Sonic and the Secret Rings

Along with icons like Mario or, if you're a TurboGrafx-16 fan, Bonk, Sonic the Hedgehog is remembered even today as one of the greatest 2D platformer franchises of all time. However, the transition to the third dimension has not been kind to SEGA's mascot extraordinaire. The speedy blue one jumped into 3D almost a decade ago on Dreamcast with sloppy level design and an even clunkier camera system and, despite several sequels and spin-offs, the Sonic games have not changed since. Dazzled by 3D so many years ago, critics and gamers were more forgiving of these issues - hell, we even went easy on the GameCube iterations, which had their share of problems. But in today's market of polished 3D experiences, there is just no excuse for anything that falls short. Case in point, recently released Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 hedgehog games boasted next-generation graphics, but were regardless ruined by the same design and technical shortcomings that have cemented Sonic firmly in mediocrity for years - and they received incredibly low ratings to prove it. Now, the hedgehog has made his way to Nintendo's new Wii console in Sonic and the Secret Rings. There is thankfully some good news to report. The fresh play, which capitalizes on the fundamentals of the Wii remote, is sometimes a success, which makes this the very best 3D Sonic ever created, in our opinion. But with that noted, the mascot still has a very long way to go before he can once again take his place next to competitors like Mario.
Developed by Sonic Team, Secret Rings thrusts players into a new storyline that revolves around the pages of the classic Arabian Nights book. The pages from the story are being erased by a villain known as Erazor Djinn and Sonic must literally travel into the book in order restore the tale. The theme, which seems inspired by everything from Sinbad and Aladdin to The Neverending Story, marks a fresh departure from the franchise norm. Although classic allies like Knuckles and enemies like Eggman are still featured in the storyline, they are at least initially playing the parts of different characters. The title features an impressive opening cinematic, which comes to life through CG animation. Unfortunately, the story sequences that follow are all designed to look like pages out of a book, which is far less aesthetically appealing. Still, Sonic fans looking for a tale will find one in Secret Rings that is deeper than average, and to be fair the mission-based cinematics, while not grandiose, are plentiful.