Product Description

In Sonic Heroes Sega's legendary mascot Sonic the Hedgehog makes his historic multi-platform debut. He embarks on his biggest adventure ever at his trademark blazing speed and enjoys a new gameplay twist. Sonic and his friends have evolved, adopting a configuration feature that lets gamers control three playable characters simultaneously: Sonic's speed, Knuckles' power and Tails' ability to fly are used to conquer massive worlds. This team-based game play marks the next evolution in Sonic's gaming career, taking platform gaming to a completely new level.

Using the three formations and the powerful moves that each team member has, Sonic and his friends combine forces to battle the ultimate evil: play as one of four teams for a total of 12 playable characters--Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose or Team Chaotix, each with their signature moves and story line. Each team boasts multiple specialised stages with unique missions and CG movies driving each team story forward. You can experiment with team formations to learn the best way to defeat enemies, solve puzzles and navigate massive environments. Each stage contains multiple paths and missions for maximum replayability.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6185 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sega
• Released on: 2004-02-06
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
Just as some actors never made the jump from the silent screen to talkies, so too Sonic the Hedgehog has never really seemed at home in 3-D. Sonic Heroes, though, is the best attempt yet to simulate the fast, uncomplicated thrills of the 2-D Mega Drive days on this generation's shiny new consoles.

Sonic Heroes is basically the action segments from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 stripped of all the insanely dull pseudo RPG elements but unfortunately still containing far too much storyline and the largest and least interesting host of secondary characters ever seen in gaming. Sonic Heroes also inherits many of the older titles' camera and control problems, although here they are now occasional rather than constant irritations.

All this may seem as if it's painting a rather poor picture of the game, but despite all its problems Sonic Heroes is actually a lot of fun. Its main gimmick is that you actually control three characters at a time, with each one having a special ability of either speed, flight or the ability to smash through blocks. Thankfully this doesn't overcomplicate the controls and instead adds a modicum of depth to the otherwise non-stop running-'n'-jumping action.

You still occasionally get the feeling that the game is trying too hard to fit a round peg in a square hole, but on balance more of it works than doesn't, and it's certainly the best Sonic title since the Mega Drive era. --David Jenkins

Customer Reviews

Great fun, but flawed
Let's face it, comparing the new generation of Sonic games to those that over-heated our Master Systems and Mega Drives when we were kids is a little pointless. With the transition to 3D, the whole onus of the Sonic games has changed, though the concept remains the same; get from A to B as quickly and stylishly as you can.

The most important thing is that the 3D Sonic games are fun, though there's no denying that the camera and controls are flawed. Numerous times you will be spun and propelled off springs, and when doing so you will continually have to rotate the analogue stick to prevent Sonic running directly into the sea upon landing. Also you may sometimes find the camera zoomed in on your characters too closely to see the enemies around, so you'll end up running straight into them. It's a little frustrating that such remedial issues such as the camera haven't been dealt with since Sonic Adventure. At least the voice acting - which sounded so forced in Sonic Adventure that you have to wonder if the actors were embarrassed at their roles - has been greatly improved in this game. Apart from Big the Cat, who's "I'm so stooopid voice" is a real drain.

The Team system is a superb twist and really makes for some exciting game-play, particularly when fighting. Changing between characters is easily done with the Triangle and Circle buttons, though sometimes it will skip past the character you want to use. Chalk that on up to the sensitivity of the PS2 pad.

Despite it's flaws, Sonic Heroes is a fantastic game. It's just solid good fun, with plenty of replay value (four teams, time trials, even a two player mode!) and in all honesty that's all that really matters in the end. It's enjoyable, and surprisingly quite challenging. The levels are gorgeous to look at (though the Casino is an epileptic fit waiting to happen) and pretty lengthy. Goodness knows that I have trouble getting the Keys to the end of the level, which is essential to get to the Special Stages. This challenge just adds to the replay value, as you learn all the levels by heart and improve your skills.

So whilst it has it's niggling problems, but it's an incredibly well thought-through and fleshed-out game with that's incredibly entertaining throughout. Well worth buying.

Sonic Heroes!
I first played the Xbox version of Sonic Heroes and thought it was great. Then I bought this version and thought that it was BRILLIANT!! The Graphics are great and miles better than any of the Dreamcast Sonic games. The gameplay is fast and furious letting you play as Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose and Team Chaotix. Each have colourful fun and challenging levels that will make you wan't to play Sonic Heroes over and over again.

GOOD POINTS : Great graphics, fun exhilarating gameplay and a full range of great things to do.

BAD POINTS : Some of the voices ( Big the Cat, Cream the rabbit and Charmy Bee ) are annoying. The camera is sometimes a bit bad.

OVERALL : 95/100

A team of 3 ,eh?
Sonic is back, better than ever. The game has great graphics and greatmusic.The gameplay is fast and furious, with 4 teams to pick from. Alltogether there are 12 playable characters.Collecting rings and ChaosEmeralds and Emblems has never been more fun than this game. There are7 great 2 player modes to beat your mate at. There is an audio room to listen to the games music, sound effects and theme song.There is also aCG theatre so you can watch the mini-movies which are in the game, youhave to unlock them though on audio room and CG theatre.The charactermodels look great and most voice acting is good. The only things thatlet this game down are:dodgy camera angles,levels which are slightly toolong with Team Dark and Team Sonic and the disobediant switch charactersystem (rarely). Overall this game is a must have for Sonic fans, but if you own a Gamecube aswell,if not already bought, buy SonicAdventure 2 battle instead. The teams are good and entertaining(sometimes) and gives the game a lot more strategy and body,which will help the game last longer.
BUY IT IF YOU ARE SONIC FAN!