Jeb Landin

This is an excellent game. I've been playing it the past 3 days on an older Xbox One and it's fantastic. I had tried the demo on our Switch, and that was actually very good as well. Our 6-year-old loves it on both consoles and says he does not see a difference so take that as you will... I do think it looks a little nicer and feels a bit more responsive on the Xbox One, and I expect it's as good or better on the newer consoles. I had read a lot of reviews because I was surprised at how mixed the reception was in December; the price also dropped dramatically already also which gave me pause. No pun intended. But we're we've really enjoyed Generations and some of Unleashed (not to mention the many classic 2D Sonic games and of course the movies) so it was inevitable to try Frontiers. I really think if you like zooming around like Sonic, this is pretty excellent. The graphics, regardless of what people are grumping about in some reviews, are spectacular. For some reason the sound is really outstanding too, both in terms of the music and the effects. I am really surprised because we have an ancient pair of semi-decent computer speakers plugged into the TV but the way the sound is balanced and the quality of the score is as good as I've seen in a modern game, it's really really awesome. People seem to groan a lot about "pop in," and I am aware of what they're talking about, but it really has no impact on my enjoyment of the game. Nearly all of the vast background scenery is there the whole time and just some small details "pop in" when you approach, from a distance. It is a non-issue, because, for example, you're still gonna see that rail you need to jump on way, way, way before you need to input the jump or dodge or dash or whatever. The gameplay really is fantastic - they balanced the insane speed with very tight controls considering the high-speed mayhem. Some gamers aren't considering that the huge variety of challenges and control options exists so that there is appeal both to "elder" gamers like me AND really young Sonic maniacs like our kids. It's an impressive achievement because while there are plenty of "dumb" puzzles and easy enemies to battle, these are balanced with tons and tons of wild aerial challenges, many rather tricky, and some totally bananas boss battles. The guardians, which are sorta mini-bosses, are super impressive, fairly challenging, and just fun to deal with. But yeah the main thing is the zooming all around like crazy - it is amazingly well-done and if you at all enjoyed older Sonic 3D games, I think you'll be thrilled to have the freedom you do in this. Sonic was originally created in response to Mario, and it has always had many parallels yet a totally different feel. Today, we can see some strong design similarities between Sonic Frontiers and Super Mario Odyssey- the open zones, and the attempt to translate the feel of the classic 2D games into coherent, fun-to-control 3D games. I don't know if Frontiers will quite top Odyssey overall, as the latter was consistently a tour-de-force, but having only put 3 or 4 hours in I can say that Frontiers is just as successful in taking Sonic into the open-zone 3D approach. It's excellent, and I hope people will look past the many negative reviews to check it out - it has far exceeded my expectations.

Sonic Origins is an excellent package. I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I play all sorts of games and grew up with the style that is now considered "retro," so I do enjoy when classics get nicely polished-up without being compromised. I would advise you to ignore the TONS of whiny complaints that are plaguing this game's release. - the widescreen presentation is great. - the original versions are right there if you want 'em, in all their 90's 4:3 splendor and sometimes-infuriating design. Still smoother and with slightly polished graphics! - Anniversary Mode is very well-thought out mode surprised me as being my favorite way to go. It does not compromise the gameplay in any way, all of the original platforming challenge is still very much present. - the new system of earning coins in-game to allow you to retry bonus stages is great for those of us who've found that element of the original games wildly frustrating. It isn't distracting while you're playing and it doesn't muck-up the games in any way. It's a cleverly implemented game element that just makes everything feel more balanced. - the sound quality is great - people have complained about "Sonic 3 and Knuckles" having inferior audio, but I don't hear that at all. As for the 3 tracks that were replaced, that is super unimportant. Yes I would prefer the originals as well, but it doesn't warrant the incredible whining from reviews and gamers. -the brief animated clips as intros and endings to each game are great. Also really nice that you can view the 6 that they had produced for Mania as well. Yes I find that preferable to "googling" them. One popular reviewer, who herself is not a huge of Sonic to begin with, said with unlimited lives (Anniversary Mode) you can just "barrel through the levels" if you want. Good luck with THAT!! Okay, it will certainly save you time vs having to start from Zone 1 each play-through, but you still have checkpoints you need to clear and it is no easier getting through each Act than it was before. The Anniversary Mode is going to be perfect for many, may gamers, and the original mode is still there for when you feel like tackling it. These are great classic games, given subtle but worth-while improvements. Altogether, Origins is the most fun way to experience classic Sonic on modern consoles.