Sonic Obsessed: Sonic Rush Review

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Total Score is at the end.

Sonic Rush debuted the boost mechanic and characters Blaze the Cat and Dr. Eggman Nega.

I love the story. Blaze is a very relatable and sympathetic character. Her introverted personality makes her a good contrast for Sonic. The friendship between her and Cream is cute, though I love seeing Cream with Amy, her friendship with Blaze feels more developed.

This game shows both the ups and downs of having to do things alone and the importance of being able to rely on others.

The final story brings Sonic and Blaze together for an epic showdown and a sweet good bye. I've always admired the handshake scene and how it summarizes how far Blaze/her relationship with Sonic and Cream has come.
Blaze has awesome qualities. Her backstory is a bit complex, but it's unique, too. Combined with her thoughts and sparkling fire powers, Blaze makes a new and welcome addition to the Sonic cast.
Eggman Nega is very similar to Eggman, but it's revealed that he is more insane. This makes him a humorous yet dangerous foe. It was nice to see the two be the main villains (rather than a monster 3rd party again).
The inclusion of Knuckles and Amy is funny but doesn't feel necessary.

The graphics, being on a 15 year old DS game, are not good. For it's age, I'll call it average.
It features a bit of art in the game as well as expressions for the cutsenes. It's fair, I guess, and the expressions are nice at least.
The levels are mostly original and have interesting looks and backgrounds. It borrows some ideas from previous games, both classic and from the Advance series, but the locations have a bit more of a realistic look.

The added mechanics (hanglider, rocket, etc). It can be annoying. Some are fine, but the majority slow the stage down.

The boost is fueled by tricks, and it works well in the game. It brings a new, fast element that works properly and looks cool.
Many of the qualities of a classic game are still present, making it easier for a classic fan to transition.
The only cons are the A-B smashing that some of the bosses require and the parts were the R-button is necessary. That should have just been an extra move, and the A-B is frustrating.

The music is lively, energetic, and upbeat. It's funky use of voices can get tedious, though, sorta' making the music "an acquired taste."
The voices clips are good and match the characters' personalities. I like how genuine Sonic sounds when he says "Alright!" and how Blaze seems hopeful as she says, "Again."

Still, it would have been better if the cutscene lines were spoken (like on a main console).

The only way to dislike Sonic Rush is avoiding it. It's a very good game and I encourage playing it; it is key to understanding Blaze's character.
It's become a fan-favorite and that is a well earned title.

However, it's often forgotten in favor of other "main" titles like 06.
I am glad Blaze was in 06. It was fun to play as her. But it started a confusing problem.

Along those lines, I think that Sonic/Blaze makes a better team than Silver/Blaze. I don't just mean as a couple, I mean as friends in general. Blaze and Sonic are opposite personalities, yet they share speed and a similar purpose. Combined with some of the tension of being former rivals and of different universes (literally), this is bound to create a story that benefits the both of them.

As for Sliver/Blaze plots, I feel as though Silver gains (for being seen as the caring friend) and Blaze is just "the friend." Her role to be constantly seems pushed aside for him.

It's also a shame we haven't seen Blaze and Cream interact much since this game.
It would have been a nice feature if the player could re-view cutscenes.
As for the Boost: when it started out, it was a new and exciting element. It was not an overused, boring excuse to breeze past a level like it is now.

It has good values, characters, and gameplay. It's only main con is the A-B, and that's a small problem.

Sonic Obsessed