User:TheJoebro64/drafts/STH4

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ エピソード) is a 2010 side-scrolling platform game developed by Dimps, with assistance from Sonic Team, and published by Sega. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series and acts as a sequel to Sonic & Knuckles (1994). Episode I follows Sonic as he sets out to stop Doctor Eggman, who has returned following his defeat in Sonic & Knuckles. The game returns to the Sega Genesis style of Sonic gameplay, with movement restricted to a 2D plane. Like previous Sonic games, the player races through levels while collecting rings while rolling into a ball to attack enemies.

Development began in June 2009 and lasted a year and a half. The game was conceived as a smartphone-exclusive spin-off before becoming a multiplatform, mainline Sonic installment. It was designed to appeal to both old Sonic fans who played the Genesis games and newer ones who played later games like Sonic Unleashed (2008). As a continuation of the classic Sonic titles, Episode I features no voice acting, a simple control scheme, level design emphasizing platforming and momentum-based gameplay, and no player characters besides Sonic himself; however, it does incorporate Sonic's design and homing attack ability from Sonic Adventure (1998). Producer Takashi Iizuka and composer Jun Senoue were the only Sonic 4 developers who contributed to the Genesis games.

Episode I was released worldwide in October 2010 as a downloadable game for iOS, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. A release for Windows Phone followed in June 2011, for Windows and Android in January 2012, for BlackBerry Tablet OS in July 2012, and for Ouya in July 2013. The game received moderately positive reviews and sold over a million copies in under a year. Critics praised Episode I as a satisfying return to classic Sonic gameplay and praised the sense of nostalgia. Criticism was directed at its short length and physics engine, which was considered inferior to the physics of the Genesis games. Episode I was envisioned as the first of an episodic video game trilogy. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II was released in May 2012, while Episode III was never made.

Gameplay
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is a side-scrolling platform game similar in gameplay and style to the 1990s Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis. The story begins shortly after the events of Sonic & Knuckles (1994). Sonic the Hedgehog parts with his friends, Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna, to explore new territories on his own. However, series antagonist Doctor Eggman—who survived his defeat in Sonic & Knuckles—resurfaces, refines some of his past robots, and initiates a plan to get rid of Sonic. Sonic 4 is presented from a 2.5D perspective; although movement is restricted to a 2D plane, characters and objects are rendered in 3D. The player controls Sonic, the only player character. Sonic can move left or right to gain speed, jump, and roll into a ball to attack enemy robots. Sonic can also perform the "homing attack" from the 3D Sonic games; when in midair, he can lock on to robots or objects and home in on them. In some cases, chaining homing attacks opens access to alternate pathways.

The game takes place across four levels called zones, each split into three acts. Unlike the Genesis Sonic games, after completing the first act, the player can freely choose which zone to play via a world map. The levels are based on locations from the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), and feature elements such as slopes, bottomless pits, vertical loops, corkscrews, springs, and boost pads, as well as power-ups like shields, invincibility, and speed shoes. Some levels feature unique elements, like vines or pinball table features. After the player completes a zone's acts, they unlock a boss encounter with Eggman. Boss encounters feature Eggman piloting one of his robots, and the player must hit him eight times to defeat him. Completing all four zones unlocks a fifth and final level. Like other Sonic games, Sonic collects rings as a form of health: if the player is in possession of at least one ring and is hit by an enemy or hazard, they will survive, but their rings will scatter and blink before disappearing. If the player is hit with no rings, falls in a pit, or drowns, they lose a life, and will receive a game over if all lives are lost.

If the player finishes an act with 50 or more rings, they will have the option to access a special stage. The special stages in Episode I are based on those from Sonic the Hedgehog, in which Sonic is curled in a ball and bounces off the bumpers and walls of a fully rotating maze. The player must tilt the playing field to navigate Sonic through the maze within a time limit, collecting rings to open gates and time bonuses along the way. Finishing the special stage rewards the player with one of the seven Chaos Emeralds. By collecting all seven, the player unlocks the ability to transform into Super Sonic, granting them invincibility and increased speed at the cost of one ring a second. Collecting the Chaos Emeralds also unlocks a brief post-credits scene that shows a silhouette of Metal Sonic, teasing the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (2012). Players are also able to upload their game information to online leaderboards to compare level completion times and high scores.

