Sonic Rush

Sonic Rush revamps the Sonic series with the addition of a boost system and the ability to perform tricks. Play as either as Sonic the Hedgehog or Blaze the Cat.

Nintendo DS

Overview

Developed by Dimps and overseen by Sonic Team, Sonic Rush is a very classic Sonic game in appearance. Similar to the early Sonic the Hedgehog games and the Sonic Advance games, Sonic Rush plays along a 2Dimensional plain. Each screen of the DS is used entirely for game play, as the player will stay centered in the center of one of the screens. After ascending of descending far enough, however, the player will switch from one screen to the next.

Sonic Rush allows players to play as both Sonic the Hedgehog and a new character, Blaze the Cat.

Plot

Blaze, a cat-like creature from another dimension, has mysteriously landed in Sonic's Dimension. Sonic and Blaze's dimensions each seem to share certain similarities with each other, such as Doctor Eggman and Eggman Nega being after each dimensions emeralds, the Chaos and Sol Emeralds. Blaze discovers that Doctor Eggman has the Sol Emeralds in his possession and works on getting them back. Blaze runs in to Cream the Rabbit and, despite normally being a reserved individual, she befriends Cream as she travels through the unfamiliar territory.

Meanwhile, Sonic is on a similar quest to get the Chaos Emeralds, and is facing a familiar but different foe, Eggman Nega. Similar in appearance to Doctor Eggman, Eggman Nega is the alternative to him from Blaze's dimension. After Tails discovers that the dimensions are beginning to merge, Sonic starts to pursue Blaze, who he became suspicious of when they met earlier in the game.

Players are able to follow the story of either character, with the other protagonist and their companions showing up at points in the game. The levels played by each character are the same, but they appear in a different order, and their soundtracks with each stage a different between them.

Gameplay

The moves available to the player are similar to the earlier Sonic games, with the exception of being able to dash in mid-air and perform tricks while in the air or on rails. Levels are centered around running quickly through them, rather than exact platforming, which is a good fit for the series and plays to it's strength. The player must avoid traps throughout the level, whilst navigating through the levels and their multiple paths.

Each of the characters performs similar moves. These often differ in appearance only, as their moves have the exact same effect. For example, pressing down on the control pad whilst running with Sonic will cause him to roll, whilst Blaze will spin round and round on a point.

Tension Gauge

The Tension Gauge is used for super boost within the game and is situated at the left hand side of the screen. To be able to super boost, the Tension Gauge needs to be charged and this can be done in many ways. Whenever you perform trick actions or defeat an enemy the Tension Gauge will charge a little bit. The Tension Gauge will change color from blue, to orange and then red, indicating the amount of energy you have earned. When the red gauge is completely filled and the star icon on top of the gauge is spinning, the boost action can be used freely. However the Tension Gauge will decrease with time or if you have been hit by an enemy and take damage.

The Stages

The game has a total of seven levels, two acts and a boss fight at the end of each level.

Leaf Storm: Like most other 2-D Sonic games, you start off in a nice hilly grassland filled with ring loops. This level is fairly easy especially since it's the first level in the game.
Water Palace: Obligatory water level. Lots of ways to drown but, this stage is much more forgiving with allowing you to stay above the water.
Mirage Road: This level can be described as confusing. This is the desert level of Sonic Rush which has more puzzles than the other levels.
Night Carnival: Casino level once again returns. If you played Sonic 2 or 3 this will be very familiar to you.
Huge Crisis: A stage of metal and steam. This level is so straight forward yet the easiest to get lost in an endless loop.
Altitude Limit: A stage in the sky. Try not to fall...there a few hang gliders up here to keep you safe.
Dead Line: The final level of the game. Prepare for riding rockets and gravity changing gameplay as you walk on the ceiling and and have to adjust to the controls.

The Soundtrack

If the music in this game sounds a little bit more say upbeat and a Jet Set Radio feel to it than usual

That's because it was composed by Hidedki Naganuma. The person responsible for most of the songs in the Jet Set Radio series. People that also helped composed the OST are Teruhiko Nakagawa and Yukifumi Makino.

Track List

01	Right There, Ride On	2:36
02	Back 2 Back	2:45
03	What U Need	2:47
04	Jeh Jeh Rocket	2:51
05	Ska Cha Cha	2:51
06	Vela-Nova	3:00
07	Wrapped in Black	3:00
08	A New Day	2:21
09	What U Need is Remix	1:38
10	Right There, Right On	1:38
11	Right There, Right On (Blazy Mix)	1:51
12	Groove Rush #1	0:08
13	Ska Cha Cha	2:07
14	Ska Cha Cha (Blazy Mix)	2:18
15	Enemy or Friend ?	0:11
16	Ethno Circus	2:07
17	Ethno Circus (Blazy Mix)	2:15
18	Metal Scratchin'	1:36
19	Metal Scratchin' (Part 2)	0:32
20	Groove Rush #3	0:08
21	Back 2 Back	1:31
22	Back 2 Back (Blazy Mix)	2:08
23	I Wanna Breathe	0:12
24	Just a Breath ! (SE)	0:05
25	Jeh Jeh Rocket	2:12
26	Jeh Jeh Rocket (Blazy Mix)	2:22
27	Groove Rush #7	0:10
28	Get Edgy	1:36
29	Get Edgy (Blazy Mix)	1:59
30	A New Day (Intermission)	0:23
31	What U Need	2:05
32	What U Need (Blazy Mix)	2:16
33	Vela-Nova	2:08
34	Vela-Nova (Part 2)	0:36
35	Groove Rush #2	0:09
36	Groove Rush #8	0:05
37	Bomber Barbara	2:08
38	Bomber Barbara (Part 2)	0:39
39	Groove Rush #4	0:09
40	Raisin' Me Up (Prologue)	0:54
41	Wrapped in Black	2:35
42	Wrapped in Black (Part 2)	1:04
43	Groove Rush #5	0:09
44	Raisin' Me Up	3:51
45	Medley Rush #2	3:32