Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II

I gave a full review to the first game. I’ll give this one a full review as well. I noted in my review of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I earlier this year that I owned it on both Steam and WiiWare – no such thing here, I own it only on Steam. Good, that means it’ll only take me half the time it took to test the two versions I had for Episode I.

Beating a giant robot? Just a Tuesday for Sonic.

So, a quick recap before we jump into Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, released to Steam on May 15th, 2012: Sonic discovered a faraway island that Eggman was already in the process of turning into a new factory for his mean machines, he beat up Eggman in space, all’s well again. And also he may have gathered the Chaos Emeralds. That’s all fine and good, but it felt like only half a game. What to do now? Well, there’s yet another new continent to explore. 

And this time, Sonic isn’t alone – his buddy Tails, the two-tailed fox, has joined in and will gladly lend a hand whenever necessary. And, oh boy, is it going to be necessary. 

Tails is strong enough to carry Sonic, but can't
do it for very long. Understandable.

This game works quite differently from the first one, as you control both Sonic and Tails in single-player mode. This means controlling Sonic with a CPU Tails following you like in older 2D Sonic platformers. However, at the push of a button, Sonic will call his buddy and they’ll help each other out. When Tails is called while Sonic has his feet on the ground, the two will unleash a powerful form of spindash that can break stronger obstacles that Sonic cannot break on his own. If Sonic calls Tails in mid-air (after jumping, as an example), Tails will grab Sonic and can then fly the two of them to higher ledges, or carry him around when underwater. Note that Sonic cannot attack while the two are doing this, but at any moment the “Call Tails” button can be pressed again so Tails will let go of Sonic, thus allowing the hedgehog to attack again. The game attempts to guide the player in using these abilities to their fullest, but there's still a bit of trial-and-error involved, especially due to the layout of the levels.

(Also, for the record, it took me a while to set the game’s controls to my liking, as I didn’t know yet what the game would demand of me. It was a bit tricky. Not to mention that the game itself will only refer to color buttons rather than keyboard keys, so you have to get used to your own setup.) 

The Sonic+Tails spindash combo can tear
through everything! It's also very quick.

At first, I couldn't even think of using Tails to
fly towards the elevated Eggman!
I'm an idiot.

The first Zone of the game, Sylvania Castle, allows the player to unlock the cooperative abilities between Sonic and Tails as levels are completed. That world ends in a boss battle against Eggman, back with a new giant machine. He has grown clever enough to keep his weak point too high above ground for Sonic to attack – which is why we must rely on Tails’ flight in order to reach Eggman’s cockpit and attack it. That first boss battle felt like a trial by fire – it’s extremely tough if you haven’t mastered the cooperative abilities by the time you get there. Not going to lie, I struggled. I eventually learned the patterns and how to use the Sonic+Tails combo, but I did have to lose a couple lives first. 

That robotic plant boss is friggin’ badass, though.

Wheeee!

The Special Levels are back, so you can go and collect the Chaos Emeralds all over again. However, instead of a Super Monkey Ball-type of challenge where the world spins around Sonic, this time we have Sonic and Tails on a racing strip, collecting as many Rings as possible while avoiding the hazards. I got the first Chaos Emerald pretty easily, though I can imagine things are only going to get trickier from there. Once again, a Special Level is reached by finishing a regular Act with 50 rings or more.

On top of this, if you want an extra challenge, each level also has a hidden red star ring that you can seek out. I remember those from Sonic Colors. Good luck getting them, though – they’re in pretty tricky places.

Hey Tails, where are you? I found the star
ring! ...Oh, you don't care? Alright.

The end of Sonic 4 Episode I teased the return of Metal Sonic, if you gathered all seven Chaos Emeralds. Well, he’s indeed back, picked up from Little Planet just as it was passing by and taken to Sonic’s world. (Gee, it’s a good thing I also played Sonic CD earlier this year to know what this is all about!) He is the boss of the second area in the game, White Park Zone.

Metal Sonic can barely make his way back to Mobius.
How could he be any threat to Sonic at the moment?

Metal Sonic, ready to kick ass and drink gasoline.
And he's almost out of gas.

However, this is not the last we hear of Metal Sonic… in part because he’s become a staple of the franchise, but also because he’s got a greater role to play here. If a console or system you play Sonic 4 Episode II on detects save files for Episode I, it will add a set of bonus levels, titled Episode Metal, which feature the robotic doppelganger as a playable character. It’s only four levels, but they take place in the four worlds of Episode I, and are noticeably harder than the levels on Sonic and Tails’ side of the story. Their story reveals Metal Sonic rummaging around the other areas of this mysterious island, powering up thanks to a mysterious treasure he finds in the Lost Labyrinth. After which he chases down his nemesis, only to see the blue hedgehog and his kitsune friend taking off to the other half of the island.

I do like that this game attempted to tie up a few loose ends, effectively incorporating Sonic CD for good in the canon of the original 2D Sonic titles. We could have long arguments on whether that was successful, seeing as these explanations actually contradict some of the things we learned in other games (and Sonic CD, by its very concept, is a bit difficult to reconcile with the rest of the Sonic canon). That said, for reasons I’ll discuss later, it unfortunately fails in its goal.

Several levels have gimmicks that you might
not be able to prepare for. Though, props for
the signs telling Sonic where the endless
pits are. That's handy. Thanks, Eggman!

