Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is what you get when you put people who don't have any idea what they are doing, in charge of making a new Sonic game. What you probably have heard is right: This game is really bad. It's a stain on the legacy of the blue hedgehog and the devs apparently knew this as well, because they stopped supporting and patching this not long after its release. Let me explain what awaits you in this game, step by step...

In a very baffling move, the developers chose Java of all things to program the configuration tool. So in order to run the game, you need to have installed Java Runtime 1.6.0 which understandably, a lot of people have not. If you don't, you won't be able to run the game. The developers have also not updated the game to fix this.

Fortunately, a thoughtful person has done the developers' work for them and compiled a new launcher in C++, which you can download from PCGamingWiki. So, you can run the game without installing Java. But do take this act of ignorance as a foreshadowing of what's to come...
https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1872-sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1-rewritten-launcher/

This is one of the biggest issues you'll have with the game. The game is really colorful when it comes to its aesthetics and 2D models, and some of the small details are praiseworthy. But just after starting the first level, you'll be greeted by a hideously looking Sonic model and the situation gets worse when you see the enemy models. For some reason, Sonic 4 EP1 uses a very ugly shader that makes every 3D model look like they were put in oil. So if you decide to buy this game, do yourself a favor and get the fan-released texture pack (which contains the superior iOS version models) available here:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/202530/discussions/0/610574394228269099/

Other than that, later levels become so confusing due to texture overuse. When you get to the Mad Gear Zone, you might get into trouble differentiating between passable and non-passable obstacles/platforms in the environment, because the devs did not bother themselves to make things clearer for you.

Sonic 4 is one of those times the series used electronic music only. But while the music quality has degraded compared to the rest of the games in the series and some tracks are mind-bogglingly short (boss theme is under 10 seconds long and loops constantly!), unlike Sonic Forces, you can find a bunch of likable (and even memorable) music here. Splash Hill Zone Act 1 is a good example for this.

Let me tell you something: The moment you found out the developer of a platforming game is Dimps, get ready for bad level design and a boatload of endless pits. For some unknown reason, these guys LOVE to put a lot of endless pits and badly placed hazards in a game, and then make excuses and give you a lot of resources to help you get past them.

You just have to take a simple look at the levels: all of them have tons of springs, bumpers, useless gimmicks and endless pits in them. And unlike S4EP2, you don't even get notified that you are approaching an endless pit. The more you progress from the beginning of the game, THE MORE THIS GETS WORSE AND WORSE.

Nowhere this abomination of a level design is more visible than Mad Gear Zone, the final zone of the game. You're going to absolutely hate this zone because of how BS it is. The obstacle/platform clarity problem that I mentioned above is not the only thing you're going to bear with in this level. There are endless pits (obviously), chase sequences so strict that require flawless navigation & one misstep or slowing down costs you a life, utterly baseless and gimmicky platforming challenges and SLICERS EVERYWHERE. So get ready for frustration and rage... TONS OF IT.

Even the enemy placement is horrible. Whenever Sonic is running or gets launched by springs, there's always a chance that you might run into an enemy or hazard and if your reaction time is not fast enough to do a homing attack or get out of the way, you will hit them and will either lose all of your rings or fall into another endless pit. However, I believe the headaches caused by this issue could have been avoided to some degree if the devs didn't mess up other stuff...

The moment we get to some design choices, everything gets worse and I honestly don't know who in their right mind decided to do these to the game. First, the camera is way too close to sonic and does not offer a good field of view of what is coming next. This is the exact reason why the enemy placement seems stupid and unfair. If the camera was placed farther, then the player could have seen the enemies and plan to react to them. But such thing has unfortunately not happened.

Second, all of Sonic's abilities are dumbed down. Not only the spindash does not provide enough speed to pass some sections (one of them appears in Casino Street Zone Act 1) compared to running, but also rolling does not give you enough protection because Sonic does not remain in his rolling form. If you press down to roll, either to avoid enemies in your path or to increase speed, you must expect Sonic to get out of it after a set period of time. Why this happens? No one knows!

