Based on the novelty alone, I think Sonic Lost World is already a promising game. After all, it's the very first true 3D portable Sonic game. Finally, after many years of waiting, and with games like Sonic Rivals and Sonic Generations 3DS failing to live up to that concept, we finally have a Sonic game where you can roam around in a full-3D environment. Sure, there's still some 2D levels, but even those have been built for the new kind of gameplay this title has set.

Yes, you've read that right. Gone are the days of Sonic Rush boost-platforming. Sonic can now doPretty much what he's done in the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Colors. He can run, bounce, collect floating Rings, Spin Dash, use his signature Homing Attack, and use Wisp power-ups to help on his journey. Now Sonic can also use a kick attack which is useful for enemies shielding themselves, and more importantly, he can now run on walls! This parkour feature is a unique mechanic that's pretty fun to do, especially when you figure out how to handle it better.

ActuallyThat's what I'd have to say for the game as a whole, to be honest with you. Believe it or not, the difficulty is surprisingly HIGH for a Sonic title, let alone a handheld one. Coming from previous installments, I was unprepared for the beating that I was given as I traveled through the game's six zones (I'd count Lava Mountain as a last zone if it wasn't a Boss Rush divided into three acts). This wasn't the kind of game where you could just Boost through the thing in a jiffy. Oh NOOO. Here, you may want to be careful a little more often. I'm just saaaaying. At first, it was kinda off-putting, but I've recently grown to appreciate it a bit more actually. It felt like it was trying to go for an oldschool feel, because I ended up trying to master some of these levels almost like how I would with a fairly difficult NES title.
Fortunately, though, there's still a huge abundance of extra lives and rings, similarly to how the Mario series would have laid out its coins and 1ups.

One other major thing that needs to be discussed is how big the levels themselves are. I personally welcome levels of any length (as long as it's not twice as long as these), but jeez! I haven't played levels this long since Sonic Heroes! Compared to the little-more-than-an-hour I've spent to complete Sonic Generations, Lost World can go on for maybe five hours+ if you're like me and have played a Sonic game before. If you don't like levels that can possibly take 10+ minutes to beat, then this game may not be for you.

And then there's the minor things that kinda bug me about the game. First off, the Special Stages are crap for one reason and one reason only - The need to tilt the 3DS as you would in the built-in 3DS game, Face Raiders. Just make sure you do these in an empty room if you don't want to look dumb and if you want to unlock the ability to transform into the pretty radical Super Sonic. Second, why are the Wisps in this game? The storyline doesn't mention or refer to them a single time, while Sonic Colors was obviously all about the Wisps. Speaking of story, it's mostly just fine (especially great writing with character interactions!), but the Deadly Six/Zeti just simply want Sonic dead, with no explanation why. The Zeti themselves don't make for interesting bosses, but then again, not a lot of Sonic bosses have been truly great. I just wish the video quality for the cutscenes was a little bit clearer.

For everything I have to criticize in the game, though, there's plenty of fun to go around. The 3D platforming is nice and fluid (considering Sonic's variety of moves), the soundtrack and graphics are excellent, and there's definitely a considerable amount of effort put into the game as a whole in comparison to the previous aforementioned 3DS outing. To make matters better, the 4-Player online Vs modes are addictive and robust (The Special Stages are even in their own mode so you won't be forced to play them)! It is also a good way to get you to replay certain levels and become better at progressing through them. Sonic Lost World isn't exactly what I'd call a GREAT game, but it's still pretty good.

Just beware when it comes to the long levels, difficulty, and tilt-required Special Stages.

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UPDATE (3/24/14): My overall opinion hasn't really changed much since this review, but I have a few things to note. As time went on, I got progressively better (As I do with every Sonic game, I guess), and managed to clock in between 2-3 hours per playthrough of this game, which still beats Generations 3DS's length.