Each version of the game is mostly identical, save for differences in screen size and resolution. For instance, the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows versions support high-definition and widescreen displays, whereas the Wii version does not. Additionally, the PlayStation 3 and Wii versions both support their systems' respective motion controllers. The mobile versions can be controlled with either the accelerometers or virtual buttons on the touchscreen. Two levels exclusive to these versions are designed around the use of the accelerometers.


 * http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/23376/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-wii

Development
According to project head Takashi Iizuka, Sonic 4 was conceived in January 2009; development began four months later and lasted about a year and a half. Dimps, which had previously developed Sonic platformers for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, led development, with assistance from Sonic Team. Sonic Team's Toshiyuki Nagahara served as director. The only developers on the team who contributed to the Genesis titles were producer Iizuka and composer Jun Senoue. The game was announced on September 11, 2009 under the working title Project Needlemouse. Its proper title, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, was revealed on February 4, 2010, alongside the debut of in-game footage.

Brand manager Ken Balough stated that Sonic 4 was conceived following fan requests for a return to classic Sonic gameplay. He acknowledged the divide between older Sonic fans who played the Genesis games and younger ones who played more recent games like Sonic Unleashed (2008), and said Sega needed to cater to both demographics. In an interview with Nintendo Life, Balough said that "[w]hen we started discussing doing a 2D Sonic game, it just made sense that we would make Sonic 4. It's a game fans have been asking about for years, and we felt we had the right team to make it." While Balough said the game was always called Sonic 4, according to journalist Kurt Kalata, Sonic 4 was not conceived as a mainline, numbered Sonic game, but rather as a smartphone-exclusive spin-off called Sonic the Portable that took advantage of those devices' gyroscope functions. Kalata wrote that it was retitled Sonic 4 at the behest of Sega's American branch and made a multiplatform release, and noted that one of the game's levels still features signs that say Sonic the Portable.

Iizuka noted that after Sonic Adventure was released in 1998, the Sonic series began to have a greater emphasis on speed. However, he also acknowledged many fans still enjoyed the Genesis games, as evidenced from those titles' popularity on digital distribution platforms. With Sonic 4, Iizuka was motivated to return to the classic Sonic style with modern technologies. To stay faithful to the original Genesis games, the developers chose not to include voice acting. The team began development using elements they considered vital to the Sonic series: a simple control scheme—with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button—and level design emphasizing platforming and momentum-based gameplay. While the content in all versions is mostly the same, two levels in the mobile version were replaced in the console releases. These two levels were supposed to be retained across all releases, but they were designed around the use of a smartphone gyroscope, and the team did not think they translated well to a console.



One new addition was Sonic's homing attack from Sonic Adventure; Iizuka said the team "wanted to add that excitement of performing continuous attacks" and felt it "add[ed] to the classic-style gameplay by providing a new means to discover routes in the sky". Though a return to the classic Sonic formula, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I does not reuse Sonic's original design, instead retaining his post-Adventure design. Iizuka reasoned this was because the game was not a remake. Following the project's announcement, in January 2010 Sega began a countdown with a list that discounted potential playable characters. When fans answered trivia questions, the list got whittled down, and culminated with the reveal that Sonic would be the only playable character. Iizuka said this decision was made because the team wanted both old and new fans to be able to enjoy the game. The decision to scale back the series' extensive cast was also identified as a way to return to the series' roots. Despite this, the post-credits scene teases the reintroduction of Metal Sonic, who had not appeared in a Sonic game for years. Balough stated that fans had been asking Sega to bring back Metal Sonic for years, and that the post-credits scene was added to keep players excited for Episode II.

