Sonic and the Secret Rings
With "Sonic and the Secret Rings," Sega successfully blends all the great elements of the Sonic universe, with the unique control scheme of the Nintendo Wii, in a fresh package that is certainly a breath of fresh air for the series.
"Sonic and the Secret Rings" isn't your typical Sonic adventure. Instead of going toe to toe with Dr. Robotnick and his minions, Sonic is called upon by Sharah the ring genie, who pops out of a book from the Arabian Knights, in desperate need for help.
She asks Sonic to help rid the book of the evil jinn Erazor, who is slowly erasing the pages of the world away. After being whisked away into the pages of the book, Sonic has a brief encounter with Erazor, and is left with a magical flaming arrow in his heart.
Sonic is forced to race through the world of the Arabian Knights to collect the seven secret world rings before the flame extinguishes, otherwise not only is the land doomed, but it's curtains for him as well. Along the way, Sonic comes across a number of characters that he easily mistakes for friends and foes of his world, but he must push on.
The gameplay in "Sonic and the Secret Rings" is completely on the rails, meaning you'll guide Sonic down a set path rather than a free roaming world, and Sonic is the only character you'll control during the game, giving it somewhat of a throwback feel to the original 2-D Sonic title that graced the Sega Genesis.
The nunchuck is not used in this game. Rather, you hold the Wii remote sideways, as you steer sonic out of the way of danger, while the number 2 button makes Sonic jump.
The controls take minimal time to get used to, and are taught in mini-tutorials throughout the game's first levels in the Desert Oasis world.
Sega is one of the industry's premier developers, and its artistic talent shines brightly in "Sonic and the Secret Rings." Every world from Desert Oasis to Dinosaur Island and others are examples of how games can be considered an art form.
Awesome textures, great special effects, and a sense of speed reminds you how fast the blue guy can go and makes the experience exhilarating. Sonic himself looks more like the Sonic of old days, and isn't the skinnier model you'll find on his different outing on the Xbox 360 and PS3 — it feels just right.
The enemies all move with great animation as well, while the music and sound compliment the game's setting.
In the end, "Sonic and the Secret Rings" is a must buy for any Wii adventure lover, no matter what age. The game combines the Wii's unique control ideas, with a throwback Sonic feel, in a completely new setting, and a great sense of speed. The blue guy is back.
By Brian K. Neal