Yuji Naka

Sonic Gems Collection basically dares its audience to ask one question: does merely being old qualify a game for 'classic' status, or did the game have to be good in the first place? Sonic Gems offers three previously unrereleased Sonic games, as well as eight other 'bonus' titles, bringing the grand total up to 11. This shotgun approach is actually the secret of the title's success, because while the three marquee titles are a bit of a letdown, a few of the lesser titles are interesting and fun enough to make the game worthy of a look.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Cartoon Violence

Game Description: Sonic Gems Collection gives old-school Sonic fans, collectors and newcomers a reason to rejoice! This full collection of classic Sonic games compiles all the most popular games featuring Sonic The Hedgehog. On top of that, there are other classic Sonic games hidden throughout the disc. See if you can unlock them for even more great arcade action!

As a critic, I don't like to admit that I'm wrong but I can, and do. Still, that doesn't mean I like it. Naturally, I try to be wrong as little as possible—but today, I need to 'fess up big-time. See, I used to think Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg was a bad Sega game, but that was only until I played Sonic Heroes. Now, I see lil' Billy as a virtual masterpiece by comparison, practically the digital equivalent of a Guernica, or Starry Night. Why? Because Sonic Heroes has so much wrong with it, that three lefts couldn't make it right.

Although this Sonic update has good ideas, they are sadly bogged down by the game's implementation, which features a wonky camera, faulty collision detection and questionable physics. I felt like the developers started out with a vision or goal for the game, but got lost along the way.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Fantasy Violence

Game Description: Sonic Heroes takes you blazing through a world of great adventure! Use multiple teams and formations to conquer the ultimate hero, once and for all.

That torturous, fickle experience I just alluded to combines with a lack of engaging play mechanics to create Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg. A simplistic, by-the-numbers 3D platformer with inspiration taken from Sonic The Hedgehog, Billy Hatcher ends up lagging behind the genre's top games by a wide margin despite its novel concept.

Game Description: Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is a 3D game centering around a young boy on a mission to save his kingdom from an evil ruler.Billy is no ordinary boy, however. The lad, through the use of a special suit, has the power to control the worlds magical eggs. These eggs can be rolled along the ground to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and uncover secrets.

Jon is right in saying that Sonic Advance brings the series back to its 2D roots, but something seems different this time around. All the familiar elements are there: the loops, the speed, Dr. Robotnik. Yet all these elements don't seem to click as well they used to.