Senoue only composed some tracks for the Genesis Sonic games, but for Sonic 4, he was responsible for creating all the music and sound effects. The audio was designed to replicate the style of the Genesis Sonic games because, according to Balough, the developers wanted the game to feel "like a genuine extension of the first three Sonic games". Senoue was involved with the project early on, when Iizuka approached him to ask him to compose. Senoue said that he attempted to compose the tracks as if he had been composing them for the Genesis, using as few notes as possible. He did not use any FM sound tapes, although he did unsuccessfully attempt to find an old Genesis development kit. Senoue attempted to compose tracks "with a similar beat or similar tempo" to those from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Senoue had fun working on Episode I and said his favorite track was the first level's, although Nagahara hated it and tried to persuade Senoue to compose a replacement tune. Eggman's theme in Episode I had originally been composed for Sonic 3D Blast (1996), but went unused in that game.

Release
Episode I was originally scheduled for release in July 2010, a timeframe Sega announced in February 2010. Months before the game's release, a prototype version was made available to users of the Xbox 360's game testing service PartnerNet. Screenshots and footage were leaked and widely distributed across the internet, and PartnerNet had to be temporarily shut down as a result. Though some video game journalists responded favorably to the leaked materials, fans reacted negatively. In May 2010, Sega announced that Episode I had been delayed to late 2010 in response to both internal and fan feedback; Iizuka later clarified that the delay was done so the developers could replace the mobile-exclusive levels with ones better suited for consoles.

Episode I was initially released on October 7, 2010, for iOS. Releases for other platforms soon followed: the Wii version was released via WiiWare in North America on October 11 and in Europe on October 15; the PlayStation 3 version was released via PlayStation Network in North America on October 12 and in Europe on October 13; and the Xbox 360 version was released via Xbox Live Arcade on October 13. Other releases included a Windows Phone version on June 15, 2011; a Windows version via Steam on January 19, 2012; an Android version on January 25, 2012; and a BlackBerry Tablet OS version on July 20, 2012. Additionally, both Episode I and Episode II were released for the Android-powered Ouya on July 9, 2013. In April 2016, the iOS version was updated for the first time in three years to modernize it for newer devices. Changes included support for widescreen and Retina displays, more detailed character models, and refined textures. The iOS version was initially split into separate versions for iPhone and iPad; the update discontinued the iPad version and made the iPhone one a "universal" application, meaning it works across all iOS devices. Later in 2016, the Xbox 360 versions of Episode I and Episode II were added to the Xbox One's catalog of backward-compatible titles.

Reception
Episode I was well received, although review scores varied across platforms. Review aggregating website Metacritic assessed the Wii version's review scores as "generally favorable", and the other versions' as "mixed or average". The game was a commercial success; in an August 2011 interview, Sega West CEO Mike Hayes mentioned that it sold over a million copies. Critics felt Episode I represented a return to form for the Sonic franchise following years of poorly received games and favorably compared it to the original Genesis games. Eurogamer Ellie Gibson summarized the game as "[not] just a return to form; it's an apology for having been away so long."

Despite the mostly positive critical reception, Episode I was poorly received by Sonic fans; especial criticism was directed at the physics for their dissimilarity to the Genesis games. Destructoid review editor Jim Sterling wrote that searching for Sonic 4 on YouTube led to "a legion of rage-fueled videos" criticizing the game. Kalata noted that Episode I had been touted as a return to form for the Sonic franchise, which led to many disappointed fans when it did not meet their expectations. The Sonic fansite Sonic Retro mocked Iizuka as "lazy [and] clueless" after he attributed the different physics to the addition of "actions which could not be done in the previous titles, like ceiling-running".


