall score at the end of each level based on the amount of rings collected and the time spent. While it's such a simple concept, it is still one we adore, and proves to be a nice incentive to continue playing each level just to improve on your original scores.
Needless to say, the new style of Secret Rings just feels so natural and perfect for the series. There’s still a very strong emphasis on speed, and there’s likely to be less problems that’ll occur due to its speed. Equally, the title looked way beyond what has already been shown by other titles, with a smooth and crisp presentation consistently provided. The framerate was fantastic, and the sense of speed was also phenomenally executed. We honestly can’t wait to see how the complexity of some levels will turn out, and how boss battles will be implemented (obviously, if Sega decide to do so).
Only a little sarcasm in the above post, eh? 
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