Oh, Sonic. You poor, blasted hedgehog.
After a tumultuous decade and a half of struggling to find an identity, it seems that the blue blur has been unable to catch a break since his glory days on the Genesis. A string of console releases fluctuating from either underwhelming to unplayable, along with the occasional hint of decency only to regress back to a lukewarm state, has left many fans wondering - myself included - what direction the franchise could possibly go from here. This reached its tipping point with the release of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the WiiU in the fall of 2014. Its radically changed game mechanics, along with its unthinkable number of glitches, inane writing, and overall lack of polish whatsoever led it to be a critical and commercial travesty, leaving its mark as the worst selling Sonic game in the series’ history. The magnitude of this failure was only accentuated when Sega of America announced the closing of its San Francisco offices in an effort to relocate to Southern California and shift its focus to smartphone and PC online gaming. These unfortunate changes only lead fans to believe that Sonic’s demise was more eminent than ever before - so naturally, when it was announced that the next Sonic title was going to be a mobile game, the consensus was less than enthusiastic.
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When footage of this title was finally released online, many were left unimpressed and discouraged at the thought that this is what would become of Sonic’s legacy. In the midst of this cynicism, however, I found myself enticed by the simple gameplay that was presented in the trailer and kept an eye out for its release. After a four month wait following its launch in Japan, I downloaded the game from the Google Play Store, curious as to what it had to offer. I was under the assumption that after all the beatings that Sonic had endured, the only direction from him to go was up.
This is why I’m convinced that Runners is the best Sonic game in recent years. Not the best spin-off game, not even the best mobile game…the best game. As in, it may as well be a part of the main series.
Any hardcore Sonic fans are free to burn me at the stake.
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The premise of Runners is very straightforward. You run through zones, collect rings and jewels, jump on badniks, and run some more. You don’t have to worry about controlling Sonic’s speed because the level is broken up into additional parts in which the speed is increased over time. Eventually you unlock other characters such as Tails and Knuckles, who provide attributes that Sonic does not such as Flying and Power, respectively. Since the game’s international release fell on the franchise’s 24th birthday, I was able to unlock Classic Sonic as part of an in-game birthday promotion, which I thought was a nice touch.
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There are some power-ups that you can collect such as Wisps from Sonic Colors (laser, drill, and asteroid), as well as more traditional items such as shields and invincibility. You can also unlock buddies that follow you and boost your points, including Chao, small baby Wisps, and even a Sega Genesis console or cartridge. (That’s right. You can have a floating Sega Genesis follow Sonic throughout the game and increase his score. How can you not love that.) The game ends when you’ve either run into a wall, hit an enemy without any rings, or fall into a bottomless pit. The whole objective is to collect a score large enough to progress through an “episode” which ends with a boss battle against the bad doctor himself.
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Speaking of which, there is an overarching “plot” that uses image and text based cutscenes to connect stages and episodes together, but it’s so loosely enforced that you likely won’t pay any mind to it anyways (and you are given the option to skip each cutscene entirely if you feel so inclined). Even then, the story is only as complicated as Eggman endangering the lives of the little animals that Sonic protects or Sonic and company rescuing Wisps or Chao from things. Eggman does not blow up the moon and there is no sexual tension between Sonic and a human woman. It’s basic stuff, and if you don’t mind the cutscenes, the banter between characters can be pretty entertaining.
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SIDE NOTE: There may be more to the story than I’ve mentioned but that has yet so be seen as I’ve only had this game for like a week.)
What I like most about Runners is that it takes the “endless runner” genre of mobile gaming and implements elements of side-scrolling Sonic gameplay that make it stand out compared to other titles on the market such as Temple Run and Sega’s own Sonic Dash, which admittedly is their half-hearted attempt at copying the Temple Run formula. I also appreciate that it has an immense amount of replay value. Once you get into a rhythm, it can become very hard to put down - and don’t think that it will be easy on you just because it’s a mobile game. Once you reach Top Speed, it gets tough. As in, spikes everywhere and no rings whatsoever tough. The art direction is nice, utilizing the current CG renders of the characters and placing a thick black line around them while leaving the backgrounds beautifully rendered and untouched. It’s visually pleasing and the borders are kinda necessary if you want to see your character on a smartphone sized screen. As with the grand majority of Sonic games, it has a kickin’ soundtrack, which is pleasing to listen to and makes the game all the more enjoyable.
What do I not like about Runners? Well, you’ll either need a WiFi or mobile connection to play the game, and that kinda sucks. Sometimes I’d just like to play the game without having the need to find a signal. There are also video ads that come up after you finish stages, but they’re far in few between and it is a free game, so I can overlook that. These are all minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things and hardly retract from what is a genuinely good game.
Still not convinced that this game is worth the time of day? Fear not, as Sega confirmed that there will be Sonic console releases in the future, but it’s clear that won’t be any time soon. Even then, I’d still implore you to give Runners a look. It plays to the strengths of mobile gaming by finding a simple formula and sticking to it. It doesn’t try anything wild or unorthodox, and it really can’t afford to because it’s a mobile game. It deliberately backs itself into a corner and makes great uses of the resources it has, providing a refined and engaging experience in the process.
Sonic Runners may not be the title the franchise deserves, but considering how much hell the hedgehog has been through lately, it is definitely the title that the franchise needs.
