Format: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Developer: Sega
As far as video game icons go I think that is fair to say that in most gamers top 5 heck I may even go as far to say top 2 that Sonic The Hedgehog would be there. When I first heard that there was going to be a brand new and exclusive Sonic game for the iOS I was very excited. I like many assumed it would be another 2D platform adventure or perhaps even a 3D one. Well what we have got is not that, but that does not necessarily make it bad now does it?
Sonic Jump looks great what it reminded me of as soon as I saw it was not the classic 16-bit Sonic The Hedgehog games on the Sega Mega Drive. It was the Sonic Advance series on the Game Boy Advance that I felt most resembled Sonic Jump. The game has all the classic Sonic zones like Green Hill and of course a snow one as well. All the levels look good enough, but as you need to be really watching what Sonic is doing you never really take the time to stop and look around anyway.
The idea behind Sonic Jump is that you need to get Sonic to the top of the level. Sonic will jump automatically, but by touching the screen you can make him do a double jump. This double jump saved my butt more times that I care to remember. When Sonic is in mid air you can move him by tilting the iOS device that you are using to what side you want Sonic to go to. I know I am making it sound like a very simple game, but Sonic Jump gets very tough. At the end of each world you will need to face a boss battle against Sonics arch nemesis Dr Eggman. You will not believe how much fun these boss battles are.
You see the levels are full of hazards there are the classic Sonic bad guys on various ledges that you will need to avoid. As well as this some platforms will crumble away when you land on them. The platforms that drove me nuts were the ones that would rotate. On one side they would be flat and safe and on the other they would have a hazard likes spikes. Timing these was very challenging, but in a good way. Of course it would not be a Sonic game if there was no rings and in Sonic Jump rings play two parts.
First of all just like in the classic Sonic games if Sonic has even juts one ring then he can take a hit from a enemy. If you hit a enemy or a hazard without any rings then you die. As well as this the rings are what can be used to buy things in the game store.
There are some really cool unlockables that if you have patience can all be unlocked without ever having to spend a penny. There are numerous Sonic characters. Knuckles, Tails and Amy as well as this Blaze the Cat is on there for free as well. I am sure more of Sonics friends will be added during updates.
I think that Sonics Jump is great addition to the Sonic The Hedgehog game library. I am fully aware that not all Sonic spin offs have turned out that great, but Sonic Jump is a game that I am sure everyone will have some fun with.