Sonic Heroes
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Sonic Heroes<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
| |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sonic Team
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)</th><td>Sega</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Engine</th><td>RenderWare</td></tr> |
| Release date(s) | Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg December 30, 2003 Image:Flag of the United States.svg January 6, 2004 (GC) Image:Flag of the United States.svg January 27, 2004 (PS2/Xbox) Image:European flag.svg February 6, 2004 Image:Flag of the United States.svg November 16, 2004 (PC) Image:European flag.svg November 26, 2004 (PC) Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg December 10, 2004 (PC) |
| Genre(s) | Adventure Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Platform(s) | GameCube, PS2, Xbox, PC
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">System requirements</th><td>PC: Pentium III 866 MHz CPU, 16MB Direct3D-compatible graphics card, DirectX-compatible sound card, 12x CD-ROM drive, 0.8GB hard disk space, Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP, DirectX 9.0b</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Input</th><td>PC: Mouse and keyboard, or analog joypad |
Sonic Heroes (ソニックヒーローズ) is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the first multiplatform game in the Sonic series. The game was developed on the Nintendo GameCube, then ported onto the Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and PC CD-ROM using Renderware technology. The phrase "Sonic Heroes" refers to the uniting of the protagonists of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
The game introduces several new gameplay elements. Unlike past Sonic games, which have all been single player, players are able to control three characters at a time, switching the party's leader.
This game also marked the return of Chaotix, a group last seen in Knuckles' Chaotix on the Sega 32X, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat from Sonic Adventure 2, Cream the Rabbit from Sonic Advance 2, Big the Cat from Sonic Adventure, and Metal Sonic, who, prior to this game, had not played a major role in the series for years, last having one in Knuckles' Chaotix in 1995.
Although the plot for Sonic Heroes is somewhat sparse, a large portion of it was a set-up for 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog, especially Team Dark's story. In Team Dark's story it reveals a vast army of Shadow androids and Shadow has amnesia which help the plot of Shadow the Hedgehog move smoothly.
Contents |
[edit] Teams
Unlike past Sonic the Hedgehog games, Sonic Heroes is the first sonic game that allows the player to control three characters at once (although the player controls the selected character, while the computer takes control of the remaining two characters). A player will choose one of four teams to use. The four teams all have their own strengths and weaknesses as do each of the individual characters. Sonic Heroes was the first Sonic game to introduce the "Speed, Flight, and Power" concept into the series.
A team is made up of three characters, each suited for a specific task. The three types of characters are "flight," "speed," and "power." The flight type is able to ascend short distances with other party members. The speed character has the ability to move at a faster rate than the other two members of the team. Lastly, the power character is the strongest physically of the three.
Generally speaking, when the Speed formation is selected, the characters stand in a straight line, one behind the other with the Speed character up front. When the attack button is held, the Power and Fly characters will approach the Speed character, who will roll into a ball. Releasing the attack button will cause the Speed character to dash forwards. In cases where the Speed character is on his (or her) own before the other characters can get to him, releasing the attack button will perform an individual attack. When the jump button is held, he or she will jump, if pressed again in mid-air he or she will perform the Homing Attack. While doing so, the speed character's teammates do it as well giving them the ability to destroy an enemy in one blow when he or she is not "leveled up". When at "Level One" (or after obtaining one blue power core), the team's speed character will have a stronger Homing Attack ability, although, it is still not strong enough to destroy the most basic and weakest of enemies. At "Level Two" he or she can now destroy those basic enemies in one single blow. At "Level Three" the character can not only destroy enemies in one blow, but can now remove enemies' sheilds, flip ememies over to have an easier time destroying that enemy, and swing up poles needed to reach other sections of the stage, all done by Homing Attack. Lastly, when in mid-air, pressing the attack button will allow the speed character to create a small tornado. These tornadoes can be used to swing up poles, remove sheilds from enemies, and scoop them off their feet thus flipping them over. These actions can be done easier when three blue power cores are obtained and the Homing Attack is performed where and when these actions are needed.
