Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (iPhone) review

by Robert Workman, October 13, 2010

The re-releases of Sonic the Hedgehog’s Genesis adventures on the iPhone haven’t really gotten the job done thus far. Both Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel suffer from constantly dipping frame rates, awkward on-screen controls and a lack of new content to justify the hefty $5.99-per-game fee. Luckily, owners of Apple’s portable device can finally indulge in the Sonic the Hedgehog adventure they truly deserve with his fourth adventure—well, the first episode of it, anyway. It certainly beats nothing, especially for the cheap $10 price.

Dr. Robotnik’s up to his old tricks again, encasing animals in robotic terrors and trying to steal all the Chaos Emeralds to build something even worse. It’s up to Sonic to free his trapped pals and snag the Emeralds before “Eggman” overtakes the whole island. He’ll have to contend with not only robotic enemies, but also spiked floors and other traps scattered throughout each level. Yep, just like you wanted, it’s a classic Sonic experience all over again. Sonic Unleashed be damned.

The iPhone edition of Episode 1 features four worlds to explore, divided into three levels each. By the end of each third stage, you’ll face off against Robotnik in one of his over-the-top contraptions, which can easily be taken down once you learn a pattern. The first time you run into him, for instance, he’s swinging a large sphere on a chain, just as he did in the original. Hit him a couple of times, though, and he starts swinging it around overhead with more excessive force. It’s a nice nod to the old school, with some new design thrown in for good measure. We like it.

This edition also features spinning bonus levels and mine cart sequences that you play by tilting your iPhone from side to side. Mine carting takes a little bit of getting used to, as it’s too easy to go the wrong way at first. Learn how the stage works, however, and you’ll be speeding along the track and jumping over gaps in no time. The bonus stages are quite innovative, as you have to collect a certain amount of rings before you can proceed—a task that’s not as easy as it looks in the later stages. And those annoying exit holes return as well, ending your progress instantly if you touch them.

For the duration of the game, you’ll use an on-screen control pad and jump button, just like in Sonic’s previous adventures. A tilt option is available as well, but it’s too easy to careen out of control—just stick with the default set-up. Surprisingly, the controls work reasonably well, with Sonic responding to your commands with very little lag. Sometimes there’s a little work in making Sonic roll downhill in a ball (you have to hold down on the control pad), but it’s no deal-breaker. We also like the “homing” jump attacks, enabling you to hit springs and enemies with less risk. It also helps that the game runs fast, even on the older 3G-powered devices. Too bad we can’t say the same for those other messy Sonic ports.

Visually, Episode 1 is a huge step forward. The level design is quite sharp, about on the same tier as previous games, and we’re quite fond of the screen spinning around Sonic as he runs through loops, rather than the loops just staying in place. There are times the textures are a little ugly, but that’s only when you’re going really fast, which is understood. The music isn’t the greatest, though, with forgetful tunes that can’t keep up with offerings from previous games. Just blast your own music and you’ll be fine.

The only negative you’ll run into with Episode 1 is how quickly it’s over. You’ll finish up with the four worlds and the bonus stages in about 2-3 hours time, if that. However, there’s replay value galore, and you can always try to go back and collect every ring and Chaos Emerald, to fill your completist quota. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a fine return for Sega’s hero, especially after all the letdowns we’ve been through over the years. Let’s hope that Episode 2 isn’t too far off. We don’t really have the patience to wait another 16 years for it.