Sonic Rush

by Sega

• Play as either Sonic the Hedgehog or Blaze the Cat -- storylines and outcomes differ keeping you in suspense for double the fun
• Your fate is touch-and-go with Bosses charging you from all directions and now on two screens
• Fully utilizes Dual Screens. Long steep dives across both top and bottom screens, super high jumps, huge loops and more
• 2D AND 3D action brings graphic depth and intense gameplay, as a new arch nemesis threatens the world. Dr. Eggman times two! Beware!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0009SQFHK
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 16, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,762 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Features include: •Play as either Sonic the Hedgehog or Blaze the Cat -- storylines and outcomes differ keeping you in suspense for double the fun •Your fate is touch-and-go with Bosses charging you from all directions and now on two screens •Fully utilizes Dual Screens. Long steep dives across both top and bottom screens, super high jumps, huge loops and more •2D AND 3D action brings graphic depth and intense gameplay, as a new arch neme

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 109 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sonic the way Sonic should be! November 17, 2005

By Matthew Marko

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega's mascot has been around a long time, and has always had a following. With Sega dropping console status and just sticking to development, all of the various Sega franchises have drifted around and landed in various places. Sega's most famous character, Sonic, and all of his gang have landed in the strangest place of them all: Nintendo.

I realize that Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems and Sonic Heroes have come out multi-platform, but Sonic Adventures were released on Gamecube, and Shadow the Hedgehog has just come out on Nintendo's box. Also, the former rival is home to the real Sonic games: Sonic Advance 1, 2, and 3 on the Game Boy Advance.

It's true, that Sonic belongs in 2D. The sense of speed, of gravity-defying, dizzying velocity is really something that never translates well in 3D. Sonic just doesn't move as fast and doesn't control as well as he does when he's blazing through the 2D worlds that populate his games. Something is always lost in translation. There's no feeling of rocketing through worlds at insane speeds.

Well, the Advance games remedied that, but they didn't quite have the scope and balance of the original sonic games. Yes, they were fast, but they were also ... kind of small feeling. They felt like portable versions of sonic games. They were good, but I always preferred the old-school Sonic games as the real achievements.

Well, Nintendo has a new portable out, with a lot more power, and so it was just a matter of time before Sega would bring the Hedgehog over. How does Sonic Rush make out? Well, let me just say this: I might have a new favorite Sonic game. And if not, it's very close.

Sonic knocks the Blue Hedgehog kicking and screaming into a new handheld glory. This is a giant, beautiful game, with the kind of level design not seen since the old-school sonics. With the two screens of the DS, the Hedgehog's vertical now, with levels that launch our hero sky-ward and back across both screens without any real trouble in the transition between screens. It's fluid and gorgeous.

Actually, gorgeous is a great word for the entire game. The levels themselves are classic 2D. Not overly flashy, but beautiful and perfect for blurring past. With Sonic, flashy little details aren't as important as looking good for the split second you'll see it, and the levels don't dissappoint. Sonic himself is a 3D model, a pretty good one that moves wonderfully on the screen and makes for some nice effects on levels as he sometimes is thrown closer to the screen due to cranes, elevators, and slides that push forward in a wonderful melding of 2D and 3D.

The boss battles, though, are done entirely in 3D. So far, I haven't had the kind that takes place in an arena (where you can move all over) but instead on tracks where you can go left and right. But the boss is 3D, and you move in 3D space, and it really works in a retro sort of way. Yes, it's 3D bosses, but they move and behave with patterns that are wonderfully old-school.

Yes, there's a second character, a purple female feline named Blaze the Cat, but I've spent most of my time right now with Sonic. It seems that she controls similarly, and thus there's no lengthy distractions with slower characters (I'm looking at you, Sonic Adventure games!). This one's all about speed.

And the control! This game is perfect. It's all tight and responsive, and you'll need it, because with the speed Sonic goes, one mistake will send you careening into an enemy or plunging to your doom. It's not overly challenging (none of the Sonics are, if you ask me), but it's good and it does require skill, and that's really the whole point.

