Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity Review

Rank @ End

Summary

Jet!

Gameplay and Level Design

The settings are mostly futuristic with other themes. It's creative, but not overly so. I'd call it a tie with the last Riders.

The gameplay has changed based on the new gravity features, which was a cool way to shake things up. I'm still not a fan of turning, but being able to take shortcuts across walls is cool. I miss the boost in some ways, but in others the Gravity Dive is superior. And not running out of air every 5 seconds is a plus. I also miss being in control of the tricks, although this way is simpler and much easier to get the hang of. 

Story and Characters

The story gets off to a fast start, though I rather miss the animated-type of opening. Unfortunately it slows. The story the Hero side of things is simple and just sorta' one thing leading to another. It's always nice to see them getting along, but there's not much going on. 

Luckily things are better with Team Babylon. More unique and less familiar, the Rogues distinct personalities help make the game worth playing. 

The nature of Sonic's and Jet's rivalry has changed--now Jet is an even match, making his cocky attitude a bit more justified.  

As a whole this game incorporates more sci-fi than fantasy, in contrast to the previous Riders game, and I kinda' like it better. Since the game is already in a futuristic, hover-board setting, the switch make more sense. 

Music and Voice Acting

The music is a spectacular combination of the first game's high energy and it's own dramatic tone. The slower "Catch Me if You Can" is a great example. It's not as fast and maybe not as taunting, but its more serious, mysterious mood makes it superior. "Ungravityfy" is also a gem. The electronic and natural mixes, like with Gigan Rocks/Device work well, with the game bringing together futuristic and cinematic.   

I liked the 4kids cast in the first game, but they've improved with this one, especially with the Rogues. It's harder to tell Dan Green's take on Storm from Knuckles. Jason Griffith's bossy version of Jet is still hilarious but also more serious than previous. Bella Hudson does her usual sassy job with Wave. 

Visuals and Graphics

While an improvement, they still aren't so good. Even the CG cutscnes. I've always been disappointed there wasn't an animated opening like in the first game. 

Final Thoughts

GOTTA TRY HARDER

Final Ranking: B

For the Babylon side, I think Zero Grav out-did the original. However, for Team Hero, there's not much to make it stand out among any other Sonic game. 

It gets extra points for changing up "the formula" by creating the "Gravity" gimmicks and even revolving the plot around the change. 

Sonic Riders Review

Rank @ End

Summary

NOWAYI'MGONNALOSE! YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN WITH THAT BOARD?! ...wait, what does Storm say?

Gameplay and Level Design

Riders introduced a new and exciting style of racing: Extreme Gear. Hover boards, skates, bikes--it was a futuristic and epic spin that made Mario Kart look like shXX! Unfortunately the item capsules and other things still make it similar enough to be called a rip.

Quickly two elements become a constant bother. Turning and running out of air. The boost is a nice idea, but what's the point if it results in an annoying beeping sound and having to go to a "pit-stop?" Turning takes some skill, but its hard to turn properly when falling in and out of turbulence (most annoying near the end of the game).  With practice, a player will be able to win races with ease...but it's not so simple at first (needs an "adjustment" or "learning" period). 

The locations are futuristic and cleverly add in elements like a pic of Sonic (from Sonic Heroes). Even the more "primitive" spots include something advanced to keep with the theme. In play, there are some spots where falling/dying is easy, as well as spots to become "stuck" in (/fall behind). There are different routes that will be more advantageous, but sometimes it's riskier to get to them/pointless.  

Story and Characters

This game introduced some of my favorite characters, the Babylon Rogues. Jet is hilariously immature but is skilled and demonstrates some leadership qualities. At some points he acts like an extreme (no pun intended) version of Sonic and in others simply greedy. Wave is intelligent and planning, but has some ruthlessness to her (--she did plant a bomb on Sonic's board, after all). Storm is the weaker of the bunch because he's mostly just an idiot, but like the others he serves as a contrast (in his case to Knuckles). 

