Hot on the
heels of Sonic Heroes and Sonic Pinball Party is Sonic Battle,
the latest adventure with the hedgehog and his pals.
This game
plays like no Sonic game that has ever come before. There
are multiple episodes to play, each one following a different
character. Each episode consists of a number of battles
interspersed with a gripping new plot. The battles are mostly
a race to get 10 K.Os (that's knock-outs to you and me --
Megadroid) on each enemy before they get 10 K.Os on your
character. It's a tough task and it can become very frustrating.
You usually have to face two or more battles with the same
character and beating up the same enemies twenty times each
is very tedious.
The controls
are easy to master and soon enough you'll be punching and
blocking like a pro. Every time you are hit (blocking or
otherwise) a special bar above the health bar increases.
When this bar fills, your character begins flashing. This
means they can perform a one-hit-kill. When in this state,
pressing the "R" Button performs a special attack
and if this connects, the opponent will be instantly K.O'd.
The special bar can also be filled up by holding the "L"
button. This both heals the character and increses their
special bar. Unfortunately, later battles are so difficult
that the game can resort to a mere run around, trying to
find a quiet moment to charge your special bar.
The graphics
on this game impress, with slick menus and nicely drawn
sprites. Everything has a jagged, angular look to it which
makes the game look very cool. The battle arenas themsves
are impressive looking (with rotating 3D graphics, no mean
feat on a Game Boy Advance) but very sparse. They are all
essentially the same but for a few differently placed pitfalls
and high walls.
Musically,
this game is a treat. The catchiest of catchy tunes and
meaty contact effects sing to your ears. There is plenty
of speech, which, whilst technically admirable, begins to
grate a little after a while. There are only so many times
that you can hear Sonic say "Sweet!" before insanity
sinks in!
An interesting
addition to this game is Emerl, the mysterious robot that
Sonic finds washed up on Emerald Beach. As you win battles,
you get skill cards which can be equipped onto Emerl to
increase his attack abilities. Colecting all the cards is
something that will keep you coming back to the game.
Combat itself
is a little hit-and-miss. The collision detection is less
than perfect and you can frequently find yourself standing
directly in front of an opponent yet attacking thin air.
The move animations are a little cumbersome too, so recovery
times are long and frustrating.
This game
has the best plot of any Sonic game yet. Characters are
charming and funny and the dialogue is well written.
This game
hosts multiple unlockable subgames such as "Knuckles'
Mine hunt" (A minesweeper clone) and "Fly and
Get". The majority of these games ar multiplayer only,
so a link cable and some friends with copies of the game
are a necessity if you want to get the most out of this
title.
Sonic Battle
is an enjoyable if flawed gaming experience. Sonic fans
will find the story mode a riot, but feel short-changed
by the repetitive nature of the combat. In any case, this
game is worth a blast.
