Sonic’s meta-narrative is far too tempting to relate in terms of rock stars or actors, complete with initial success, hubristic overconfidence and eventual humbling. And yet that’s not far from the apparent truth. Put simply, Sonic touched the first-generation console third rail – the third dimension – at roughly the same time as his eternal rival Mario, and taught the rest of the world how not to do it. That Sonic Team have proven such slow learners is at the heart of how much of a stinker the hedgehog’s had for (by now) the majority of his career.
Image via Destructoid
Allowing imagination to run wild again, let’s pretend that CEO Mario bumps into Sonic in a corridor in Nintendo HQ. Sonic has long since come to terms with his place in the court of his one-time nemesis, even consented to taking a few trips to the Olympics together. Mario takes the opportunity to put a friendly hand on Sonic’s shoulder and show him a copy of New Super Mario Bros Wii.
“But Signor Mario,” says Sonic, “this is just a rehash of a bunch of your old games shoved together. And you’re not even trying to pretend there’s a story.” Mario backhands him for insolence, before regathering his avuncular demeanour. “Ah, Sonic, so naive. That’s what we’ve been doing since Mario Galaxy. And those responsible for that were punished for deviance. In my Mushroom Kingdom, there is only one game. Think about this.” He taps a folded note on Sonic’s desk with a pudgy finger, puts on a raccoon suit and flies off. Sonic hangs his gigantic head in his glove hands and weeps a single tear from his weird single eyeball (seriously what’s the deal there).
He lifts the note, unfolds it gently. It’s a screengrab. Of him. As SuperSonic at the end of Sonic 2, flickies in tow, soaring alongside Tails’ little red biplane. Beneath, a single word. “Remember.”
Anyway, point is Sonic Team have got the general picture. Sonic Generations opens at the hedgehog’s birthday party with all the ‘friends’ he’s collected over the years like a parasitic entourage – tempting to imagine Tails as the friend who walks out on him at the end of the movie’s second act: “I still love you, it just that… you don’t love yourself“ [close door, fade to black] - all of whom are sucked through a trans-dimensional portal by a time monster for Sonic to (sigh) go rescue. It all suggests a self-awareness and thoughtfulness that has permitted so many bad ideas in previous games.
The return to the Green Hill, Chemical Plant and Sky Sanctuary Zones are little nuggets of joy, and are actually enhanced in a recognisable-but-different way by the contemporary-style 3d versions, illuminating the original’s qualities like a cover version of a great song. Shockingly too, some of the later-era levels also stand up in comparison with the Mega Drive sections – Seaside Hill being a noteworthy dud. For all that Generations does so well, when it fails it fails badly. A few times too often the 3d sections’ controls seem pernickety and inflexible, the spike traps and insta-deaths a little too punitive.
There are improvements across the board in Sonic Generations - an increased ability to gather lost rings is an invaluable tool, not to mention the stripped-down relationship with power-ups enjoyed by Classic Sonic – and watching the little old fella celebrating at the end of a stage hit all the right nostalgic notes. It’s not a total success – Sonic Team still have something to learn about abandoning wretched ideas – but, once again, there’s a wee blur of blue hope for a character who has long seemed past his prime.
How was your return to planet Mobius? Let us know in the comments. And for a pretty killer take on the game, check out the review over at Death By Robots.
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January 27, 2012
Games