 * http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/10/sonic_the_hedgehog_4_episode_1
 * Begins perfectly (drums, Say-Gah!)
 * Splash Hill is a great opening, helps to adjust to Sonic's new handling. Physics are a bit different (easier to walk up walls, accelerates differently) but the basics are still intact.
 * Homing attack is useful
 * Level design "almost feels like a 'Best of Sonic the Hedgehog'". Nostalgic, and the game rewards exploration
 * There are a handful of automated moments, but they're not as long as the ones from the 3D games.
 * The bottomless pits that plagued Dimps' prior Sonic games poke their head out occasionally, but they're not much of a problem.
 * It's pretty easy. There are a few challenging stages, but nothing really hard. Hardcore Sonic fans will blaze through it with ease.
 * The graphics are great: tons of little details (flowers dancing, motion blur). Depth of field used "brilliantly". Great texture work. Impressive this fits within 40 MB.
 * Music is great. Unmistakably Senoue, but the boss theme makes Eggman seem more comical than threatening.
 * The special stages provide the most challenge. Motion controls are sensitive but not as precise as D-pad
 * Biggest problem is how short it is: only 24 levels, making it shorter than the first game (although the levels themselves are longer). It's fun while it lasts, but "[f]or 1500 Points though it’s hard to say the game represents a great return on your money in terms of longevity".
 * Conclusion: 8/10 stars. Great return to classic Sonic gameplay. It's short, but the gameplay makes up for it.


 * https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/10/sonic-4-episode-one-review-welcome-back-sonic/
 * "It's good to finally get what we've been asking for since Sonic Adventure."
 * Good replay value: Chaos Emeralds, multiple pathways, "some surprises that won't be immediately apparent"
 * Bright, sharp graphics; looks great in motion
 * Homing attack may be jarring for old-school players, but it suits the game design well
 * Special Stages are a good way to break up the pace
 * Some issues: Sonic looks weird when he starts running, though eventually gets used to it. Underwater sections and final boss are frustrating. Not hard (you'll get tons of lives) but you'll burn them all on the final boss.
 * Overall: worth a purchase. The criticisms are minor nitpicks of an otherwise great game.


 * https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-12-sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-i-review
 * Some rambling about how Sonic has sucked for the last 15 years
 * "But a few minutes later you'll be ready to forgive Sonic anything... Sonic 4 isn't just a return to form; it's an apology for having been away so long."
 * Playing the game is being in a constant state of deja vu
 * Familiar plot, stages. Some older fans may be upset you unlock every zone after beating the first level, but times have changed since the 16-bit days, and it's essential considering the presence of online leaderboards.
 * It's pretty difficult: "you will be twisting your control pad in rage as if trying to wring its wretched plastic neck"
 * Great pacing, just like the classics. Good balance of faster and slower bits as well as set pieces.
 * Homing attack fits in well with Sonic's moveset
 * The music is "decent enough and pleasingly retro" but pretty forgettable.
 * A bit short, but quite a bit is in here. People who don't like collecting Chaos Emeralds should have fun finding secrets and topping leaderboards
 * Some might complain it's too derivative, but it's fine here because this is a return to form for a series that's struggled for a while.
 * Verdict: 9/10. A game that should've been made 15 years ago. "[I]f you fancy a happy afternoon spin-dashing down memory lane, Sonic 4 is well worth the money. There are no 3D environments, no isometric viewpoints, no sidekicks or hoverboards or knights of the round table. Just a blue hedgehog, a fat man in a space helicopter, a good selection of well-designed 2D environments and some of the greatest gameplay mechanics in history."
 * Gibson recanting her 9/10: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-08-06-sonic-boom-ellie-gibson-on-nostalgia-novelty-and-that-9-10. She says she was sort of blinded by nostalgia and that it was "a bit of a stretch" to give the game such a high score, and apologizes to those who bought the game because they read her review.