They make good rivals because they have their own motivations. They aren't evil, but they are out for their own interests first. Unlike Team Dark, though, they are less serious. More lighthearted, for them its mostly about winning. It's also good that they set themselves apart from past rivals: it's not about who's faster on the ground, but in the air. It's about skill rather than natural ability.  

Sonic is tested because he has to learn something new. He's always been the fastest, but Jet's challenging that. Team Hero has to adapt to the races while the Rogues have to face the fact that they aren't as good as they think. 

This game is likeable for having a comedic, character driven plot but also having something more serious to face towards the end. 

Music and Voice Acting

The music is energetic and uses electronic themes to focus on the future-set and speedy aspects of the game. Sand Ruins and Digital Dimension both stand out, and "Sonic Speed Riders" is perfect for the game. "Catch Me If You Can" is in the right place but a little random (like it says "Hawk Wild"...I think..,and "hawk" sounds like the F-word).  

The voice acting is fair. It know back in the day people did not like Jet's voice because (I assume) they excepted Jet to sound cool. Here's the thing: Sonic did not need another "cooler" rival. They wrote Jet in a way that wasn't meant to be taken very seriously--quite the opposite of Shadow or Metal Sonic (writing Silver to be another rival of this type was part of the character's initial problem). 

Either way, Jet's voice was just what the character needed. Higher, "bird-like" with energy and confidence, it was clear this was not a new Shadow or Metal Sonic, but an entirely new and hilarious addition to the cast. The only criticism I have for it is that at some points, he sounds too much like Darkspine Sonic or Werehog Sonic (as a result of sharing Sonic's voice actor, Jason Griffith). As a whole it helped make the game and a lot of the quotes memorable, though.

The actors did a fair job with the other characters like Eggman and Amy. Bella Hudson's voice for Wave is sassy and girlish, but more mature than Jet's--just as it should be (Wave is 4 years older). Dan Green does a lower take for Storm but also throws some power into the role. Maybe it's because of the sound effects rather than dialogue, but Tails is a bit more annoying (than in Sonic X).     

Visuals and Graphics

The epic opening cutscene is a legend rivalling that of Sonic CD. It's easily one of the most memorable parts of the game, if not one of it's best qualities. It makes me wish all the cutscenes were animated. 

Unfortunately the actual 3-D cutscenes haven't aged that well, or the graphics in general. Say what you will about 06, it did have better visuals for being released within the same year. 

Final Thoughts

• Jet is a unique and underappreciated rival. In many ways, I can't help but feel TSR should have been another Riders game.  
• Then I remind myself of his new voice...
• Of course, how could the guy improve after only having like one chance to voice the character? 
• On the other hand Griffith only had 1-2 chances to voice Jet and his version is still superior... 
• The opening is 100% AWESOME.
• Omachao narration=annoying
• Focusing on the two teams rather than clutting the game up with many others (*cough*cough*FREE RIDERS*ahek*Heroes*grum*Rivals 2) helped balance the game's different characters without reducing Sonic's role in the process.  

Final Ranking: B

The opening alone is worth an S rank. The music and characters are great. But the plot (while not bad) is more average, and then the gameplay is too complex/annoying in some parts. And the graphics are crap. So it levels out into an average B.  

AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA!

Sonic and the Black Knight Reveiw

Rank...at the end.
What good is a review that goes on forever?!

Summary

The second edition to the storybook series had many shockingly good moments.

Characters and Voice Acting

The 4kids group's last appearance would be a spectacular send-off. Jason Griffith's Sonic voice was perfect. Thanks to both script and good acting, the "other versions" of the characters (Lady of the Lake, Lancelot, Percival, etc) are able to sound similar to their normal counterparts but with more nobility or maturity. The new comers (voicing Caliburn, Merlina, etc) also do well.

"King Arthur" was kind of a lame villain, but I was very happy with the later plot-twist. I really like Merlina and how she is relatable despite being in the wrong.

Caliburn seemed strange at first, but I like how unique his character is. No, I'm not talking about the fact that he is a talking sword. He becomes Sonic's mentor, a position that has never really been seen in the games before.

I was glad this game included more "other version" characters than Secret Rings. It's both comical and interesting to see these characters. It was especially nice to see Percival (Blaze) since she's usually side-lined in favor of Silver. Being able to play as these rivals was a welcome surprise.