Third, the special stages have also changed for the worst and WILL annoy you enough to finally start cursing at the game. It's the same thing from the first Sonic game, but now they force you to rotate the stage yourself and try to get to the end under a very strict (and very evil) time limit. But wait, because that's not all. These stages are also filled with tons of bumpers that constantly bounce you around, and some of them are placed in locations where there's a near %100 possibility to be thrown straight to a goal sign and lose the stage. Did I also mention there are gates that remain locked until you get a certain amount of rings, and the game does not warn you about their presence until you reach them and find out you have no time left to somehow salvage your attempt?

Fourth, the boss fights have also changed for the worst. Eggman now has invulnerability frames after each time you hit him, which means sometimes your next attack won't register. Other than that, 4 out of 5 bosses are reused material from older Sonic games! This game has Sonic 1's green hill boss, Sonic 2's Carnival Night and Metropolis bosses and also, who can forget the widely overused Death Egg Robot as the final boss? What's worse is some of these bosses have became more annoying & unfair here than before, and you can't even use Super Sonic against them!

Yep, you heard that right. Sonic 4 EP1 is better if played on PC or consoles. Because somehow, the development team managed to offer a much more miserable experience to those who played this on mobile. Want to know why? Aside from a much smaller field of view and rampaging ads, every time you run into a loop in the mobile version of this game, the entire screen starts to spin instead of Sonic normally passing them. And that makes the experience unbearable if you ask me.

If you are a casual gamer, have little experience in platformer games, do not want to torture yourself, want to keep your sanity intact or can't handle unfair situations, do not bother with this game. Only get this if you want to complete your Sonic games collection or you have the desire (and determination) to experience bad games and see how they were. And be sure to only get this when it's on a big sale.

An OK game but disappointing as the official fourth entry in the franchise.

Get Sonic Mania if you want the "real" Sonic 4 and get this if you want a clunky re-imagine of Sonic 1.

Sonic 4 part one's biggest issue is its name. If the game was called Sonic Mobile/Portable (something like that was the original idea for it) one could go easier on it for being a variation on the tried and true formula of what makes a Sonic platformer fun that unfortunately failed... but being saddled with the expectations of it following in the original genesis/megadrive classics... well lets just say its almost blasphemous on just how badly it fails at being a proper continuation of that saga.

Having said that the game isn't horrible at least not until it gets to the third zone where there's cheap deaths a plenty to deal with and memorize to get through the levels and that makes a game that is already not very high on fun factor come to a grinding halt and ask you the question... why are you not playing a far better sonic game like SONIC MANIA?

I got no good retorts to that query so I stopped playing. I suggest if you already got the game give it a go since the first two zones are decent and got some fun moments and aren't altogether annoying and frustrating like the third zone. I'm not saying they are hard just the process of learning them so you don't get insta killed is no fun and the pay off just isn't there to continue dealing with that nonsense when the gameplay is substandard in the first place.

Also the tunes are just boring and feel like a bland copy of the classic tunes that forgot to copy the hooks.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2643453546

Here's something for your troubles.

You can get the same experience by bashing your head with a rock repeatedly for 90 minutes

it's like playing a gif

Just stop right here and get Sonic Mania instead, you won't regret it one bit.

Alright, so, I don't normally do this, but since this is probably my most controversial opinion on my steam page, and since the original review was already kinda semi-serious anyways, I thought it should make it a tad more professional.

As I'm sure most of you know, Sonic 4: Episode 1 was Sega's response to the fan's desire for a sequel to the original Genesis trilogy, while also responding to the criticism they experienced of "having too many characters" (which, i personally believe to be bogus, but that's sorta how reviews were back then), restoring itself to the classic 2D side-scrolling action similar to said trilogy, while also giving it the homing attack, basically making it play like the DS Sonic trilogy (aka the Rush trilogy) but without any of the boost mechanics.
Which makes sense, as all of the game's development was handled by Dimps.

However, I just lied to you.
Partially.

See, Sonic 4 is called Sonic 4 in order to respond to the fan's desires to have a sequel to the original trilogy.
But this was not the game's original intent. In the background of Casino Street Zone, you can see a board say "Sonic the Portable" Why, you may ask?

Because this game was never meant to be Sonic 4.
Sonic 4 was made to be a standalone game released on mobile devices, and was never meant to be called Sonic 4.

This is the key point I'm going to make in this review: This game is not 'Sonic 4'.
If you're going into this expecting another genesis Sonic game, you will be disappointed.

