Sonic rushes onto your DS!

Sonic is back, with his fastest game yet. This time it's on the Nintendo DS, Sonic races up and down both screens at a blazing speed. Sonic has an all new friend too, Blaze the cat. Is she on your side or with the evil Dr. Eggman? You'll just have to find out

Graphics:
Sonic Rush is as close as you can get to the classic-style 2-D Sonic games of the early 90's. But, that doesn't mean to expect bad graphics, no no, this Sonic game has stunning visuals! The character model of Sonic and his friends and enemies are 3D, most of the stages are 2D but, they have a lot of 3D elements. The new and exciting, yet challenging Boss Stages are all 3-D. This game looks so good you'll swear your playing it on a home video console.

Gameplay:
Sonic Rush includes 14 levels spanning across two screens with 3D elements and non-stop high-speed action. This game is a bit more challenging than previous Sonic titles but, you'll learn Sonic's new powers and tricks quickly which will teach you how to overcome new obstacles with ease. For those of you who have never played a Sonic game here's a little quick refresher course. The goal of the game is to get Sonic to the end of the stage while trying not to get hurt by enemies or losing lives, every couple of stages (in this case 2) is a boss, after you defeat the boss you will go onto the next set of stages. If your skilled enough you can go to the special stage to try and get a Chaos Emerald. Sonic has always been fast, and he's still got his speed but, now you have a new boost power. Don't worry classic Sonic fans, this doesn't take anything away from the game...it just adds more fun! There is a meter on the left side of the screen that'll fill up when you take down enemies and collect rings. The more power you have the longer you can boost. You can use this new power to boost across open gaps, push heavy blocks, or push a giant spring to launch yourself across the level.

Special Stages:
The special stages for this game are pretty similar to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 where you race down a half-pipe collecting rings and goodies while dodging enemies and dangerous obstacles, what's not the same is how to get to them. First off you must be Sonic, Blaze can't join in on the special stage fun. You have to find a special generator sphere object with two handles and a star in the middle, if you grab on and use your boost (X or Y) enough you'll be transported to a Special Stage. Some enemies come flying towards the screen while you race down the half-pipe, so you must use the touch screen to "hit" the enemy, which will make Sonic jump to attack them until they explode. It's a great twist on a classic special stage, if you complete the stage with the amount of needed rings you'll be treated to one of the seven Chaos Emerald.

Wireless Play:
I haven't been able to find a friend with Sonic Rush yet but, from my experience with other DS games and by reading the manual I've been able to gather some information for you. You can use the Nintendo DS's built-in Wi-Fi technology to play with another friend. The multiplayer levels let you race against your friend to the end of the stage while dodging enemies and obstacles like spikes. Your opponent can play a limited game with you if he doesn't own his own copy of Sonic Rush but, if they have Sonic Rush too you'll probably get more options to play around with. During a multipayer game your friend will appear on the top screen and you'll appear on the bottom so you can see where your friend is, and if your winning or not.

Tidbits and Extras:
(This includes some minor spoilers, which you unlock while playing the game)
Some unlockables in the game include a Sound Test Mode, a Time Attack Mode, More Sound for the Sound Test and Super Sonic with an Extra stage (but only you can only be Super Sonic in this stage, which might be good since going as fast as he does on a regular stage will get you killed easily)

Conclusion:
Sonic Rush is a MUCH welcome addition to the Sonic series of games. His fast speed and new tricks are perfect for the Nintendo DS and will keep you busy for a long time to come. This is quite possibly one of the best Sonic games yet, this fresh 2D side-scrolling game with 3D elements is a new and unique game which evey Sonic fan should get their hands on. I'm having so much fun playing this game, it's incredible! When I complete the game I'll be sure to update this review with more information.