Sonic himself was on point. He was showing-off making jokes, and suddenly he was serious.  Refusing to give in, Sonic was willing to fight until the end. Plus, he actually proved he has the chivalry of a Knight. This version of Sonic really had what it took to be a hero. 

Plot

The story has elements similar to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also keeps itself unique. As mentioned, the characters are on point and the dialogue is great.

The beginning cutscene is epic, but the beginning of the game is a bit slow. Time is taken to establish elements, which is good but still "slow" for a Sonic game. The scene with Merlina and the flower was perfect, and introducing Caliburn was humorous.

The rivals help the story pick up a bit, and the false climax with "King Arthur" is similar to the Secret Rings, as expected. Still, it doesn't feel as if everything is resolved...

Because that's not the end! Black Knight is similar, but not equal to the Secret Rings. Merlina takes a stance that sets up the main theme of wanting an "eternal" world and Sonic trying to be "the bad guy" to stop her. The ending is satisfying and handled better than the "mountain of handkerchiefs" line from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The bonus with Sonic telling the story to Amy is also a delight. 

Music

The music matches the setting and takes on an "older" mood while keeping a heroic theme. Though the instrumentals are appropriate, they are generally slower than that of a typical Sonic game.

Meanwhile the vocal tracks are outstanding. Crush 40 created the perfect theme for the game, "Knight of the Wind," as well as the beautiful closing, "Live Life." "With Me" and other songs in the game also fit quite well.

Graphics and Visuals

The graphics for gameplay are barely an improvement over 2007's Sonic and the Secret Rings. Nasty. A shame because the architectural level design is quite nice.

The CG cutscenes are alright but have not aged as well as others from around the same time.

The 2-D cutscenes are beautiful, though. I like the similarity to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also the contrast like the darker, inkier look. As with the last, it's a brilliant way of tieing in the "Story" and not having uglier, poorer quality scenes. It's reasons like these that make the storybook series missed.

The gallery also has some nice 2-D unlockables.

Gameplay and Controls

It's true, gameplay is not very smooth. Being on the Wii always seems to bring up this problem...The remote as well as the nunchuck must be used, which is a bit of a hassle.

The similarities in style to Sonic and the Secret Rings (in this area) were probably a mistake.

It takes a while to adapt to the different controls, swords, and styles. It takes too long, especially for a new player. Generally the boss fights are easy enough, though, to balance this.

The game is slower than a normal Sonic game but faster than comparable sword-based Wii games like The Force Unleashed.

Generally the missions are less annoying than in Sonic and the Secret Rings. Some of the differences between characters were awesome, but others (like the jump) could be hard to adjust to. There should have been more instructions explaining moves (like Gawain's wall-climb). The many different swords available were a plus.

The combination of typical Sonic speed and the newer, slicing fight element was interesting, but could have used improvement. Still not as bad as critics claim, though.

Final Thoughts

• This story is beautiful. The art is beautiful. The characters are perfect. I doubt anyone who actually played through could hate the game. 
• It's hard to believe Sega finally made Sonic 100% in-character and perfect...only to give the character a massive rude, egotistic, and over-joking personality change.    
• And because of Sega's over-reliance on critic opinion in the 2010s, "Black Knight Sonic" hasn't been seen since 2009 and "Colors Sonic" was permanently rooted into the character. 
• I'd like to see more characters like Merlina, who are relatable but misguided. A combination of Merlina and Mephiles would be very intriguing. 
• Along those lines Eggman's absence was a slight bother story-wise since he's usually always there...
• It would have been cool to see Jet and Silver, too, but I'm glad they stuck with Shadow, Knuckles, and Blaze when they decided to narrow it down.     
• IGN is an outrageous crime. 

Rakning (S is best, E is worst): A

The story is one of the best; the cutscenes were beautiful; the voice acting was great; the new characters were unique. I'd like to give this game an S. But I can only ignore gameplay so far.

It's okay after a while, but it doesn't have the same flow as an S-rank level game, so for being almost perfect (but not quite), Sonic and the Black Knight receives an A.