 * https://www.gamesradar.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-i-review/
 * First impressions weren't good, but surprised by the end because it lives up to its name.
 * A bit nervous during first playthrough and initially had issues, but all those disappeared when he started having tons of fun: "a joyous game"
 * Even though its levels are borrowed, it feels completely different. Dimps' influence is immediately obvious as it retains Sonic Rush acceleration quirks, but there's no trick system, which makes it feel like pure Sonic.
 * Homing attack may threaten to change the game too much, but it actually works pretty well
 * Likes the special stages, and beating all seven feels like an achievement
 * It feels more bold than its Genesis predecessors: "Every movement seems more deliberate, and while the finer nuances of low-speed control have arguably been lost, it's at high speed that it reveals its true depths."
 * "this was meant to be what the team would have done with Sonic 1, had today's tech been available at the time"
 * Held back by multiplatform compatibility, but gets a lot right: Sonic doesn't talk, badnik designs harken back to the classics
 * Soundtrack can be a bit annoying if you keep restarting for time trial, but it mixes Genesis sounds with MIDI well. Sharing of tempos and styles with the old games add to feeling that this is a celebration of the old wrapped in the fidelity of the new
 * A few issues: too many extra lives, and the main game is pretty short (but there is tons of replay value). Probably about as long as the first game, with just as much replay value.
 * Verdict: 4.5/5 stars. "'classic Sonic' sums up the game quite nicely. It's got everything the original stood for, from speed to careful platforming, varied routes to secret rooms. While it isn't asbrazenly spectacular as I'd hoped it would be, some of the 3D backgrounds are really rather beautiful, and you soon appreciate the detail in the HD foregrounds. It's also rock solid – the extra development time has made this the slickest Sonic game I've seen since Sonic & Knuckles." Unambitious but deserving of the name Sonic 4


 * https://web.archive.org/web/20121018123008/http://www.1up.com/reviews/sonic-hedgehog-4-episode-1
 * Takes a different approach than NSMB, Mega Man 9 because it feels more like a sequel, not aiming for a classic feel; however, the level design is based on the 16-bit games
 * Most levels feature a "twist", though it doesn't always work. For example, there are sequences in which you're chased by something, which are made frustrating by the amount of obstacles that slow you down. Many fans complained about the minecart level seen in prerelease footage, but notes that it's been scaled back for the final release.
 * "'Keep moving' is the golden rule of any Sonic game, I think, with the corollary being that you should also feel like you're in complete control of your actions. Sonic 4 actually does a pretty good of adhering to that rule, so the moments in which the action comes to a screeching halt stick out a bit more than usual."
 * Writes that the "awkward" platforming of the classic games isn't present, which the reviewer is thankful for. Puzzles are annoying but uncommon, yet nonetheless need to be called out since they're against the design philosophy of Sonic.
 * Most of the game is pretty enjoyable. The addition of the homing attack allows for more elaborate level design, and "staying in the air by bouncing off enemies is nothing new, but the attack's homing ability makes it feel much less awkward, and thus faster and more interesting"
 * The boss encounters are poorly designed. Specific criticism is directed at the Casino Street boss fight, which compares unfavorably to the original Sonic 2 version. It's especially annoying when it shows up again during a boss rush.
 * Verdict: B. "Those fights, the occasional puzzle, and some really lousy music are the flaws that keep Sonic 4 from besting Sonic Rush as the best game to come out of the franchise in a decade. But for every element that Sonic 4 gets badly wrong, it gets four or five others exactly right." It's a fun game—if a bit flawed—that does classic Sonic justice.