I don't believe I've mentioned this already, but there are some times in this game where a giant enemy would stand in your way. These instances can get rather annoying, but most of them have a weakness or way to bypass each one (Whether it's via Wisp power or hopping right by). When in doubt, "charging" the Homing Attack can come in handy. You do this by waiting a moment after attacking it, and then using the Homing Attack again. This works wonders on giant baddies like the fish robots in Tropical Coast, and you'll NEED to do this on the final boss (The boss sucks btw).

When I wasn't playing the single-player adventure though, I was racing in the Online Multiplayer mode! This actually gets more addictive than the online in Generations 3DS, and it totally helps when there's multiple Sonics seen onscreen, and the fact that up to 4 players can race each other at once!

Let me start by saying that I do not own the Wii U version of the game, so I cannot make any comparisons. I plan on getting a Wii U soon and playing that game, which I will review too, so keep posted!

Anyways, this game is absolutely great. The level design is great (Dimps really is great at thinking outside the box when they take their time) and is a nice mash-up of classic Genesis platforming and Sonic Adventure 2 maneuvering. There are so many different paths you can take in one level that it will take you ages to take every route possible in each level. With mini-bosses within the levels and proper amounts of challenge, the level design here is definitely something I am a fan of.

The graphics look great on the 3DS, especially when 3D is clicked on. Dimps really took advantage of the 3DS' capabilities. The frame-rate has not dropped once for me yet, even with 3D on. The backgrounds of the levels are blurry and add a great sense of depth even with the 3D off. Nothing looks like it was lazily ported from the Wii U version. If anything, this could pass off for a Wii or Gamecube game!

The soundtrack is great, just take a listen for yourself. The tracks are fun to listen to and also fit the levels and situations perfectly.

The bosses in this version are nothing amazing but, from what I've seen, they beat the bosses in the Wii U version. Just look up videos of the first boss in the Wii U version and the 3DS version and you'll see what I mean.

The controls work extremely well, but you have to get used to them first. I naturally learn things very quickly but not everyone does. There is not much of a learning curve, but you will be so used to previous 3D sonic games that this one will take getting used to. I still occasionally find myself forgetting to hold R to run and I don't make jumps. The turning is a little weird, too. This will push a lot of people away from playing this game, so don't let that happen to you.

The special stages are my only gripe. You are flying around collecting orbs and you have to use gyro controls to move. That means you rotate your body and look up and down. If you could tilt instead of rotating your body or if the rotating was less stiff-feeling, the special stages would be much better. It's not TOO bad but could be improved. At least it's not another half-pipe.

Overall, if you don't have a Wii U or you want a great 3D sonic game on-the-go, definitely buy this. It's worth it.

It's about time Sega created a 3D handheld Sonic game! After 22 years of nothing but 2D side-scrolling (not counting Labyrinth), the Blue Blur has finally made the leap to 3D gameplay on a handheld! That alone was enough for me to buy this game.

As for the actual gameplay, it's different from the other Sonic games. For starters, running is a button. That's right people, a button! You have to hold down R nearly the entire time you play a level. Which means, those of you who love the amazing speed and boosting of games like Rush, or Generations (as I do) will be disappointed. You may also find yourself a little frustrated at times, due to all the cheap hits and kills. As well as those stupid "puzzles." (Rolling fruit or snowballs into holes.) However, despite the slower pace and taking more patience, I still found the gameplay fun.

It's a platforming game. So, you'll have a bunch of precise jumps and actions to make. The levels also come in both 2D and 3D gameplay. Similar to Generations on 360/PS3. You'll have two Acts of 3D gameplay and one Act of 2D side-scrolling. The 2D levels are a lot like the ones from Sonic 4, and the classic Genesis games. The first zone, Windy Valley, is a total blast. Fast and fluid with very few times you need to stop. It's the closest you'll get to that feeling of speed Sonic games are known for. There are a few other fun acts in later zones that have good replay value, but none as much as zone 1 act 1. As if to counter that, acts 2 and 3 of Tropical Coast, and act 3 of Frozen Factory are all perfect candidates for the top 10 worst Sonic levels. Constant stopping, constant hits, stupid puzzles, or drilling for an entire level. If you can make it through those, you'll be fine the rest of the game.