After a tumultuous decade and a half of struggling to find an identity, it seems that the blue blur has been unable to catch a break since his glory days on the Genesis. A string of console releases fluctuating from either underwhelming to unplayable, along with the occasional hint of decency only to regress back to a lukewarm state, has left many fans wondering - myself included - what direction the franchise could possibly go from here. This reached its tipping point with the release of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the WiiU in the fall of 2014. Its radically changed game mechanics, along with its unthinkable number of glitches, inane writing, and overall lack of polish whatsoever led it to be a critical and commercial travesty, leaving its mark as the worst selling Sonic game in the series’ history. The magnitude of this failure was only accentuated when Sega of America announced the closing of its San Francisco offices in an effort to relocate to Southern California and shift its focus to smartphone and PC online gaming. These unfortunate changes only lead fans to believe that Sonic’s demise was more eminent than ever before - so naturally, when it was announced that the next Sonic title was going to be a mobile game, the consensus was less than enthusiastic.
When footage of this title was finally released online, many were left unimpressed and discouraged at the thought that this is what would become of Sonic’s legacy. In the midst of this cynicism, however, I found myself enticed by the simple gameplay that was presented in the trailer and kept an eye out for its release. After a four month wait following its launch in Japan, I downloaded the game from the Google Play Store, curious as to what it had to offer. I was under the assumption that after all the beatings that Sonic had endured, the only direction from him to go was up.
This is why I’m convinced that Runners is the best Sonic game in recent years. Not the best spin-off game, not even the best mobile game…the best game. As in, it may as well be a part of the main series.
Any hardcore Sonic fans are free to burn me at the stake.
The premise of Runners is very straightforward. You run through zones, collect rings and jewels, jump on badniks, and run some more. You don’t have to worry about controlling Sonic’s speed because the level is broken up into additional parts in which the speed is increased over time. Eventually you unlock other characters such as Tails and Knuckles, who provide attributes that Sonic does not such as Flying and Power, respectively. Since the game’s international release fell on the franchise’s 24th birthday, I was able to unlock Classic Sonic as part of an in-game birthday promotion, which I thought was a nice touch.
There are some power-ups that you can collect such as Wisps from Sonic Colors (laser, drill, and asteroid), as well as more traditional items such as shields and invincibility. You can also unlock buddies that follow you and boost your points, including Chao, small baby Wisps, and even a Sega Genesis console or cartridge. (That’s right. You can have a floating Sega Genesis follow Sonic throughout the game and increase his score. How can you not love that.) The game ends when you’ve either run into a wall, hit an enemy without any rings, or fall into a bottomless pit. The whole objective is to collect a score large enough to progress through an “episode” which ends with a boss battle against the bad doctor himself.
Speaking of which, there is an overarching “plot” that uses image and text based cutscenes to connect stages and episodes together, but it’s so loosely enforced that you likely won’t pay any mind to it anyways (and you are given the option to skip each cutscene entirely if you feel so inclined). Even then, the story is only as complicated as Eggman endangering the lives of the little animals that Sonic protects or Sonic and company rescuing Wisps or Chao from things. Eggman does not blow up the moon and there is no sexual tension between Sonic and a human woman. It’s basic stuff, and if you don’t mind the cutscenes, the banter between characters can be pretty entertaining.
SIDE NOTE: There may be more to the story than I’ve mentioned but that has yet so be seen as I’ve only had this game for like a week.)
What I like most about Runners is that it takes the “endless runner” genre of mobile gaming and implements elements of side-scrolling Sonic gameplay that make it stand out compared to other titles on the market such as Temple Run and Sega’s own Sonic Dash, which admittedly is their half-hearted attempt at copying the Temple Run formula. I also appreciate that it has an immense amount of replay value. Once you get into a rhythm, it can become very hard to put down - and don’t think that it will be easy on you just because it’s a mobile game. Once you reach Top Speed, it gets tough. As in, spikes everywhere and no rings whatsoever tough. The art direction is nice, utilizing the current CG renders of the characters and placing a thick black line around them while leaving the backgrounds beautifully rendered and untouched. It’s visually pleasing and the borders are kinda necessary if you want to see your character on a smartphone sized screen. As with the grand majority of Sonic games, it has a kickin’ soundtrack, which is pleasing to listen to and makes the game all the more enjoyable.
What do I not like about Runners? Well, you’ll either need a WiFi or mobile connection to play the game, and that kinda sucks. Sometimes I’d just like to play the game without having the need to find a signal. There are also video ads that come up after you finish stages, but they’re far in few between and it is a free game, so I can overlook that. These are all minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things and hardly retract from what is a genuinely good game.
Still not convinced that this game is worth the time of day? Fear not, as Sega confirmed that there will be Sonic console releases in the future, but it’s clear that won’t be any time soon. Even then, I’d still implore you to give Runners a look. It plays to the strengths of mobile gaming by finding a simple formula and sticking to it. It doesn’t try anything wild or unorthodox, and it really can’t afford to because it’s a mobile game. It deliberately backs itself into a corner and makes great uses of the resources it has, providing a refined and engaging experience in the process.
Sonic Runners may not be the title the franchise deserves, but considering how much hell the hedgehog has been through lately, it is definitely the title that the franchise needs.