 * http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/24263/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-wii
 * This is a significant Sonic game—after years of missteps, it tries to go back to the series' Genesis roots. "The title has a lot to live up to, and it does deliver a great deal of quality despite a few bumps in the road."
 * The plot is simple, and you're thrown immediately into the gameplay without a long cutscene narrated by superfluous characters. The gameplay has clearly been prioritized.
 * Follows the classics' tradition: speed mixed with platforming and puzzle-solving. Aside from the homing attack, Sonic doesn't have any additional moves, which is welcome considering how many skills have been added in recent games. He's a bit slower than in previous games, but this is fine considering there's platforming thrown in. Sonic is also easier to control due to the lowered speed, which helps avoid unwanted deaths.
 * Sometimes the levels have annoying designs and puzzles that make them a chore to complete. The problem isn't exclusive to Sonic 4, however, and "the levels are captivating thanks to creativity that makes them feel classic, while being modern in their execution." The level-exclusive gimmicks "give the game a magical quality that almost mimics the classic feel of the Genesis games".
 * Presentation-wise, it's the best of both worlds: Sonic retains his modern design, but the worlds seem like they're from the classics; they're colorful and have a lot happening. There aren't any frame rate dips, and though the music isn't as catchy as previous games, it fits well and feels retro due to the instrumentation.
 * The game doesn't have much replay value. All of the levels can be completed in less than an hour, and you can blow through them once you've gotten a feel for them. There's special stages and score/time attack modes, but overall it's not as fulfilling as previous Sonic games. This is probably because the game is episodic, but the length is "a glaring flaw in an otherwise enjoyable game"
 * The boss fights are too similar to previous games, and despite a few changes they're not very creative.
 * Verdict: 8/10. It recaptures the spirit of the classic Sonic games and harkens back to the era before the series' decline. "It might not be the exact, same caliber of quality as the Sonic Genesis games, and this could make it seem a step back for Sega, but it is still a great game that proves that when done right, Sonic really does shine."


 * https://web.archive.org/web/20110107081106/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=20481
 * https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a282463/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-xbla/
 * https://web.archive.org/web/20120407153306/http://uk.gamespot.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-review-6282170/
 * https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005425/http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/112/1126734p1.html
 * https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/48480-sonic-4-episode-1-review
 * https://mashable.com/2010/10/25/sonic-4-review/
 * https://www.wired.com/2010/10/sonic-4-review/
 * https://www.engadget.com/2010-10-13-sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-review.html

Sequel
Episode I was envisioned as the first installment of an episodic video game trilogy. In October 2010, Balough confirmed that Sega had the entire Sonic 4 story mapped out; while he did not confirm the number of episodes, he said they "will definitely make up a larger game. After completing them all, you'll have experienced a larger overall story arc that lives up to the epic nature of earlier Sonics." In August 2011, Iizuka stated that Episode II would not be released until 2012 (over a year after Episode I) so Sonic Team could focus on Sonic Generations. Ahead of Episode II, Sega rereleased Sonic CD (1993) for modern consoles, and advertised it as a prequel to Sonic 4.

Episode II, released in May 2012, reintroduces Tails and Metal Sonic, and follows Sonic and Tails as they attempt to prevent Eggman and Metal Sonic from relaunching the Death Egg. Fan input from Episode I played a significant role in the development of Episode II, as the developers worked to address aspects fans took issue with, such as the physics engine. Episode II was released on most platforms that Episode I was available on, although the Wii version was canceled due to hardware constraints. Players who own both episodes on a single platform unlock the ability to play as Metal Sonic in Episode I levels.

In March 2012, Iizuka announced that Sega did not plan to continue Sonic 4 beyond Episode II. In 2015, Australian developer Christian Whitehead said that he had been offered the opportunity to develop Episode III with Sega Studios Australia before that division was shut down, and he instead worked on remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 between 2012 and 2013. He said that while it was possible that Episode III could eventually be made, it was unlikely. Whitehead would go on to lead the development of Sonic Mania (2017), which, like Sonic 4, acts as a sequel to the Genesis Sonic games. Sonic 4 and Sonic Mania were frequently compared, with journalists viewing Sonic 4 unfavorably in contrast to Mania.

Episode I remains unpopular among Sonic fans, and its reception among journalists has declined in the years since its release. In 2020, USgamer ranked both episodes as one of the franchise's lesser games and called them unworthy of the title Sonic 4, and Kalata said that, even ignoring the high expectations set by its Genesis predecessors, he still disliked Episode I due to a lack of originality, subpar graphics and sound, and poor controls. Ellie Gibson, who wrote Eurogamer Episode I review, recanted her 9/10 score in 2016; she described herself as "blinded by nostalgia" and apologized to players who bought the game because of her review.