When the team is in Power formation, they will stand in a triangular fashion (i.e. the Power character at the front, with the other two characters behind and slightly to each side). Pressing the attack button in this formation will draw the other team members to the Power member. In Team Dark and Team Sonic, the Speed and Fly characters will curl into balls and be held (one in each hand) by the power character. In Team Chaotix, Espio and Charmy will curl into balls and be held in Vector's mouth. In Team Rose, Amy and Cream will sit on Big's shoulders. After doing so, pressing the attack button three times continuously will make the power character attack by either punching (performed by Knuckles), swinging their arms (performed by Omega), hitting his friends towards enemies with a fishing rod (performed by Big), or shooting his friends at enemies from his mouth (performed by Vector). The third time, the character will perform a solo attack (only if a red power core is obtained). This attack is made to destroy all the enemies in the vicinity. Every time you obtain a power core, the strength of this attack is increased. In Team Sonic and Team Dark, when in mid-air, pressing the attack button allows the character to perform "Fire Dunk". The power character launches his two friends at enemies, it is one of the best ways to clear out a large group of enemies. In Team Rose and Team Chaotix, performing this action makes the power character hammer down on enemies. Big uses his stomach to bodyslam the enemies, Vector clenches his fists together and literally hammers down on the enemy. Lastly, when in mid-air, pressing the jump button performs the Triangle Dive. This trick is used to ride off of the current coming off of giant fans. Items and Rings can be obtained by using this trick. In Team Rose, Big uses his fishing pole/umbrella with Amy and Cream hanging on to him. In Team Chaotix, Vector blows a giant bubble out of bubblegum to float with Espio and Charmy hanging off of the chain around his neck.
When the Fly formation is selected, the team will be in a vertical line, with the Fly character at the top. Pressing the attack button in this formation will perform "Thunder Shoot". It consists of a team member being shot in the direction of the nearest enemy. At the lowest fly level, if this is a flying enemy, it will be stunned and fall out of the sky, dealing 1 point of damage to itself. If attacking a ground enemy at the lowest fly level, the enemy will be stunned temporarily. In cases where the Fly character is on his (or her) own pressing the attack button will perform an individual attack.
There are 'leaders' to each team, but they are merely the one who created the team or what not. One being the leader does not affect gameplay. It is only part of the story.
[edit] Team Sonic
- Sonic the Hedgehog - Speed (leader)
- Miles "Tails" Prower - Flight
- Knuckles the Echidna - Power
Team Sonic is the main team of Sonic Heroes. One day, Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna receive a letter from the maniacal Doctor Eggman. The Doctor tells them of his new ultimate weapon that will be ready within three days, thus, challenging them to find and destroy it. The three band together to stop the mad doctor's plans.
The typical level for this team requires one to race through the levels as quickly as possible, with intermediate difficulty settings. Team Sonic's abilities are very similar to Team Dark's, with the exception of the Power character's combos (instead of firing gatling guns, Knuckles triggers volcanic eruptions). Team Sonic is one of the two teams that is capable of using the Light Dash. Sonic can use the Triangle Jump which allows him to bounce between close walls.
The Team Blast is Sonic Overdrive, in which Knuckles holds Tails, holding Sonic, spinning them around picking up speed, until Knuckles lets go and Tails launches Sonic like the Thunder Shoot. Sonic will bounce around the area at light speed, destroying all enemies and stunning bosses like the Thunder Shoot. While the Gauge restores itself, Tails can launch Sonic in a Mini-Team Blast form at any level, and when Sonic approaches any enemy, he can activate Light Speed Attack, allowing him to destroy any enemy within his radius; however, they may not use these once the gauge has fully restored.
[edit] Team Dark
- Shadow the Hedgehog - Speed
- Rouge the Bat - Flight (leader)
- E-123 Omega - Power
Team Dark's common cause is to find Dr. Eggman. Rouge the Bat, the founder of the team and its resident flyer, is after Eggman's hidden treasure. Shadow the Hedgehog, the speed specialist, wants to know his true identity and why he was left inside a pod, which he never completely figures out until Shadow the Hedgehog. E-123 Omega, the fully-armed robot, is angry with Eggman for abandoning him and wishes to destroy Eggman's robots for revenge and prove he is superior.
