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If one thing was made clear during this year's E3 conference, it was that developers are finally starting to "get" the DS. One of the more refreshing revelations developers seem to have stumbled across is that they don't have to use all of the DS' functions. With this idea in mind, it seems that instead of trying to force useless features into games just to use a certain feature, they're simply focusing on making fun games.
In Sonic Rush, you play the role of both Sonic and series newcomer, Blaze the cat. How Blaze figures into the story is anyone's guess, but expect Robotnik to factor into the situation somehow. While both will have the ability to run at supersonic speeds (with names like Sonic and Blaze, how could you NOT), its also not clear if Blaze will have any special moves like other series co-stars like Tails or Knuckles.
Sonic, however, will have a few new tricks up his sleeve. He'll still have all of his moves from past games, but will also be able to double-jump in midair, giving his jumps a little more distance. Another ability will tie into a power meter that, when filled, will let him enter "Rush Mode", making him unstoppable for a short period of time.
Sonic Rush takes the Sonic series back to it's original side-scrolling roots. There's no 3D elements or "Adventure" aspects of the game -- it's just Sonic running around really fast, hitting all sorts of wide corkscrews, collecting rings and being a thorn in Dr. Robotnik's side. What makes Sonic Rush so different, and fun, is its use of the DS's dual screens. There's no fancy touch-based interface or anything like that. Instead, Sonic Rush uses the bottom screen as just another screen to display the action on -- making the game twice as insane as past games.
As Sonic blazes through levels, he'll not only shoot from left to right, but up and down as well, taking up both screens. He?ll spin from areas on the bottom screen to new heights on the top one, only to come corkscrewing down to the bottom screen again; all while going at his typical Sonic pace. This will no doubt require some adjustment on the part of gamers; just thinking about it makes me dizzy. However, it's this kind of innovation that we haven't seen thus far in the DS's lineup -- making it a welcome addition to the system?s line-up. In fact, I can only think of one other game that currently makes use of both screens in a similar manner - another Sega title, Feel the Magic, which shows that Sega is definitely ahead of the curve.
Sonic Rush should be available this fall. |
