Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

This game is widely considered to be among the worst games in the entire franchise. I disagree, though I can see why.

Let's start with the negatives. Yes, there are glitches, like that one where you jump really high for no good reason. I bump into that one randomly.

Some levels are freakishly difficult. The final level especially requires a lot of patience and spirit just to get through.

The story is a plot-hole ridden mess, my biggest gripe being that it's never explained why Mephiles can't just merge with Iblis in the future and be done with it. I agree that Princess Elise gets kidnapped too often in this game alone. Say what you will about Princess Peach, but at least she usually waits until the next game to be kidnapped again (though not without exceptions). Elise doesn't even wait that long. Of course, given she doesn't even appear in any future games, maybe that's why?

The graphics aren't up to par with others on the 360. Yes, it was an earlier 360 game, but just compare it to Kameo: Elements of Power, which was released the previous year. That said, Crisis City looks nice.

It's been said several times, but there's also the load times. They're excessive, and long. No, I'm sure you don't need to take five minutes to load a five-second task. I hear they're worse in the PS3 release. I don't know how true that is, but even here, they're ridiculous.

That said, I'll go on to the positives.

The gameplay is reminiscent of the Sonic Adventure duology which is a plus for me. I never bumped into the largest amount of glitches, and at least it's playable. The level design actually isn't so bad, either, if you ask me.

The characters are pretty neat to play as, and I especially like Blaze, since she can go pretty fast, and in a Sonic game, that's always good. I don't know why Sonic is slower than her here, other than the game being clearly unfinished. Too bad she isn't playable in the final level.

There's also the voice acting. Yes, it's not the greatest, but I feel that they did a good enough job. and Dan Green as Mephiles is amazing. Say what you want about the character himself, but his voice acting helps redeem him somewhat.

The music, as per usual in a Sonic game, is amazing, and fits the levels and the cutscenes well. Chances are you'll find at least a few songs that particularly stick out.

Last but not least...the ending. Everyone probably already knows this one, but I'll keep it under wraps anyways. Those who know, though, can look at my thoughts on the story above and see why I like this ending.

Yes, I said more negative than positive, but I assure you, I enjoyed it despite its flaws. Sure the game could have been better if it had more time in development, but as it is, I actually found it an enjoyable experience.