Team Dark's missions are the most fighting-oriented in the game, calling for its members to blast through large hordes of enemies to reach the goal ring. To accommodate for this, Team Dark has more powerful offensive techniques at its disposal. Shadow uses his Homing attack to blast through rows of Eggman's flunkies; Rouge, besides being able to launch her companions at airborne enemies can attack enemies with powerful kicks or ring-like bombs; Omega can launch his friends at enemies, after which he transforms his arms into formidable gatling guns to take out entire groups of foes. Team Dark's attacks are generally identical to Team Sonic's. An exception is the differences between their leveled-up finishing moves (e.g.,Omega uses weapons while Knuckles uses flaming earthquakes).
The Team Blast is Chaos Inferno, that once activated, Shadow will grab the green Chaos Emerald from Omega (even if you didn't collect one) and use Chaos Control, and Rouge, lifting Omega over Shadow's head, will have Omega use Chaos Inferno, in which he will fire two huge purple beams from his arms. The beams will destroy all enemies in range. Also, while the gauge is being restored, time will be frozen by Chaos Control, done by Shadow. Once the gauge is restored, everything will be normal again.
[edit] Team Rose
- Amy Rose - Speed (leader)
- Cream the Rabbit and Cheese the Chao - Flight
- Big the Cat - Power
The characters of Team Rose are each trying to find someone important to them. Amy Rose searches for "her" Sonic, because she notices that Sonic had been missing from her life for quite a while, and also tries to defeat Eggman just in case Sonic had been captured or something like that, impressing Sonic so that she may have herself another shot at getting married to Sonic. Big the Cat is searching for his amphibian friend Froggy again, and Cream the Rabbit is seeking out Cheese the Chao's brother, Chocola. With a picture in the newspaper (being carried off by who they believe to be Sonic) as their only clue, the three join up to find their lost companions.
Team Rose has the simplest levels in the game, boasting fewer enemies and longer flight times. Amy leads the speed formation, and although she is not quite as quick as Sonic, she has her handy Piko-Piko Hammer to smack enemies and launch her friends at enemies. Cream can fly her teammates over long distances, and with solo attacks, she can send Cheese to attack for her. Big's weapon of choice is his trusty fishing pole, which can be swung around as his finishing move, but also has a built-in parasol to help the team ride air currents over obstacles.
Their Team Blast is Flower Festival, in which Big balances Amy and Cream onto his parasol as an explosion of flowers bursts from it. Along with destroying all nearby enemies, this will level-up all characters, and give the team a shield and temporary invincibility.
[edit] Team Chaotix
- Espio the Chameleon - Speed
- Vector the Crocodile - Power (leader)
- Charmy Bee - Flight
Team Chaotix is composed of quiet, ninja-like, and disciplined Espio the Chameleon; their headstrong music-loving leader Vector the Crocodile; and the air-headed flying ace Charmy Bee. Notably missing is Mighty the Armadillo, who appears with his team in Knuckles' Chaotix.
Team Chaotix is a detective agency. One day, they receive a mysterious package with a walkie talkie in it. An eerily familiar stranger gives the team instructions through this device and claims that if the job he has for them is completed the Chaotix crew will be handsomely rewarded. Espio is wary of the job, but Vector, with dollar signs in his eyes, reminded him of Chaotix's number one rule, "We never turn down work that pays!"
In Sonic Heroes, the missions of Team Chaotix differ from the other three teams'. From collecting hermit crabs to destroying golden turtle robots, the goals these three pursue are unique and are reminiscent of Knuckles' Sonic Adventure 2 levels. Additionally, each member has unique skills that set them apart from the other characters of his type. Espio, for instance, can render himself invisible to avoid enemy fire and pass through laser barriers. Charmy can activate special flowers to teleport the group to another flower in the level. Vector attacks by crunching enemies in his jaws, then spewing what is said to be halitosis at enemies (the halitosis he breathes is in the form of musical notes). As Vector levels-up, he breathes (instead of halitosis) fire and the fan-dubbed "bubblegum bombs", in which Vector chucks up a load of explosive bubblegum bubbles. The bubblegum is also used to float.