AS I SIT. AS I STAND. BY THE TABLE I COMMAND...

Best Jet VA

When Riders first came to be, I think people expected Jet to be voiced in a smooth, "cool" way  (to match his appearance). But that isn't really his personality. He thinks he's the coolest. Greedy and snotty, he thinks he's the best. But his encounter with Sonic makes him question that for the first time. Having a unique voice would also distinct the character from other rivals like Shadow. 

Best to Worst

Jason Griffith

Griffith's voice for Jet the Hawk is part of the reason I love the character. He uses a hilarious, high-pitched bird voice and is able convey Jet's superior, cocky way of thinking perfectly. His version of Jet is bossy, overconfident, and doesn't accept defeat. Jet's laughter is also one of the funniest moments in the entire series.

Michael Yurchak

Yurchak's Jet...
Yeek.
Yurchak's Jet is squeaky and high pitched, but not really bird-like. More nerdy. The "nerd" sound works for Silver because he has a sense of uncertainty. Jet is pretty much the opposite of Silver, so it's hard hear Jet with a geeky voice. Another problem is that he makes the character seem younger than 14. Yurchak transforms Jet and his arrogant lines into annoying brat.

This is yet another case of not necessarily bad acting, but bad casting. 

Know the Rogues

Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross are Sega's Babylon Rogues.

10 Fun facts about the Babylon Rogues

1 Their leader is the youngest.

Jet the Hawk is only 14, a year younger than Sonic. Wave is 18, and Storm is 19. Despite his age Jet is quite skilled with extreme gear, nick-named the "Legendary Wind Master." 

2 They're all birds. 

This may seem fairly obvious, but it's notable. Being a "hover" racing game, it made sense for these rivals to have a connection to the air. Another odd bit: all three have blue eyes. 

3 Jet the Hawk was likely named for famous the boarder, Tony Hawk.

It all makes sense now, doesn't it? He also may have been inspired by "classic" character, Bean the Dynamite.

4 Their theme is "Catch Me If You Can."

The song appeared in original Riders and was remixed and later remade in Zero Gravity. The song references Jet and the team as well as the names of their moves (wing, claw, melancholy, victory, etc). It was oddly absent from Free Riders.

5 They actually use their sunglasses. 

It's a part of their "extreme gear" and...shields them from debris? It shows their skill compared to Sonic, who simply leaves his stylish shades atop his head.

6 Wave is the third female flight type. 

The others were Rouge the Bat and Cream the Rabbit. It's said that Wave has a rivalry with sneaky Rouge...(besides Tails, of course). 

7 They're descendants of thieves, genies, and aliens (and pirates?)  

The Rogues carry on the traditions of their ancestors: stealing!

In the end of the first game, it's implied that the Rogues are descendants of genies. The second game expands on this, revealing that their advanced technology was actually of another world.

Also, a picture of Jet's father shows a pirate-like appearance--it would be in line with their thieving heritage... 

8 Their voices are opposite of Team Hero (almost, anyway)

In the first two games Jet and Sonic were both voiced by Jason Griffith. Storm and Knuckles were both voiced by Dan Green. Wave, however, was voiced by Bella Hudson (Blaze the Cat). 

In Free Riders, Wave and Tails were both voiced by Kate Higgins, and Knuckles and Storm were both voiced by Travis Willingham...Jet meanwhile was voiced by Micheal Yurchak.

9 Versions of the Rogues (maybe?) exist in Blaze's World.

In Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic and friends discover a location similar to Babylon Garden, Sky Babylon. The ruins there hint at further similarities.

10 Wave, Jet, and Storm are one of the few characters to be animated outside of a TV show.

Sonic Rider's opening starts with an awesome animation sequence. 

Quote of the Month

"Ah! The dirt suits you so well!"
--Jet the Hawk, Sonic Riders

Quote of the Month

"I'm the best!"
--Jet the Hawk, Sonic Riders

Quote

"ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S PROFIT IN THIS?!"
...
One of the reasons I love Jet is because he's so ridiculous! :)