I love this game. I love Sonic, and this is one for the ages. Trust me, if you want a great classic console experience, this is it (and it fits in your pocket)! It's a must buy. It won't disappoint, I guarantee it. Read more ›

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sonic the way he should be August 2, 2006

By N. Durham HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

There are some things that are just better in 2-D. Castlevania, Street Fighter, and Contra are prime examples of this, but perhaps there is no other series that is best in it's 2-D roots than Sonic the Hedgehog. With Sonic Rush on the DS, the blue colored hedgehog is back in his 2-D glory as Sonic Rush utilizes both screens as you bolt through the levels at break neck speeds with all the classic elements you'd expect from a Sonic game: tons of rings and enemies, loop de loops, bouncing springs, and so on. You can play as Sonic or new character Blaze the Cat as you take on Dr. Robotnik (he's refered to as Eggman more and more these days, but he'll always be Dr. Robotnik to me), but there's not much difference between the two heroes, which you'll notice as you progress through the game. Since the game goes at such a break neck pace, it's easy to miss something you're supposed to grab on to or bounce off of, which can lead to many deaths unless you memorize the area. This hurts the overall gameplay aspect of Sonic Rush, but the fact that this is a new Sonic game in all his classic 2-D glory more than makes up for it. It's intense and fun, and for DS owners who had a soft spot for Sega and want some classic action on the go, Sonic Rush deserves to be picked up.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars My First Sonic Game December 18, 2006

A Kid's Review

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I was a little worried that I wouldn't like this game because I never played a Sonic game before. At first it was a little hard because it's so fast but, I quickly got used to it and it was enjoyable. If the game is too hard you can go to options and put it on easy. I'm glad I bought this game and I will soon be purchasing another sonic game for my gamecube. So, I want to reccomend this to you. It's one of my favorite games.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hyperkinetic Fun for Players with Fast Reflexes February 17, 2006

By E. David Swan VINE VOICE

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I hadn't played a 2D Sonic game since the olden days of the Sega Genesis and have never been a huge fan of the formula. The idea of zooming around at breakneck speeds is appealing but there are some definite problems with going 60 mph on a narrow side scroller, sort of like playing Mario with the run button held down except 10 times faster. The problem is that you run into enemies long before you can react. The solution is to make a clear path for Sonic but then the game becomes too easy. It's a systemic flaw that is one likely reason why Sonic has always been a significant distance behind the slow moving Mario. My other beef was that Sonic (like Poochie the dog from the Simpsons) is just too cool for his own good.

Sonic the hedgehog still has the appearance of a character created by a focus group but his latest adventure is an exceptionally good game. The once mighty Sega is barely limping along at this point but they still manage to release high quality games and Sonic Rush is a highly polished game that accomplishes one neat trick which is to synchronize both screens so Sonic can seamlessly move from one to the other without disorienting the player. The effect creates a uniquely tall viewing area that gives players a better look at alternative paths. To solve the enemy collision problem the game adds a turbo button so that Sonic can punch right through enemies without losing rings. The turbo button runs out over time but can be recharged by performing stunts. There are still times when the player will likely need to scout an area before completing it in order to figure out where the turbo button needs to be pressed.

The boss battles are perhaps the most visually stunning parts of the game and also the least fun. I actually had a tremendous amount of difficulty defeating Eggman's first mechanized vehicle and was concerned that the game might turn out to be obscenely hard. It's not an easy game and some parts are a bit frustrating but a few tries should get the average player through most sections. One feature meant to extend game play is Blaze the Cat who appears on the cover alongside Sonic. In order to fully complete the game players need to finish each level twice, once with Sonic and once with Blaze.

There are some mini-levels that utilize the touch screen but many players may never even locate them. All in all the game is an excellent effort by Sega and the most enjoyable Sonic game I've ever played. Read more ›