If you want a proper conclusion to the genesis games, I'd suggest playing either Sonic Mania or Sonic Superstars. (i don't particularly enjoy superstars, but i know there's people who do)

As a standalone game, I personally believe that Sonic 4 is one of the better Sonic games. I know most people will disagree with me when I say that, and I will always respect that. There tons of reasons why I can see people would dislike this game.
Basically, if you dislike this game, cool! If you like this game, also cool! Both are two sides of the same coin, and I can see both.

Speaking of which, enough with that starting fluff, let's actually get into the game itself, shall we?

I feel like it's important to mention this first before I get anywhere, we need to talk about the bad stuff.


- Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2 is by far the worst level in the game. It features long, cramped, dark hallways with torches you need to light every now and then. There's also minecart intermissions, and the first ones aren't telegraphed well, and although I honestly accept it, since the punishment here isn't death, what I don't accept is how it leads into a torch puzzle which is not only highly confusing, but also highly precise!
Now, in all honesty, the solution I found to the puzzle is pretty fun to preform, but regardless, it is not fitting in the act due to its massive difficulty spike and overwhelming confusion.

- Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 3 and Mad Gear Zone Act 2 are sorta just alright. They're not amazing, but they're also easily the weakest levels in the game, as their level design isn't really the most interesting.

- The game's music and graphics are of heavily debatable quality. Personally, I enjoy the oddly-realistic look of the levels, and also the odd genesis-inspired music (except for the boss theme which is ironic since it's an unused track from Sonic 3D Blast, look on the prototypes page for it on TCRF if you're curious), but I will admit, it looks pretty bad at some parts.

- The title screen is probably the worst first impression to any game I have ever played. Sonic literally looks like those old flash animations where they just rotate the sprites.

- All of the leaderboards were hacked to get the shortest possible time. Not necessarily fault of the developers (though i guess you could say they could be held accountable for not preventing this), but still a problem with the game.

- The boss design is the same "dies fast, or lasts 5 million years" as most Sonic games are. Thankfully, most of the boss design leans on the "dies fast" half, which is the lesser of two evils, except for the Death Egg Robot, which is probably a contender for one of the worst Sonic final bosses in the franchise. Have fun spending 5 years in a fight where you have three rings and can die incredibly easy and ends with an insta-kill death attack which will make you restart the entire fight if you don't hit it in time! (if anyone is thinking about it, Egg King and Ghost Titan from the Sonic Rush games get passes because their insta-kill attacks are easy enough to cancel out)

- The physics are... highly different from the genesis games. Different isn't necessarily bad, and all it takes is getting used to it, but another reason why this game's biggest problem is...
- The game is called Sonic 4.



There, now we've gotten the bad stuff out of the way. Time for the stuff I like about Sonic 4!


- Sonic's moveset is perfect for speed. If you're ever slow, then you can just do a quick-homing attack dash to immediately get back up on your feet. I've seen a lot of people talk about the spin-dash nerf, but honestly, I don't think it's that bad if you use it correctly.

- The Special Stage design is honestly some of the most creative in a Sonic game. It follows a proper difficulty curve, and every special stage after the second one has its own idea and identity attached to it. Debatable if you even enjoy them due to the controls, but the design itself is very good.

- Speaking of which, something a lot of people don't really talk about with Sonic 4: the level design. Sonic 4's level design almost always has a faster route for speed. Like for example: did you know that at the start of Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1, you can homing-attack chain to reach a spring which sends you further into the level, then combo the spring's momentum into bouncing off of an enemy to send you flying through the section? Yeah, a lot of the game is designed like that, and nobody talks about it. Splash Hill Zone Act 2, Casino Street Zone Act 2, and the aforementioned Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1 are definitely my favorites for this. Give speedrunning them a try if you can!

- Say what you will about giving old zones new names and re-imagining them, but the fact that every level has its own unique title is something more Sonic games should do! Like, seeing the first act of Mad Gear Zone be called "Dr. Eggman's Secret Base" really gives it a whole lot more personality, y'know? Like, you've finally arrived at his front door uninvited, and you're taking it over!.. that is, if his base wasn't clearly visible from the sky, but...

- As I stated earlier, although the soundtrack and graphics are highly debatable, the melodies are definitely good for the most part, and the levels feel like, realistic, yet still cartoony representations of each area. Plus, that view in Lost Labyrinth is gorgeous, and you can't convince me otherwise.

