You run through colorful side-scrolling levels with up to three other players, and collecting Chaos Emeralds gives you special powers like cloning yourself to hit multiple enemies at once or turning into a fish to swim up waterfalls. The levels are built with those powers in mind, so exploring off the main path often reveals a shortcut or a hidden area. It works well as a couch game since everyone can play together on screen at the same time.
Gameplay video
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Screenshots & review notes
The short version
It plays it safer than Frontiers did, but the new Emerald powers give the classic formula just enough novelty to feel worthwhile.
In the hands
Clone abilities and waterfall-climbing open up new routes through otherwise familiar zone layouts, keeping traversal interesting without overcomplicating things.
Look and sound
Colorful, cartoonish visuals suit the series well, and it holds a steady frame rate even with four players on screen at once.
The long haul
Built specifically around co-op, it shines brightest with friends and loses a little charm played solo. A solid pick for family game nights.
Frames captured from the gameplay video above; notes are our own take on the game.
What it's like to play
You and up to three friends can run through the entire story together at once, each controlling Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy, using the same jump and spin dash controls Sonic fans know but rendered in a new, cleaner art style with rounder 3D-looking characters on 2D stages. Every character has a distinct extra move, Amy can double jump and hover briefly with her hammer for example, so picking who you play as changes how you approach each level's platforming. Collecting the seven chaos emeralds scattered through special stages unlocks Emerald Powers, abilities like climbing walls or turning invisible platforms solid, which you can trigger mid-level with a button press to open new paths.
Your job in each stage is to reach the goal while dodging obstacles and enemies, and because the level layouts here are entirely new rather than remixes of old Sonic zones, there is more to discover on a first playthrough. As you progress the stages introduce clever gimmicks, giant pinball bumpers, a stage that shrinks and grows you, and boss fights punctuate the end of each zone, though these tend to involve waiting for an opening more than pure reflex challenges. A level takes a few minutes solo, longer with a full group since everyone needs to reach the goal together.
Playing with a full four-player group is fun but the camera struggles to keep everyone on screen at once, sometimes yanking the view around awkwardly. The physics also feel a touch floatier than the classic Genesis games, which purists will notice immediately. This is best enjoyed in short sessions with friends or family rather than as a long solo playthrough, especially if you go in expecting a party game feel rather than a serious platforming challenge.