Seriously, Sega should have just developed the daylight levels, left all the other crap out, and released the game for $20. It still would’ve sold – and the experience would’ve been absolutely pure and a ton of fun. Instead, the game is akin to drinking a glass of fine wine that someone threw a cigarette butt into at the last moment. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially for a full-priced game.

The audiovisual presentation is great, as long as none of the characters are talking. The daylight worlds are ultra bright and quite pretty, and the animation is silky smooth, allowing you to concentrate on getting your little blue dude through the vast, imaginative stages unscathed. The Werehog stages are clearly styled after the dark world in The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, with deep blacks and grays punctuated by minimalist neon colors and vague symbols. The music is good, inoffensive, and quite catchy throughout the game.

As for those cutscenes – anyone over the age of nine will cringe at the lame story and obnoxious voice acting. Although, they certainly do add a bit of (unintentional) comedy to the whole affair – perhaps a drinking game is in order for of-age players? Take a hearty gulp of something every time you want to commit neon-animal homicide and you may need an ambulance before the end of the night.

In a season filled with so many truly amazing releases, it’s hard to recommend a title that’s this flawed. Casual Sega fans may still want to rent, if only for the rich retro-tastic speed of Sonic’s stages. Ignore the other crap, and it’s easy to see that there is a fantastic game buried beneath the layers of bad marketing ideas.

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