Sonic the Fighters Reviews

  • Ganryu SumoGanryu Sumo47,624
    13 Oct 2013
    13 2 0
    If you’ve never heard of Sonic the Fighters before, you’re not alone. The game, based on Sega’s most popular franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog, isn’t your typical Sonic game, nor was it widely released in North America. Rather than racing thorough levels at break-neck speed, collecting coins, and bouncing around like a lunatic, Sonic the Fighters is essentially Sega’s Virtua Fighter series with Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

    In North America, Sonic the Fighters was only ever released for the Nintendo GameCube. Europeans and Japanese markets received both PlayStation 2 and GameCube titles. Until November of 2012, if you lived in any of these parts of the world, those were the only ways you were able to play the 2005 fighting game… that is until now.

    Sega re-released Sonic the Fighters at the end of November, as a downloadable title for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. While having never played the original, the Xbox Live Arcade version appears to be an up-rezed, HD version of the original. It looks nice, but it also looks dated.

    In addition to some really easy-to-earn Achievements (and I’m assuming Trophies for the PSN crowd), this re-release of Sonic the Fighters also includes an online mode where you and other like-minded Sonic fighting game enthusiasts can go blow-to-blow with each other.
    Like all other Sega AM2 fighters, the premise is simple. Choose one of the 8 selectable characters from the Sonic universe, and pummel each other until you win. Winning a fight awards you a Chaos Emerald, and it's on to the next battle. Unlike other games in the Sonic Series, there's no storyline or catastrophe to prevent, (or human princesses to rescue, thank goodness) it's just fast paced fighting until you are king of the hill. There is no blocking here, just a limited amount of Barriers that can protect you from damage. Once you run out though, you are helpless and can be knocked out quickly, so don't rely on them much. There are two endings to shoot for, a bad ending for not defeating Dr. Eggman quick enough, and the perfect ending for completing the final fight in under 15 seconds. It's not really hard to see both endings since the gameplay is rather simple button mashing. The hardest fight you will encounter is with Metal Sonic, which seems to be the only fight that takes strategy to win.
    Some extras can be found in this new release. Online play is included and is really fantastic. Though the amount of opponents is lacking, every fight was fluid and lag free. Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic are playable from the beginning, but are hidden in the character selection screen. Since no special code is needed, hunting around will reveal them easily. One addition that wasn't found even in the arcade version is the character of Honey the Cat. Originally planned as a secret character, she was removed from the arcade and GameCube versions. Sega decided to include her in this release to add some extra replay value.
    If the last few Sonic games left you feeling ill, then playing a game where you can pummel him and all his pals may seem refreshing. If you are a Sonic fan, then you may not like this drastic turn. Fighting game fans will find the game interesting for a while, but it won't likely hold your interest for long. Sonic The Fighters may be simple and easy to play, but it's too obscure to ignore. The cheap price and overall strangeness of the title is good enough to warrant a purchase.
    3.0
  • Paul Wesley 91Paul Wesley 911,092,961
    22 Jan 2013
    19 9 4
    I'm giving a game an unusually high rating. This might be interesting shock

    Sonic the Fighters is a sonic fighting game originally released in 1996 in the arcades. Before this HD rerelease, it was previously only available as part of the Sonic Gems Collection for Gamecube (and PS2 outside the US), so this is a nice opportunity for Sonic fans to pick up one of his more elusive games.

    I'm not going to lie-this game is flawed, very flawed, but I enjoy it all the same. The moves are extremely simple and most of your fights will boil down to button mashing or repeatedly using the same move until you win. That being said, I still find it an enjoyable experience especially for me, as I like fighting games but don't always like the complexity of them all and having to look up a command list or memorize a bunch of difficult button combinations can often ruin it for me. So, like the Nintendo megahit Super Smash Bros., this is a fighter for the masses that anyone can pick up and play. In addition, the odd battle mechanics have a way of leveling the playing field, making your multiplayer matches more interesting.

    Sonic the Fighters has a nice variety of characters you can choose to play as. You have series favorites such as Sonic (who uses moves that will later heavily influence his moveset in Super Smash Bros. Brawl), Tails, Amy, and Knuckles; Some more obscure characters like Espio, and the truly out there additions of Bark, Fang, and Bean. The game also includes three additional characters that were unavailable in previous versions of the game: Honey, Metal Sonic, and Dr. Robotnik. Each character has something unique about them: Fang has a gun, Bean has bombs, Amy has her hammer, and so on. Another nice thing is that the game actually provides an adequate explanation for why you are able to have 2 of the same character fighting, which I will allow you to discover for yourself if you haven't played the game yet. wink

    The game has a short 1-player mode, but in my opinion, where this game really shines is the offline versus mode, as it is so nice to have a good offline multiplayer game in an age when that is largely overlooked. I had great fun playing this with my friends, especially being a Sonic fan myself. There is an online mode, but I cannot comment on it because I do not currently have Xbox Live Gold. Please don't hate me.

