Right i bought the game. Here's my thoughts.

The level design is okay, i do have a few problems and also it is quite easy.

The problems are with the physics (see above). In Casino Night Zone Act 3 you have to use cannons to blast around the level and it was nearly impossible for me to do some of it because sonic moves up into the air, curves along then suddenly falls.

Honestly i didn't think it would be a problem (even after seeing the youtube video) and to an extent it isn't a problem until you come to tricky platforming bits.

I have come across bounce pads which just bounce you to your death down a pit.

I was sceptical of the whole homing attack thing, i suppose it's okay for attacking enemies but when you have to use it to get around the level that's when it becomes a problem.

Most of you have played the 3D sonics you know the way you use it to jump over gaps - there's multiple enemies floating over a gap and you homing attack them all to get across it? It's a major problem in this game.

Why is it a problem? Unlike the 3D sonic games where you can see what is ahead of you and anticipate doing the homing attack it's not possible in a side scroller so what happens is your flying across via a bouncer in what is pretty much nothing and then you see...

*fuck it i will draw a diagram*



Okay you are S - Sonic, you hit the bouncer. The dashed line indicates all that you can see when you hit the bouncer.

The arrows indicate the path that you take when you hit the bouncer. That blue circle is the space/amount of time you have to home in and attack.

After the red diagonal line you fall to your death.

How the fuck are you meant to know that's coming? You don't you just have to be extremely quick or you die.

Another extremely infuriating bit was like the diagram except there was though circle bouncers where you land: one on the bottom a gap for you to fit through and then one above it.

If you don't fit into this gap you fall to your death.

Come to think of it.. this really isn't even a problem.

The very same level gave me 10+ lives. TEN PLUS LIVES. You where lucky to ever get one or two in a level.

There is a slot machine-esque thing which pretty much you run past it, it spins and gives you an outcome. There are loads of these. I was just raking in the lives, i was literally like wtf is going on. There is no possible way to lose this.

This of course is not to say that stupid platforming like the diagram above isn't infuriating.

Apart from stuff like that the game is really simple and i sort of like it.

Sonic 3 had 6 zones and 2 acts which is 12 levels.

The bosses were included in the levels unlike Sonic 4 and let's face it the boss levels aren't levels. All they are is a 5 second run to Robotnik and then the fight. This could easily be tacked onto the end.

So in reality there is only 12 levels in Sonic 4.