SONIC GENERATIONS REVIEW

Sonic isn't back.  Contrary to what all the other review sites tell you, we won't pity your knowledge of the blue blur by 'welcoming' him back.  To those with a keen eye on everything Sega he never really went away.

Last year was the start of the Sonic comeback with the brilliant Sonic 4 and excellent Wii exclusive Sonic Colours.  This year though Sega have gone one better by giving the world Sonic's best game since Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast back in 2002.

Generations sees the inclusion of not one but two Sonics.  Some crazy time eater monster has decided to mess with time and space in Sonic's world and this mad plot twist has seen both the rounder and cuter classic Sonic and the more modern slimline Sonic appear in the same game.

All nine levels are split up into two acts, the first one is for Classic Sonic and features 2D gameplay that all fans of the Genesis/Mega Drive era will love and remember fondly.  While Act 2 see's Modern Sonic take the lead roll in all his homing attack, break neck pace loving self.

Both versions play brilliantly and could so easily have made two separate games.  At first switching between the two Sonic's is kind of awkward, I initially kept attempting homing attacks and boosts with Classic Sonic but after a while of adjustment it seamlessly fits together.

But it's not the notion of having two Sonic's that steals the show here but the level design themselves.  Every stage is based off one from a previous Sonic game.  All main Sonic titles are represented by one level except Sonic 3.  This gives us nine stages but it does feel a little short.  I'm well aware that one Sonic level takes an age to create due to the speed you go through it but it only took me just over four hours to complete the story.  I would have liked at least another three stages.  We might see some extra as DLC but I am a bit miffed at the lack of Lava Reef and Ice Cap from Sonic 3 and Knuckles.

All the levels are fantastic, the only bad one of the bunch would have to be Planet Wisp but even that level looks wonderful and has some interesting all be it frustrating ideas at times.  One of my personal favourites would have to be the 2D Crisis City.  To run to the goal post and actually see it fly away from me was a real eye opener.

Apart from the usual nine stages Sonic Generations gives so much more, it really is a Sonic fans wet dream.  After collecting hidden red rings in the normal stages and completing some of the 100 challenges on offer you'll unlock a whole treasure trove of stuff.  Artwork, music, videos and even character trophies it's a wonderful nod to Sonic's worldwide fan base.

Is this the greatest Sonic game of all time?  No it's not, that title still belongs to Sonic 3 in my opinion and I don't think it's even the best of modern times with both Dreamcast iterations fighting for that title.  But it is the best Sonic game since 2002, not that there's been too much competition.

Even if you have a passing interest in Sonic it's well worth picking up and if you look hard enough you can easily find 20 plus hours of gameplay trying to better your own times over and over again.  Now to get my Green Hill Act 1 time to under a minute for that damn trophy.

8.5/10

SEGA Rally Online Arcade Review

This game immediately brings me back to the days where SEGA fought head to head with the giant's of this fine industry.  Now the Saturn wasn't the best system, in fact it was one of Sega's worst in terms of support.  But one launch game will live long in the memory, SEGA Rally.  Despite the fact it only had a few courses and two cars it was the best racer on the system.

So what does this update have to offer?  After a full retail edition which scored highly I'm happy to report that the downloadable title is of a very high standard.  Everything you love about arcade racing is here, short bursts of total fun.  We have the usual fair of modes here for racing games, Championship, Quick Race, Online and Time Attack.  Each mode is pretty self explanatory and all very solid affairs.

But how does it race?  This of course, is the crucial part for a racing game.  The answer is overwhelmingly positive.  Sliding round dirt corners and seeing your pristine white Celica receive a torrent of abuse from the wet mud that clings to your car is a welcome sight.  The handling of the cars really is perfect and the AI of the cars is pretty much spot on.  Providing a challenge without becoming difficult.

So if your looking for a fun arcade racer look no further than Sega Rally, a fun game for a little over £6 from the PSN and Xbox Live.  It's one of my picks of the summer.

9/10

Super Monkey Ball 3D Review

Our first 3DS review isn't the immediate pick on everyone's 'must have' 3DS list when purchasing the console but perhaps you should reconsider? Upon poping in the little white 3DS cartridge and seeing monkey's in ball's happily rolling around the stage I'm reminded of Super Monkey Ball's original debut on the Gamecube and the fun I had when playing it.

