Sonic Booms!
The first Sonic the Hedgehog game of the twenty-first century is also the classic platform character’s first-ever Xbox game.Sonic Heroes™ puts you in control of a team of three characters, with four teams to choose from and each one with a unique story line that pits them against the evil Dr. Robotnik. By switching which character in the team is in the lead, you can change the team’s formation to focus on that character’s strongest skill—which means you’ve got three ways to take on any challenge. Team Sonic, for example, consists of Sonic (the speedster), Knuckles the Echidna (the powerful brawler), and Tails (the flyer). Throughout the game, you can even “level up” your heroes by picking up power cores, which can make the balance of power a little challenging.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles team up.
Speed, Glorious Speed
Team Sonic: Sonic the Hedgehog
Team Dark: Shadow
Team Rose: Amy Rose
Team Chaotix: Espio the Chameleon
Speed should be your default traveling formation and is definitely the most balanced character power. Speed characters also all usually have strong attacks for when enemies take you by surprise. With a running start, you can even save yourself time and skip the flight formation on some long jumps (although this takes practice). Just use caution on those loops: If you’re not pressing forward on the left thumbstick, there’s a very good chance you’ll slip off the track and into the ocean. Look for blue power cores to level up speed characters.
Three formation styles: speed, power, and flight.
Speed characters like Sonic can use a special move called Rocket Accel, which combines a super-speed boost with an aggressive head-on rolling attack that can bowl over whole groups of enemies before they can react. To use Rocket Accel, hold down X and release it when you’re all lined up. Aim carefully!
Power Plays
Team Sonic: Knuckles the Echidna
Team Dark: E-123 Omega
Team Rose: Big the Cat
Team Chaotix: Vector the Crocodile
Power formations are useful for facing large groups of enemies (or just plain large enemies, when it comes to boss battles). The power formation is also what you’ll need to bash through obstacles that block your access to the main route or conceal hidden buttons or powerups.
Power attacks can topple obstacles or enemies.
Special attacks for power characters are especially useful for clearing out a horde of foes when you’re surrounded. Knuckles, for example, will pick up Sonic and Tails and spin them around in circles, knocking back encroaching enemies. Power characters can also perform a slam jump that flattens foes from above.
Flyin’ Hedgehogs ( … and Foxes … and Bats…)
Team Sonic: Sonic the Hedgehog
Team Dark: Shadow
Team Rose: Amy Rose
Team Chaotix: Espio the Chameleon
Flying formations let you reach great heights and clear great gaps. If you’re skittish—or just want to slow down an opponent in a two-player game—staying in the air can help you get past enemies without a fight, leaving them for your opponent to face. Be careful, though. While you’re flying, you move much more slowly than usual, and you make a tempting target for enemies with ranged attacks. You also need to keep an eye on your flight gauge, a blue bar that slowly runs out while you’re flapping your wings, tails, or what have you. Some flyers stay in the air longer than others.
The fly formation lets you clear long distances.
You can build up your super-duper “Team Blast,” an animated cut-scene that wipes out all nearby enemies (usually) most easily by using the flight character’s special homing attack. Put your flyer in the lead, and press A to take to the air; then, tap A again to launch the middle character (for example, Sonic) as a homing missile. Doing this about a dozen times will fill up your combo meter. Then, hit the white button at the appropriate time to unleash the Team Blast.
By Ben Barker