Team Chaotix's Team Blast is Chaotix Recital, in which Espio plucks on a samisen, Charmy bangs on a bass drum and sings poorly, and Vector screams into a microphone, destroys every enemy on-screen and produces a ring box for each. While the Team Blast gauge goes down, any enemy the player destroys will earn them extra rings and can be particualy useful in the 'Robot Carnival' and 'Robot Storm', for the ring boxes get the gauge to fill up quicker.This could be referring to Vector supposedly being Sonics former band member.
[edit] Team Super
- Super Sonic - Speed (leader)
- Super Tails - Flight
- Super Knuckles - Power
Team Super is the transformed state of Team Sonic available only in the final battle. The other three teams have stalled Metal Sonic for time allowing Team Sonic to transform. After Metal Madness transforms into Metal Overlord, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles transform into super form. The three then head off into battle.
Team Super essentially controls as a "Level 4" Team Sonic. Sonic is able to use Light Attack at any given time, but at the cost of 5 rings. Tails' Thunder Shoot is powered up to destroy many more targets by launching Sonic into Light Attack and Knuckles into homing attack. Knuckles' combo move enables him to continually punch the air, causing numerous explosions. Team Super does not level up as they are already at level 3.
The Team Blast is officially unnamed, but is the only means of attacking Metal Sonic. Tails begins to hover and charge up, followed by Knuckles and then Sonic. The camera zooms out to show Sonic at the top center of the screen, Tails at the bottom left, and Knuckles at the bottom right, with the respective formation symbols appearing behind each of them. The three then charge Metal Sonic and simultaneously perform Light Attack. There is no after effect for this Team Blast.
[edit] Stages
Sonic Heroes contains a total of 14 action stages and 9 boss stages (including last story). Objectives and enemies for each stage may vary, depending on which of the four teams the player belongs to. An Emblem is awarded for every stage that each team completes.
- Sea Gate: A cave-like tutorial stage. If you choose "Tutorial" at the Main Menu, you will play Sea Gate as Team Sonic, but if you start Team Rose's story, you start at Sea Gate as Team Rose. If you start any other story (except Last), you will start directly at Seaside Hill. The goal ring is outside the cave
- Seaside Hill: A beach stage with some ancient white ruins that are connecting various islands. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are on an island resembling a whale. For Team Rose, the goal ring is below the vertical tunnel that teams Sonic and Dark use before the 2nd bobsled. Team Chaotix must collect 10 hermit crabs.
- Ocean Palace: After launching off the "tail" of the whale island, the teams end up on a large area made up of the white ruins seen before. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark is found after you run from 3 giant rocks that you alert. For Team Rose, the goal ring is on the one of the floating turtles used by teams Sonic and Dark. Team Chaotix must find a lost chao above the palace.
- EGG HAWK: Boss battle against Eggman in a large robotic bird vehicle.
- Grand Metropolis: A large futuristic city with flying cars and energy pathways. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark is in a gap in a taller building a little after a drawbridge where cars may drop. Team Rose has their goal ring on a blimp in an energy storage tank(Teams Sonic,Dark and Chaotix use them). Team Chaotix must destroy all 85 robots in the city.
- Power Plant: A power plant owned by the company "hexaECO", who create an orange kind of liquid energy. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are above another energy storage tank, but this time you must make it to the top as the energy liquid rises. For Team Rose, you start on the first elevator, and the goal ring is right before the second elevator and where the other teams would have a pole to spin on. Team Chaotix must destroy 3 gold turtle robots.
- TEAM VERSUS (Team Sonic vs. Team Rose or Team Dark vs. Team Chaotix): Boss battle between the teams. Team Rose attacks Team Sonic as Amy tries to beat Sonic into marrying her, and Team Dark attacks Team Chaotix due to them looking suspicious.