If your not used to Super Monkey Ball where have you been? It's a delightful little puzzle game where the object is simple, guide your monkey in a ball to the goal within a minute. A simple premise at first when your tasked with rolling the ball down a simple slant in a straight line, but the further into the game you get the more testing the stages become. Rolling the ball around a swirl with no walls and with springs which fling you off into the distance is not an easy task at all! But Super Monkey Ball 3DS somehow manages to not make you get frustrated, perhaps it's the colours or the loveable monkey's themselves but I never found myself getting annoyed because I couldn't do a level.

The advantage of having a 3D screen helps this game immensely, especially on the latter level's when evading obstacles such as the spring's I mentioned earlier is crucial and the added perception you get really helps. The controls for this game are simple enough, you have the option of using the control stick or the gyroscope in the 3DS itself to control the ball. If you do opt for the gyroscope though make sure you turn 3D off, as moving the system all over the place to control your monkey makes you lose the sweet spot of the 3D very easily and makes viewing a nightmare.

Like every Super Monkey Ball game there are the additional mini-games, not so much this time though. We have Monkey Racing, a delightful Donkey Style kart racer and Monkey Fight which kind of feels like Super Smash Bros, but with monkeys. Each mini-game does a solid if unspectacular job and can take up some of your time but both pale in comparison to puzzle mode which undoubtedly steals the show and it's easy to see where the develops spent the most time perfecting the game.

Super Monkey Ball 3D is a great little starter game for you brand new handheld before some of the more bigger names come to fruition in the summer (who said Zelda?), for now, Super Monkey Ball will delightfully fill your time and provide with a few hours of 3D fun.

7.5

Yakuza 4 Review

Yakuza is very close to establishing itself as an annual franchise. Similar to your Sports title's and Call of Duty type, one a year formula games. This is the second Yakuza game to hit these shores in as many years following on from the mild success of the first two to hit the Playstation 2. After much fan badgering Sega finally decided to release Yakuza 3 last year, they 'westernised' the game by taking out much of the quirky Japanese tastes (hostess bars, massage parlours etc) that made the first two unique. But thanks to solid sales and an unhappiness at what was left out in Yakuza 3 the sequel arrived fully intact with all Japanese shenanigan's and without the need for a brisk internet campaign from loyal fans.

So now that it's here what makes Yakuza 4 different from previous iterations of the series? Well to be truthful not a lot really. It's still the same Kamurocho town that we've been to in the last three games, still the same random battles in the street's and still the same convoluted plot story with massive twists and murder 24/7. But just because it's the same doesn't mean that goes in the negative column. Yakuza 4 differs itself by taking control away from series protagonist Kiryu Kazuma for most of it.

Instead you control four different characters from different backgrounds. Akiyama, a loan shark, Saejima a convict, Det. Takimura a rookie cop and finally everyone's favourite ex-Yakuza turned orphanage owner Kiryu Kazuma. Each individual story starts at different time periods throughout the games setting of March 2010 while at first I was extremely sceptical as to how all of these individual stories would link up in the end, they eventually came together quite spectacularly. At time's the story in the middle of the game seems to get very complicated with enough threads to knit a wooly jumper. By taking control of the other three characters we see Kazuma as the true legend that he is in Kamourocho. Much like what Kojima did in Metal Gear Solid 2 with Raiden and Snake. By taking control away from the player of Kazuma it really let's his character develop in a way that you couldn't by controlling him.

While of course a good story is Yakuza's main selling point the fighting comes a close second. Now don't get me wrong the fighting in Yakuza is good, it's the exact same as 3 save for a few new moves for the new characters. All the heat mode finishing moves are identical to what we see in 3. The finishers are still as fun and brutal as ever but I feel it was just sheer laziness to leave the exact same mechanics in. Do we really need to see these again, I must have hit someone round the head with a baseball bat about 70 times in Yakuza 3 and it's the exact same now for 4. The fighting system will probably need a bit of refreshing when the inevitable Yakuza 5 comes round (I'm ignoring Yakuza: Of The End) as it's the only bit of the game that feels old. The lock-system doesn't quite work all the time and blocking can be a bit hit or miss but smashing someone's head into the wall never gets old, ever.

In summing up Yakuza 4 it does feel a bit dated at times, especially if you're right up to date with the series. But being dated isn't always a bad things, the thing's Yakuza 4 does well it does fantastically and kept me hooked right up until the finish. There are hundreds of hours you could lose with many many side-quest's including running a hostess bar, training up rookie karate kid's and even playing in a Sega arcade. If you haven't delved into a Yakuza game before I would start with 3 to learn a bit about the back story, if you enjoyed 3 then I see no reason why you shouldn't come back. Look past the ageing fighting system and you'll find yourself a great game and a great world to be in.

8/10