Oh Sonic, the places you’ve been.

From Mario’s main rival to setting the benchmark for shoddy 3D game design, Sonic has had his fair share of ups and downs. However, despite all of this, he has somehow held on to a rather sizable fanbase, most of whom have been patiently awaiting the blue hedgehog’s restoration to glory. Despite a solid lineup of handheld titles, fans have been demanding a true Sonic experience on home consoles. Sega finally decided to appease those fans, and with that we have Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1.

In fact, appeasing fans seems like the primary goal in Episode 1, as the game plays (for better or worse) exactly like its predecessors from long ago. Sonic still runs as fast as he can while avoiding enemies and the dreaded bottomless pits. The one main addition to Episode 1 is Sonic’s new lock-on ability, which allows him to target and attack enemies while in mid-air. The move is seamless, and greatly alleviates the usual criticism Sonic games receive; that levels are designed in a way that always put Sonic in danger of running straight into enemies. The move also allows for some interesting bits of platforming, as it can be used to bounce around a gathering of enemies in order to springboard to higher ledges.

Oddly enough, Sonic isn’t joined by any of the familiar cast on this journey. I am more than happy to pretend Big the Cat doesn’t exist, but it’s strange seeing Sonic run around without Tails following close behind. I suppose that Sega just wanted to do a clean reboot and distill the series down to its core, but it is still a weird omission. Here is hoping that he (and even Knuckles) pops up in the next episode.

Episode 1 features a paltry four levels, each of which consists of three acts and a boss battle. The levels are almost entirely based around ones from previous games, so don’t expect to see some new and exciting locales. Instead, you’ll find the traditional forest level filled with loops and corkscrews, a casino level, an underground/underwater level, and a factory level. There is nothing inherently wrong with the levels present, but they do feel a bit too familiar. Sure, there are a few surprises here and there (having to light torches in a blackened underground temple to unlock doors, for instance), but for the most part they end up being intrusive and simply slow down the speed of the game.

Then you have the boss battles, which are nothing short of antiquated. Robotnik (or Eggman, I guess), flies around using the same devices as he did nearly 20 years ago. A giant wrecking ball swinging from his ship, a series of spinning bubbles that act as a shield, a set of arms that try to grab Sonic; we’ve seen it all before. These encounters are simply disappointing, and lack any real challenge, at least until you reach the very last one.

Bringing the whole experience to life is a pretty engine that handles the fast, 2.5D action with no trouble. I never once experienced any slowdown, and though they were quite a change from his pixelated past, I enjoyed Sonic’s movement and animation. He seems to have a little bit more weight than in the older games, but controlling him becomes second nature quickly. The music, though not as impressive as in the 16-bit days, is thankfully free of any butt-rock influence. That seems like a victory in and of itself.

With only the four levels to explore, Sonic can be over before you even know it. If your goal is to complete the game as fast as possible, I can’t see spending more than a few hours to do so (much less if you are pretty well versed in Sonic’s past). There are Chaos Emeralds to collect, of course, which grant the ability to play as Super Sonic if they are all gathered. These are earned through bonus levels similar to those in the original Sonic. The player rotates the screen to try and navigate Sonic through a maze to the emerald. These stages are incredibly difficult, and I’m pretty sure I spent more time getting the Emeralds than I did completing the actual game itself.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 feels like a game that Sega was unsure about. They wanted to cater to fans, but had no idea of how to do that without simply replicating what has worked in the past. That’s fine, and it does work for the most part, but I can’t help feeling somewhat let down by what is here. Yes, it’s more side scrolling Sonic, something I’ve been wanting for a long time, but it’s also heartless, and mostly forgettable. The engine is solid and the mechanics are in place, but for Episode 2, Sega really needs to work and offer something unique here. Something that proves that Sonic still even has a need to exist. As it stands, Episode 1 is a reminder of what made Sonic great, just not proof that he can continue to be so.

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Things We Liked: Great engine that keeps up with all the action. Looks very nice. The lock-on ability is a great addition to Sonic’s bag of tricks.

Things We Disliked: Short game featuring too-familiar levels and mundane boss fights. Where’s Tails?

Target Audience: Die-hard Sonic fans. Everyone else, think about waiting for Episode 2.

(Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – Developers: Dimps, Sonic Team. Publisher: Sega. Available for iOS, PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network, Wii via WiiWare and Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade — Xbox Version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)