Rough around the edges, but still a lot of fun.
Eggman has chosen to rebuild his greatest, most famous badniks, and Sonic's job, as always, is to put a stop to Eggman's schemes. Sonic has his staple set of manuevers to help him, like his spin jump, spin dash, homing attack, and just plan going fast. All of this is done with the Wii Remote and it's held NES-styIe throughout the game. The 2 button is your one-stop shop for unleashing fast-paced hell across a level.
For the most part, the controls work exceptionally well, and input does not lag or wait when you press a button. However, the game's wonky physics make Sonic exceedingly and almost frustratingly sluggish when you're moving away from a stopped position. If you keep momentum, you'll experience that same burst of adrenaline you likely felt playing other sidescrolling Sonic games, but getting that momentum is a little irritating and feels strange even after playing it a decent amount of time.
Stage design pops and dazzles with brilliant graphical styIe, with levels coming to life as you blast through them. Lush ridges of Splash Hill, the dank, dark depths of Lost Labyrinth, the high-tech palace-like Mad Gear, it all refuses to take a backseat and presents itself rather well. However some set pieces within the level are not supportive of Sonic's occasionally-clunky physics, like one puzzle in Lost Labyrinth. The game is not impossible, of course, but the way Sonic controls when not at top speed will surely interfere with smoothly progressing a stage especially when an in-level mini-puzzle will get in the way. When the set pieces are not clashing with previously-mentioned physics, it's not hard to get lost in the colorful world created for Sonic 4.
The music of Sonic 4 is faithfully nostalgic. Some sounds are almost exactly as you'd remember the Genesis-era music to have. Some of the music is a little too forgettable, but other tunes are very catchy and present a good mood, such as Splash Hill Act 3's theme, Mad Gear Act 1 or 3's themes, or the final boss music. All of the music acts as a kissing-cousin to Sonic 1, 2, and S3K's soundtrack. This is for better or worse, as some of the music in Sonic 4 is noticeably simple and short, although looped infinitely, while others tunes are noticeably longer and more complex. While the music is an overall mixed-bag, it's by no means bad music, and most of it is going to help the blood pump when you're reaching an exciting rush from dodging death just a little too often.
The sound effects are, just like the music, highly nostalgic, with many sound effects being outright borrowed from other Sonic games. They mesh well with the unique sounds and music in this game, and for the most part don't stand out negatively. A lot of the sound effects are staple sound effects in the series any Sonic fan will enjoy hearing again.
Sonic 4 is sadly a short game, with only 4 zones and a final "boss rush" type of zone. You can also try and obtain the Chaos Emeralds in the Special Stages, which any of the completed ones can be played at your leisure much like the rest of the game. There are 3 Acts to a Zone, and while more of the Acts are longer than one might expect, the lack of more levels is a possible disappointment.
Also a part of the game are Leaderboards, where you can find how well you rank compared to other players on the playing the game on the same system as you. If you desire it, you can try to aim for high spots on these lists, giving the game a little replay value.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is best describe as a good start. It's by no means the heralded return of the spiky blue hero, and by no means is a perfect game, but while it has its rough edges, it's still a blast when you hit that momentous high. Episode II will need to do a good job to top Episode I, as Episode I is a decent foundation for what could be a great downloadable series. Sonic, welcome back. It's good to have you where you belong.
Score Breakdown:
Gameplay - 8/10
Presentation - 8/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Tilt - 9/10
Pros and Cons:
+Very fun, fast-paced platforming
+Eye-popping visuals and nostalgia-inducing music and sound effects
+Reasonably replayable, with online leaderboards and the allure of finding new paths that can help you complete the same level
-Too short
-Sonic's physics are wonky when building up momentum and throw off an otherwise amazing experience
Overall Score: 8.0
If you're a Sonic fan, or someone looking for a fun platformer over WiiWare, Sonic 4 is almost a sure shot. But for players hoping to see more than there is to the game, and to players sensitive to off-kilter physics, this is a game you may want to take a pass on. But Sonic 4 hits many more right notes than it hits wrong ones, and it's worth a look for most people with access to Wii Shop.