Now, on difficulty: My first impression was that the game was a lot harder than Episode I. Then again, its predecessor gave me no fear of ever seeing a Game Over screen due to how easy it was to rack up extra lives, which may have helped make the overall game feel a lot more forgiving. Extra lives felt much rarer here, and I got the Game Over screen a couple times, even if it’s little more than a slap on the wrist. I also felt like some levels had elements of cheap game design, but most of it becomes tolerable the more you play levels. I thought that the new controls adding Tails to the game would make things harder, but it didn’t turn out too bad. 

It is true that the physics engine was refined compared to Episode I and are more in line with the classic 2D Sonic games of the Genesis era, so maybe I’m the one struggling to adapt. Among other improvements, the graphics have been greatly improved as well, something that’s noticeable everywhere, but especially in the Special Stages, where we can see the heroes in better detail. 

Ready for a gameplay change?
(Not me!)

Sonic and Tails go through Oil Desert Zone, another area with a new gimmick at every Act. Then, they attack Eggman’s Sky Fortress. This one starts with an Act aboard Tails’ plane, with a lot of traps and sections that require great timing. You still control Sonic, who can dash at enemies and jump while standing on Tails’ plane, and his buddy will (usually) be there to let him land. It’s an extremely annoying level and I was glad it was over. After storming Eggman’s Sky Fortress, the duo encounters Metal Sonic again, piloting a blue aircraft. This battle uses the plane mechanics of the first Act of this world. Enjoy. I know I didn’t. 

This game explains quite nicely why Eggman reused older machines throughout Episode I; he was saving up for his grand plan. Indeed, the final acts take place on Little Planet again – or rather, in a giant metallic casing with Eggman’s trademark goggles-and-mustache design. Just the tenth Death Star Eggman creates, nothing new here. Well, aside that it seems to be acting like a Dyson sphere harnessing the energy of the planetoid. 

I'm ahead of you, goodbye metallic faker!

A machine that looks like an actual heart.
Eh, sure, why not.

The first level on the Death Egg Mk II ends in a throwback to the race against Metal Sonic in Stardust Speedway. Being in the final area, it was likely meant to be difficult, but the Sonic-Tails combo spin dash is so quick, it makes the race a cakewalk. I beat this level on my first try. The next level is the final boss, the Egg Heart, the core of the new Death Egg. It’s a tough battle, though not as tough as the final boss of the previous Episode. Once the Egg Heart is defeated, the Death Egg starts malfunctioning and powers down completely. Sonic and Tails escape via the only two available pods, leaving Eggman to his doom. He'll be fine, he's like a cockroach, he comes back from everything.

"Sonic, don't you think we've got more to do here?"
"Nah, there's nothing left to worry about!"

The heroes have won this battle, but the war isn’t over! After all, Little Planet is still encased within the Death Egg. Who knows why Eggman captured the planetoid. And we’re going to find out… never. Episode II ends on a cliffhanger with the story all set up for an Episode III, which would probably feature Knuckles as a throwback to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog 3. However, in spite of the large improvements Episode II made over its predecessor, the lukewarm review scores and poor sales numbers discouraged Sega from making a third installment to this saga. Thus, we’re left with several unresolved plot threads.

If you've played through this game, you
remember this section. AAAAAAAAAAA

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II is not a terrible game. It feels short due to having only five main worlds and seven Special levels, and a bonus world (Episode Metal), but it's got more content than Episode I. It does make up for it by changing the physics engine in order to be more in line with the classic Sonic games. It also adds Tails and two cooperation moves that radically change the gameplay – not to mention the Multiplayer mode that comes from such an addition. The improved graphics and the music are also much welcome. 

Gee, good thing my flying buddy is here
to help me!

What the game lacks in length, it makes up for in content. Yes, you can merely try to beat the game, and that’s plenty tough on the first run. However, there’s more to do. The usual bonus task of gathering the seven Chaos Emeralds, for one – and I can attest that it’s goddamn hard. I tried to do it for this review. I never, NEVER finished the last Special level. But, to be fair, I liked these Special levels far more than those in Episode I. Ther's also the extra of seeking every Red Star Ring. Last but not least, you can attempt to make it to the leaderboards by getting a high score or reaching the goal in record time. 

Ah, so much wind!

I felt like the difficulty overall was greater than in Episode I. Many levels rely on gimmicks that appear nowhere else. White Park Zone has avalanches in Act 1, and robotic seals that freeze areas of an underwater labyrinth, thus blocking the path for Sonic and Tails in Act 3. Oil Desert Zone has strong winds blowing back and forth, hampering Sonic’s progress in Act 1 – not to mention those goddamned robotic beetles. Act 2 has Sonic run on slippery oil, and patches of quicksand. Act 3 has garbage dumps that trap the heroes within, and they must escape quickly as the dumps fill with sand. And of course, Sky Fortress Zone has two levels involving Tails piloting the Tornado… I’m not against stuffing gimmicks in every level, but several of these felt cheap at best. If you don’t know what’s coming, the game doesn’t allow you to prepare. It’s only by dying and coming back that you can figure out the best way to get through. That’s my biggest problem with the level design in the game. 

Barring that issue, like I said, it’s okay. I’m happy that I played it, but I would not recommend it on its own, at the 10$ price tag. Wait till it’s on sale – perhaps even on sale alongside Episode I, so you get both games and Episode Metal. Also, remember when I said that I owned Episode I on Wii as well? I learned that Episode II was never released on any Nintendo console. If you bought Episode I on WiiWare, no sequel for you. That 1500 Wii Points price tag feels even more like a ripoff. Sonic 4 is decent, but really only worth playing if you play both Episodes.

Metal Sopnic: Hates Sonic....
does everything Sonic has done.

Anyway… that’s it for this week. Starting next week… I’m in the mood to review some movies.