    All in all, I find this to be a worthwhile experience. With laughably easy achievements (You can get the full 400 easily in an hour or less) It's hard to go wrong for 400 MSP, particularly if you really like, or really hate, the blue blur. It's difficult to give this game a star rating, but because I knew what I was getting into ahead of time and because I really enjoyed what I got out of it, this gets 4 stars from me. If you agree or disagree with me I would love to hear what you thought in the comments. Until then, happy gaming, and stay safe out there.

    dive
    4.0
  • Removed Gamer
    Gamer has been removed
    11 2 0
    Contrary to most people, I didn't think this game was too bad

    It's cheap, easy achievements and a rare chance to play one of the lesser known Sonic games that is full of long forgotten characters and mesmerising backgrounds.

    The gameplay is.. well. If you've played Virtua Fighter 2 or Fighting Vipers, you'll recognise the similarity of all of them as they were all taken from Sega arcade machines. It's a classic fighting game with a limited move-set and boring gameplay.

    However, I do think that the main charm of the game comes from it's graphics style. Sonic the Fighters is one of Sega's earliest 3D Sonic games, and I think they've done a good job with the scenery with what they had at the time. There are lots of recognisable locations and objects that really do make me feel nostalgic about the old Sonic games and Sega's 'golden years'.

    I'd rate this game pretty 'meh' on the 'meh scale'. The game is lackluster but somewhat saved by its iconic graphics style and sound effects. Definitely worth the purchase as it's cheaper than most arcade games and has 400 gamerscore that's as easy to get as stealing a lollipop from a baby.

    Plus there's a damn Polar Bear
  • LulzwagonLulzwagon129,866
    13 Dec 2017
    4 3 0
    I know many people bought this because it stars everybody's favourite video game character, Bean the Dynamite, but unless you want the easy achievements, this game is probably best avoided.

    Bean the Dynamite is surrounded by a bunch of other strange characters in this bizarre, shallow fighter. The controls feel sluggish and bare and I found myself spamming the same few attacks to get through the game. The singleplayer mode is short and boring, and Bean doesn't even get to say his classic catchphrase "It's Bean Time, Baby!".

    There is an online mode that adds a little bit of diversity to the game and there is local multiplayer as well, but the whole game is just shallow and boring if you are playing alone, and I really doubt many people are playing this online these days.

    On the plus side, as mentioned earlier the achievements are super easy and you can maybe mine some fun from local multiplayer if you have a friend willing to play an obscure arcade fighter with you. Other than that, this really isn't worth the $5 price of admission.
    2.0
  • TKsMantisTKsMantis229,136
    01 Aug 2015
    5 5 0
    Unresponsive controls, unbalanced combat and shotty detection ruin what could be a good experience. I found myself wanting to get the easy 400g and leave. Simple enough to pick up and easy enough to play. As for mastering this title I think it would be a hit and miss. I managed get through the entire arcade ladder in under a hour and it left me frustrated and missing my $5.00. Sonic as a franchise is used to bad apples, but this may be the worst of them all. At least it wasn't marketed as a platformer. The AI spams power attacks and my favorite, the super OP attacks that take half your health and cannot be blocked. I would say skip this if it wasn't for the fact that you can get a easy 400g in less than a hour. So if that is worth the five dollars to you. Go for it, just do not expect a competent fighter.
    1.0
  • God of GokuGod of Goku16,911
    14 Feb 2013
    10 10 0
    Sonic the fighters basically is a Sonic game. Right down to the style, and the characters. It has quite a cartoony-charm to it, especially when you look at how some of the attacks are performed. You can do basic punches and kicks and then you can flatten someone’s face or stomp on their foot. Your hands or foot get huge when doing this and you can even be crushed down to size and still throw little jump punches. You can spin dash your opponent and when he/she is knocked down you can do a jump spin dash and hit them while they’re down. You can defend yourself from attacks but it uses up your barriers. Which is unique for a fighting game. It makes it so you can’t always be playing defensively, making the game pretty fast paced. There is also a hyper mode you can activate. This mode puts a ring of stars around you and allows you to attack super fast, but it uses up your barriers so once the mode is over you are unable to defend. In all the game is really simple, but learning your characters and their special abilities is what makes the game fun.
    The game does have a bunch of different modes. You’ve got Arcade, Offline Versus and Online Versus, all of which are pretty standard. However there are a bunch of modes that are missing from the game that should of been included in the release. Time Trial, Survival, and Training Mode are not even featured in this game. I might be spoiled from various other fighting games, but all it does is frustrate the player seeing as you have to learn the game by facing the computer over and over again.

    he game has trophy and achievement support, which is standard for most download titles. The problem with Sonic the Fighters is you can easily 100% all trophies and achievements in less than 15 minutes. Trophies and achievements are usually set up to challenge the player. For example Street Fighter has a perfect match achievement, or a no lose achievement. You won’t find that in this game. You can seriously get all of the trophies in one or two play sessions, by just running through Arcade mode. They consist of just beating the stages on any difficulty. That’s right, any difficulty.
    4.0
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