- Casino Park: A city shaped like a large casino. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are on a platfom after a spiraling chute. The goal ring for Team Rose is on a platform after falling from a glass room. Team Chaotix must win 200 rings.
- BINGO Highway: A part of the city based on bingo slides. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are in a platform on the pinball table. Team Roses's goal ring is on a circular platform above Eggman's vault. Team Chaotix must collect 10 chips.
- ROBOT CARNIVAL: The boss battle is an endurance battle of robots on a small arena.
- Rail Canyon: A canyon where Eggman has built a train station. The goal ring for Teams Sonic, Dark and Chaotix are at a terminal station (Team Chaotix must solve a rail puzzle first). The goal ring for Team Rose is right before the first stalled train.
- Bullet Station: Even closer to Eggman's base, with several large cannons defending it. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are after you desroy Eggman's base by flying into it. Team Rose's goal ring is where a set of rails is but if you grind on them, you will just go to the other side of the platform with the goal ring. Team Chaotix must destroy 30 weapons capsules.
- EGG ALBATROSS: Boss battle against Eggman in a large blimp with the Egg Hawk on top.
- Frog Forest: A large forest with frogs that can summon rain. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are after grinding a rail that grows in front of you. The goal ring for Team Rose is shortly after flying on the first flower. Team Chaotix's goal ring is shortly after the second flower and where 3 frogs are, but you must get there without being detected by the frogs.
- Lost Jungle: A swamp deep inside the forest with black frogs that summon rain which is poisonous there for killing plants but won't harm you. The goal ring for Teams Sonic and Dark are after using vines to run away from a giant alligator. For Team Rose, the goal ring is in a narrow passageway with a frog in it. Team Chaotix must rescue 10 lost chao.
- TEAM VERSUS (Team Sonic vs. Team Dark or Team Rose vs. Team Chaotix): Boss battle between the teams. Team Dark attacks Team Sonic due to them being in the way, while Team Chaotix believe Cheese to be one of the Chao they are out to save, and Team Rose defends him.
- Hang Castle: A strange ghostly castle which can be turned upsidedown via orb-like switches. Teams Sonic's goal ring is after running down the side of a tower. Team Dark's goal ring is after spinning on a pole and then breaking a wall with Omega Team Rose's goal ring has a platform flying right up to it in an upside-down room. Team Chaotix must find 10 castle keys.
- Mystic Mansion: Inisde the castle is a haunted mansion with strange, distorted parts. Teams Sonic and Dark's goal ring is after passing challenges for each formation and on top of the castle as day breaks. For Team Rose, the goal ring is at the top of the room where a giant skeleton holds plates. Team Chaotix must blow out 60 red torches.
- ROBOT STORM: Again, the boss battle is an endurance battle of robots on a small arena, but there are more robots and the fight moves to different arenas.
- Egg Fleet: A gigantic fleet of flying fish-shaped battleships created by Eggman. Team Sonic doesn't have a goal ring, but the level ends after charging 2 battleships by using rocket accel on a conveyer belt while dodging the lasers. Teams Dark, Chaotix, and Rose have their goal ring right at the end of the second battleship (Team Chaotix must get there without being detected by the enemies).
- Final Fortress: The teams board the whale shark-shaped flagship of the fleet during a storm. Teams Sonic and Dark have their goal ring after dodging giant lasers shot by an Eggman dome and destroying the dome. Team Rose's goal ring is on a platform where an E-2000R should be. Team Chaotix must collect 5 keys to the cell wher their client is locked up.
- EGG EMPEROR: Final Boss battle against Eggman in a large knight-like robot suit that fires missiles and shockwaves.
[edit] Last Story Stages
- METAL MADNESS - Last Boss, fought using Teams Rose, Chaotix and Dark (in that order)
- METAL OVERLORD - True Final Boss, fought using Team Super
Each stage also has an Extra Mission that can be played in Challenge Mode. Completing the Extra Mission is also worth an emblem. Each team has a general goal for all their Extra Missions.
- Team Sonic: Reach the goal ring within a time limit.
- Team Dark: Defeat 100 enemies.