You have new abilities such as running on or up walls, which take a little bit of time to get used to. But, once you do are pretty fun. The spindash, and the bounce attack from SA2 appear as well. You also have different power ups and color powers to use. I liked being able to get a shield at any point during a level. They added a few new wisps in addition to the old "Laser" "Drill" and "Burst" ones. We now have "Asteroid" "Lightning" and "Quake". All except laser control rather poorly. Quake might have been okay if it hadn't used gyro controls. I was never a wisp fan to begin with, and these new wisps only increased my annoyance. Thankfully only a few levels demand that they be used non-stop. Most of the time, they're still optional.

The special stages have you collecting orbs using gyro controls. So, make sure you're standing in a room by yourself before you try those. If unlocked, Super Sonic is playable in the regular levels, rather than just the final boss. He helps give the game that sense of speed it so desperately needs. He's also the best version of 3D Super Sonic I've seen so far.

The graphics, and music are both good. The invincible music is an instrumental version of "Sonic Heroes", one my favorite Sonic games. I really liked that they made references to the past games in this way. The cutscenes were kind of blurry, but at least you didn't have to read the story like past handheld titles.

In some ways, this game reminds me of Mario gameplay as well. Such as certain level designs, jumping on clouds, and fighting giant killer caterpillars. One thing that I really wish they'd done, was add a few more playable characters. I miss playing as Tails and Knuckles. Overall, I thought this game was okay. It may also be a stepping stone to better handheld Sonic games in the future. If you're after a Sonic game with a lot of boosting and speed, you may be disappointed. But, if you want a handheld Sonic game with 3D gameplay, or a cool platformer for your 3DS, this is a good way to go.

I've been a Sonic fan ever since the Genesis game, and this is a good game. Only problem is that the controls are all over the place. This is a Sonic game that has a parkour system, which is an AWESOME idea on paper, but while it sounds great, the execution needed some work. First of all, the 3DS a platform that, for some reason, developers decide not to use a lot of the buttons, but most of those have been games like Super Mario 3D Land and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and really don't require much action. With this game, both A and B is used for jumping, double jumping, and homing attack, while X and Y are used for spin dashing, bouncing, and some air kick. The problem is that when you want to double jump with an enemy near, you end up doing a homing attack when you don't want to, and I would think it would have been better to map the homing attack to the Y button. I could go on, but the fact is that they had 6 buttons without the face buttons for their own moves. Also, they decided to make it where you hold R to speed Sonic up, which not only makes no sense, it can easily cramp your hands. I had to take several breaks just because of this. It sucks that the controls are the way they are, because while I didn't feel like they needed to change the gameplay, it would have been great. The level design, while not the worst, it sure isn't the best. I feel like most stages take too long, mostly the stages with gimmicky stages and large enemies, and it sure does take away from the game. Other than that, there aren't any other complaints. Graphics look good for the platform, though cinematic are pixelated, and the parkour system can make some good level designs every now and then, even some short cuts.

Sonic Lost world is a game that is heavily inspired by both the original sonic games on the genesis, the unreleased saturn game Sonic Xtreme, with a *little* mario galaxy mixed in. I believe this game has been rated low only because it is compared to closely to Mario galaxy when in reality while it did borrow a few things from that game it is more like Sonic Xtreme which was sadly never released.

I have heard from some that the Wii U version is better and some say the 3ds version is better however I do not own a Wii U so I can't compare so if you plan to only get one version you may have to do some research. A lot of the critics say this game is slow and sure the did tone it down a little bit from the more recent sonic 3d games which was hold the boost button for an hour tell you reach the end but the game is still fast my only problem with it though if your running you have to hold the R button but it goes about as fast as the old school genesis games. That and obviously the critics have not played sonic labyrinth cause that game was a lot slower then this one. (and that game was horrible)

The levels are set up like the original Sonic which was 3 acts and then a boss. The sonic games were never really very hard but this one goes all out with the difficulty probably in my opinion on of the most challenging sonic games (except for the gamegear games the were brutal) and I've beat them all on the genesis (spinball included). So kids and casual gamers might have a little trouble playing threw it unless the sit down long enough to learn it or use the gadgets. Also the soundtrack is styled after the classic sonics so no crush 40 style music as from what I've played so far but the classic styled soundtrack is original music and is more fitting in sonic games in my opinion and I guarantee you will be humming along with half the songs in the game.

