As suggested by its name, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a continuation of the legendary series of Sonic platformers initially released on the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis. The plot picks up after the events of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, in which Sonic and his friends foiled the schemes of Sonic’s archenemy, Dr. Eggman (also known as Dr. Robotnik), by destroying his Death Egg and giving back the Master Emerald that had been taken. Eggman is out for vengeance, so he rebuilds and upgrades his best creations to eliminate Sonic once and for all. Despite this, the victory is only temporary.
The gameplay of the game not only harkens back to the first installment of the series in terms of its narrative and title but also in terms of its mechanics. Sonic 4 is a traditional two-dimensional sidescroller, just like its predecessors, and it utilizes the same gameplay principles as the other titles in the series. Several new elements, such as the “Homing Attack,” lock on Sonic’s jump on adversaries, jumping platforms, or breakable items. There are also some other new additions. The graphics in Sonic 4, which use polygons for the Sonic characters and prerendered graphics for everything else, are among the most notable differences between this game and its predecessors. Unlike Mega Man 9, for instance, Sonic 4 does not recreate the appearance of its predecessors.