- Team Rose: Collect 200 rings without losing them.
- Team Chaotix: The objective varies with each stage:
- Seaside Hill: Find all 20 hermit crabs.(Brake all the crates/ruins on the stage).
- Ocean Palace: Find the lost chao without being detected by enemies. (Use team blast while standing next to the wall and the fan to avoid the green flying robot).
- Grand Metropolis: Destroy 85 enemies within a 8 minutes.
- Power Plant: Destroy all 5 gold turtle robots.
- Casino Park: Win 500 rings.
- BINGO Highway: Find all 20 chips (be cautious on the pinball tables).
- Rail Canyon: Reach the goal ring within 7 minutes
- Bullet Station: Destroy all 50 weapons capsules (Use the flower you may find at the beginning).
- Frog Forest: Reach the goal ring without being detected by the frogs within a 3/4 minutes.
- Lost Jungle: Find all 20 lost chao (Go everywhere you can).
- Hang Castle: Find the 10 keys without being detected by the enemies.
- Mystic Mansion: Blow out all 46 blue torches (the blue torches are harder to find).
- Egg Fleet: Reach the goal ring without being detected by the enemies within 5 minutes.
- Final Fortress: Find 10 cell keys.
[edit] Last Story
The last story starts out where Team Chaotix's story left off, where the team got orders to bust through a certain door via walkie-talkie and free their client. The client is revealed to be Dr. Eggman and the team begin to beat him up. The Last Story starts out with Vector asking Eggman who locked him up in this prison, Eggman then replies "It was...." then the screen cuts off.
All of the teams, and Eggman, rush toward the tower to be interrupted by a loud call saying "All living things kneel before your master!", then a mysterious figure holds its hand up to the sky and lightning strikes and destroys the large tower its standing on. All of the metal that was blown up by the lightning goes around the villain and it transforms into a large metallic dragon-like creature. Eggman then reveals that it is Metal Sonic (in a form revealed to be named "Neo Metal Sonic" on a Sonic Rivals card) who has transformed into a new powerful form after he copied and combined Team Sonic's and Shadow's data with the power of Chaos which he obtained from Froggy and Chocola. Teams Dark, Chaotix and Rose then compose a plan to stall Metal Sonic while Team Sonic powers up into their Super Forms.
A boss battle begins with Team Rose facing Metal Sonic under the name of "Metal Madness". After defeating Metal Madness as Team Rose you face it as Team Chaotix and then Team Dark. After it is defeated by those three teams Metal Madness's claws turn into wings and it begins to fly. With the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Team Sonic transforms into Team Super and take off to battle the new flying Metal Sonic called "Metal Overlord".
The final boss battle begins with the song "What I'm Made Of" by Crush 40 playing in the background. In the battle the team must get rings to sustain Super Form (called Super Transformation), and can only damage Metal Overlord by using an unnamed Team Blast. The team builds up the Team Blast by using Super Sonic's speed to counter Metal Sonic's ice crystals, Super Tails' Thunder Shoot to counter Metal Sonic's spike attacks, and Super Knuckles' power to counter Metal Sonic's battleship tosses. During the Team Blast, the three power up and use Light Attack. Five Team Blasts will take down Metal Overlord.
When he is defeated Metal Sonic falls back down to the ship, reverting back to his Neo form. He then reverts back to his classic form and questions why he can't defeat Sonic. Sonic replies "Because, We're Sonic Heroes", and says he is ready for a rematch anytime. Sonic then runs away and Tails goes after him. Metal Sonic then shuts down and Amy goes after Sonic, hurriedly bidding Cream and Big farewell. Knuckles pursues Rouge who is going after the Master Emerald. Omega picks up Metal Sonic's deactivated body and looks at Shadow, while Team Chaotix run after Eggman right before he can sneak away without paying them.
[edit] Reception
Reviews for Sonic Heroes generally are positive. Critics cited the enjoyable sense of visual style the game had (which harkens back to the classic Sonic games of the mid-1990s), although have noted its shortcomings as well, including:
- The camera system (a frequent complaint about the 3D Sonic series). Critics rated this game favorably despite this problem.