- I've seen people talk about how Sonic 4 follows a 3 act-basis, and can agree it's a bit odd... but that's all it is. Sonic Advance 3 and Sonic Lost World 3DS both have three acts per world, why can't Sonic 4? Plus, all of the zones in the game except for Casino Night Zone had 3 acts, anyways, and it gives the zones a bit more time to shine with their ideas!

- Mad Gear Zone is what Metropolis Zone wishes it could've been. It's not even my favorite zone in Sonic 4, I just wanted to say that.

Basically, my thoughts on the game boil down to: "great game, but absolutely not Sonic 4".
If you see the game when it's cheap, I'd recommend getting it, and the last time I saw it on sale, it was like, 2 dollars, so it probably wouldn't hurt to try it out!

Just get Mania.

Sonic The Hedgehog.. 4?
That's a title we've been wanting to hear for years.

.. Unfortunately, the classics would be ashamed of this game and it does not deserve the title.

A new sidescroller Sonic game with modern visuals - what's not to like?
Well, terrible physics, some of the worst music of a Sonic game, awful boss fights and level design, and a bland rehash of the classics.

Sonic 4 is nothing more than that.

Sonic 4 has a traditional 2d gameplay style. Run from point a to b. For the most part, it plays okay and can be fun to go through some of the levels. With that said, the physics are horrible whether it be uncurling, walking up slopes, or the spindash lacking any form of power. The level design isn't much better and we have Dimps to thank for that who are somewhat notorious at bad Sonic game designing.

The level themes and bosses are all reshashes from the first 2 Sonic games. You have Green Hill (S1), Casino Night (S2), Labrynth (S1), Metropolis (S2), and Death Egg (S2). Some of the levels have forced gimmicks that suck. The emerald stages suck too. They're a rehash of Sonic 1's, but even worse.

Its really not that bad to play through. It can be fun at times, but its just not worth the money or the pain of playing the terribly boring boss fights, gimmicky parts, and bonus stages.. all while listening to that god awful soundtrack.

LOL
...

The soundtrack tries to re-create some sort of classic Sonic style music, but the vst instrument choice is terrible. It just sounds like cats and ducks and stupid ♥♥♥♥ like that. The compositions are horribly bland as well and the boss music is an absolute joke.

The worst music I've ever heard from a Sonic game.

The game tries to be modern looking, but it ends up rather hideous.
Terrible colors, sprites, and a complete lack of polish. Even Sonic's sprites look really shiny and jagged.

This game is simply an eyesore and doesn't come close to matching the pixel art of the old games.

Generic Sonic storyline.

I remember the port having some weird resolution issues. Playing on 1080p, it all seemed to be fine now. It runs without any problems, but there's very little graphical options. Its pretty ugly so you might wanna force some AA through your graphics card.

Very little out there in the mod department.

Sonic 4 isn't that terrible, but it isn't good by any means. A huge disappointment to most Sonic fans.

If you're new to the series, play the classics on an emulator instead or wait for Sonic Mania.
If you're a Sonic fan that just wants more 2d gameplay, check out Sonic: Before The Sequel and After The Sequel.

From what I remember, EP2 was a much much better game but I haven't re-played it yet so I'm not certain.
Definitely skip EP1.

Let's make this as candid as possible:
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is not a great game. It falls short of meeting it's legacy by replacing charm with tech, and that tech hasn't aged well since this was released roughly a decade ago. The control, physics, and momentum that Sonic is typically known for are a mere shadow, and Sonic being able to stand on a 45 degree angle never gets easier to swallow or accept.
Yet, here I am, in 2020, in a post Sonic Mania world, still thinking about going back, playing, and getting all the achievements for Sonic 4: Ep I. And, 12 hours later, I did it. And worse? I enjoyed it.
You've seen these stages before, you've fought these bosses, and the special stages are similar enough that you've felt like you've done those before too, but yet I still enjoy playing this for at least the fourth time and still having fun doing so. Maybe my shameful Sonic Trash tattoo is showing, but I don't care.

In summery - this isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Is it the worst 2D Sonic game besides Sonic Blast on the Game Gear? Probably. Is it still worth playing through if you're a fan of the series and can pick it up on the cheap? Also probably.