Sonic Rush - Out next week!!


Here is the official minisite:

http://www.sonic-rush.net/en/index.html

Thats goto be some of the best (and different) music from a sonic handheld game:

Heres a preview from GameSpot (we will be doing our review in a couple of weeks time)

In addition to this core gameplay, you'll find two other gameplay types to master as you go through the game: special stages and boss fights. As in previous Sonic games, you'll encounter specific points where you can access special bonus stages that give you a chance to earn an emerald. In Sonic Rush, these points take the form of special generators you hang on to and use your boost to spin around fast enough to open a portal that sucks you in. Once in the stages, which are in line with the third-person tube runs introduced in Sonic 2, you'll need to bust out your stylus and control Sonic by sliding it in a half-circle area within the tub.

You'll obviously need to guide Sonic to the rings laid out before him, while avoiding spiky hazards--the two-part runs require you to collect a certain amount of coins by the time you reach a checkpoint to continue. Along the way, you'll be able to collect special pickups that yield bonus coins; to complete the action and earn bonus rings, you'll hit special trick points that require you to tap on numbered points on screen before time runs out. If you manage to collect enough coins by the end of the run, you'll be rewarded with an emerald for your collection. As always, you shouldn't plan to see the game's real ending unless you've gone through and collected every emerald.

The boss fights offer yet another change of pace from the core game, thanks to a cool variation on the standard Sonic boss battles. The duels will take place on the top DS screen and offer some pseudo-3D action in confined areas. Your goal, which will be displayed in the lower screen, is to bop each boss a set number of times to defeat them. However, you'll have to work a little harder after the first two bosses in the game, because the third boss marks the start of having to figure out how to damage your foe--a recurring theme as you progress in the adventure.

Besides the single-player action we've just covered, which will also include the de rigueur time-attack mode, you'll also find some multiplayer options in Sonic Rush that let you take on a friend. The battle play option in the game will offer you two options for facing off against a friend: wireless battle and download play. Wireless battle lets you face off against a friend if you both have DSes and copies of the game, while download play will let you have a multiplayer experience with just one DS and copy of the game. The competition is basically a race to the end of a level. The action on your DS will play out on the top screen, while the bottom screen will show your opponent. You'll find some unique power-ups in the mode that will let you trip up your opponent and help you get the winning edge. The slow power-up will slow down your opponent for a certain amount of time. Confusion will muck with their controls for a short period of time. Finally, attract will pull your competitor back to wherever you are, which is the perfect thing for anyone in last place.

The visuals in the game are outstanding and make good use of the DS' unique rendering qualities. The stages, backgrounds, and basic enemies for the main game are done in sharp, colorful sprites that are rich with detail. Sonic, Blaze and the bosses you'll encounter are rendered out in polygonal form. Sonic and Blaze have the added sheen of cel-shading to their appearance, which makes for clean look that's great. The character animation for Sonic, Blaze, and the bosses is extremely well done and seems to find the right balance between speed and fluid animation. The graphics in the special stage runs are nicely done and feature a psychedelic color palette that's well in line with what you'd expect from the visuals for such a stage in a Sonic game. Finally, the boss fights are set in polygonal areas that feature some 3D elements to them, whether it's camera angles or a circular layout, that are nicely done. The best part of all is the blistering speed the game runs at.

The audio actually matches the slick presentation in Sonic Rush, thanks to a robust and technically impressive assortment of sound, voice, and music. You'll hear a hefty amount of audio from Sonic and the gang, which is pumped out with respectable clarity. The sound effects are all in line with the classic chimes that have been ingrained in our minds. However, the hands-down best part of Sonic Rush's audio is its soundtrack--a stellar, catchy mix of music and sound samples that are great. Though the tunes aren't quite in line with the J-poppy Sonic-style tunes we've come to expect, in fact, they actually call to mind Jet Grind Radio's beat-heavy soundtrack (for those who remember it); they suit the action and this new take on Sonic to a tee.

Based on what we played so far, we feel safe in saying that its doubtful that Sonic Rush is going to disappoint. The game makes good use of the DS hardware, and most excellent use of Sonic himself. The gameplay feels good, and the presentation has a winning charm that's hard to deny. Though the DS is going to have a fall lineup full of many highlights, we expect Sonic Rush to stand out as one to look for when it ships for the system this November. Look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Source- GameSpot.com

Were really looking forward to this game and its now just one week away :o)

-Matt
- posted by Matt @ 10:29 AM