- The control scheme is either too precise or not precise enough depending on the speed of the character's movement. This is what most of the complaints stem from.
- The game's control scheme, combined with the common "bottomless pit" obstacles in the game, have resulted in some player backlash for what some deem to be "unfair deaths".
- Some fans and critics agree that there were simply too many playable characters. This has been an ongoing complaint that started back during the original Sonic Adventure, with many stating that all these extra characters were beginning to steal the spotlight from Sonic; this complaint was amplified in Sonic Adventure 2, which forced players to play as the extra characters rather than Sonic himself. This was compounded by Sonic Heroes, which included a total of 12 playable characters. However, one could also say that some fans would be disappointed if their favorite character was not playable - such was the case with Sonic Adventure 2; half the roster of playable characters were added after many complained Tails was not playable on foot.
- Another common complaint is the lack of variation. Some fans were unhappy that the levels play in the same order for each team with few changes. This could have particularly improved in the sense that Team Dark's first cut-scene is in Eggman's base, and yet their first level is Seaside Hill.
- The PlayStation 2 version has clipping and graphic faults during gameplay, making it the worst of all three releases; it consistently rated less than the Xbox and Nintendo GameCube versions in both critics and fan reviews.[1], [2],[3]
The PC version rated fairly well and garnered better reaction from fans and critics. [4],[5],[6]
Sonic Heroes had good sales, entering all three of the "best-sellers" lists: Greatest Hits (PS2), Platinum Hits (Xbox), and Player's Choice (GameCube).[citation needed] Sonic Heroes was also released in a package with Super Monkey Ball Deluxe on Xbox.
[edit] Voice actors
This is one of the final Sonic games in which the voice actors from the Sonic Adventure games recorded their voices. These Voice Actors are shown below:
Newer games in the series, from Shadow the Hedgehog on, are recorded by the cast of the Sonic television series, Sonic X.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] In-game
- In the opening scene of Team Chaotix's story, there are pinned papers on a notice board behind Vector, showing concept drawings of the robots used in the original Sonic the Hedgehog game.
- The stage "Rail Canyon" makes a return from Tails' Skypatrol.
- The stage "Frog Forest" is very similar to the Sonic & Knuckles stage, Mushroom Hill Zone. Knuckles points out one of the similarities; during flight with the flower on that stage, he mentions that there are also large mushrooms on Angel Island, but that they are smaller than those of Frog Forest.
- Unlike some previous games, there is no option for Japanese voice setting in the non-Japanese versions, even though it was created in Japan.
- This is one of the three Sonic games featuring Shadow where he does not mention Maria Robotnik (the others being Sonic Riders and Sonic the Hedgehog 2006), although this can be explained by the fact that he has amnesia.
- Several levels feature omens to the final story featuring Metal Sonic. Hang Castle features a hidden statue of Metal Sonic in his Neo form, hidden under Dr. Eggman's statue. The Final Fortress level features a deadly storm which will later be used by Metal Sonic to destroy part of the flagship. The storm is also mentioned as an omen by Shadow.
- This was the first of only two games (thus far) to feature Rouge the Bat wearing an outfit other than the one she originally wore in Sonic Adventure 2, the other being Sonic Riders.
- The first level of the game features cameo appearances by giant orcas, a possible nod to the Emerald Coast level of Sonic Adventure where Sonic is chased by one.
- As Team Sonic or Team Dark, if you are playing as Tails or Rouge alone (no one else is around, and they are standing on the ground), pressing the B button will allow them to throw exploding dummy rings at the enemy, but they cannot be collected. This may be a reference to an attack in the cancelled game, Sonic X-Treme.
- Three of the English voice actors of the game have the last name "Corkery".
- While digging through the Sonic Heroes ROM Data, the data for the Batnik Nebula(or Unidus in Japanese) was found.
[edit] External links
de:Sonic Heroeses:Sonic Heroes fr:Sonic Heroes it:Sonic Heroes pl:Sonic Heroes sv:Sonic Heroes