The story is very light in the game but I never played sonic games for the story either but the cutscenes are nice and the voice acting is not gonna win any awards but for a sonic game there nice very saturday morning cartoon styled. My only problem with this game is the way the Time limit is set up. You may start with 20 mins (which most hardcore sonic fans will be mad about) but you will need every second on these levels that and if you die that clock continues to count down making death very punishable. Other than that small gripe though if your a fan of the original Sonic games then you need to pick this game up you will not regret it if your new to the sonic series I would still recommend this but I would recommend playing an earlier sonic title like Advance (if you have a gameboy) or the genesis titles which is available on just about anything these days first because of the difficulty.

When I first saw the 3DS version of Sonic Lost World back in 2013, I was hopeful yet scared that the game would suck. After looking at videos of the final product on YouTube, I was convinced the game was another failure in the Sonic series.
However, when I finally bought a 3DSXL, Sonic Lost World was one of the games I chose to buy, along with Pokémon Y and Kingdom Hearts 3D. I felt my judgment was improperly made since I never played the game, so I decided to choose it over Sonic Generations 3DS.
My expectations were definitely met.
There are actually a good number of fun stages in this game that feel like Sonic the Hedgehog. The controls are decent, however the spin dash is far too loose, unlike the run which works beautifully.
Seriously though, a RUN BUTTON?! IN A SONIC GAME?! NO, JUST NO!
So anyways, Windy Hill was a very fun stage period, felt very Sonic-y. The stages that were overly dependent on wisps were extremely atrocious, especially due to the terrible controls of the wisps in general. The Quake Wisp is just flat out horrible, depending on the 3DS's built in gyroscope, like the god-awful special stages. The Asteroid Wisp suffers from the worst thing a platformer can have: no drop shadow. Well actuary, there is one, but it's so small that it might as well not be there.
Graphics are pretty and colorful, closely resembling a low scale version of the Wii U version's graphics.
This game should most definitely be rented before you decide to buy it, because you'll either love it, hate it, or just won't care.

I don't really understand why all the recent Sonic games get so much hate. I mean they don't even deserve it. People are so ungrateful at least the series didn't end up like Banjo Kazooie or Crash Bandicoot with no new games in over five years. I admit Sonic 06 was horrible. I also admit the cutscenes are blurry for this game, but even after that the game is pretty much straightforward as far as the story, the controls and so on. The online modes are pretty cool as well. The only stages I hate so far are the special stages because they require constant moving of the 3ds system which is really annoying because it's pretty impossible to play while sitting down, which is most of the time for me.

It really baffles me to see that there are certain people who say that SEGA still sucks and that there still haven't been any good Sonic games in years. We've had plenty of great Sonic games the last few years. Sonic Unleashed, Sonic 4 Episodes I & II, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic Jump, Sonic Dash, and now Sonic Lost World! To think that anyone would give this game a bad review and say it has bad level designs really amazes me, because it's one of the best Sonic games I've played in a while, and the level designs and gameplay are exciting and fun. SEGA has really redeemed themselves the last few years, and I don't think there will be another bad Sonic game for a LOOOOOOOOOONG time. Go out and get this game now.

I am happy that this game came when it said it would, and it worked OK and still had the original case and all that. But guys, if you're used to the old school Sonic games, don't buy this. Rent it and see what it's all about, maybe you'll enjoy it. But if you're into the old school Sonic games, even the Adventure series, you probably won't care for this. Get Sonic Generations instead.