Sonic Heroes (Sega of America, Inc. – Available for Gamecube, Xbox & PS2)

Remember the days when Sonic the Hedgehog would race at top speed, looping through maze-like refineries, tropical forests, and slick ice worlds? Well he’s back and better than ever in Sonic Heroes. After a few adventures in first-person 3D, the Sega Team finally figured it out, and staple characters from the Sonic saga (Sonic, Tails and Knuckles) return to fight Eggman (the foe formerly known as Dr. Robotnik). The controls are easy to pick up, with the three characters working as a team in one of three formations: speed, fly, or power. With Sonic, you can move extremely fast, use homing attacks, and dust up a giant tornado; Tails can fly and shoot his two partners like cannonballs from above; and Knuckles is your basic offense, blowing up any and all enemies in his way. The stages (including jungles, mysterious castles and power plants) are all very creative, long, and extremely fun, with plenty of loops, cannons, springs, and hidden treasures just like in the Genesis days. They even included a sick half-pipe bonus stage to quell Sonic lovers’ appetite for adrenaline.

   

Some reviews have criticized Sonic Heroes for including three other teams (nine new characters altogether); personally, I found this element adds a lot to the replay value, as well as the overall fun of the game- especially since Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles face the longest and most difficult maps. There are some camera angle flaws that disrupt the flow from time to time, but it’s a small price to pay for that classic Sonic feel. The game also includes some semi-amusing 2-player modes, like head-to-head races and ring hoarding battles, but as tradition would have it, Sonic Heroes proves best as a solo gaming adventure.