_____Brilliant. Genius. Awesome. Incredibly fun. These are just a few of the adjectives that describe the many, many games in the Sonic The Hedgehog universe. There are very few games in the Sonic series that aren't well designed, well thought-out, and just plain cool. The original Sonic the Hedgehog, released on the SEGA Genesis back in 1991, is still hailed as one of the greatest platform games of all time, along with its ingenious sequel, the aptly titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Of course, I might just be talking out of my ass here, as I am Sonic Fanboy #1. Either way, Sonic Heroes is SEGA's latest entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and it certainly lives up to the lofty precedent of its predecessors, adding several new and entertaining twists to the basic Sonic formula. The game is great to be sure, but does Sonic still have what it takes to be the Erinaceid king of platform games?

_____Sonic Heroes’ story is simple. Each team has their own storyline to follow. For Team Sonic, the infamous Dr. Robotnik has created a machine that could destroy the world, and he has issued a challenge to Sonic and his pals. Team Dark also has to destroy Robotniks machine, but not before getting some answers from him. Team Rose has to beat Team Sonic to the finish, and Team Chaotix has to go on missions specified by their job client, which eventually leads them to Robotnik.

_____Sonic Heroes takes the lighting speed that made Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 so great and adds a concept totally new to the 3D Sonic universe: teamwork. In Heroes, you will control one of four different teams of three characters. Each of the three characters is adept at some type of skill: speed, strength, or flight. You can switch to any character to take advantage of their special ability at any time during game play. For example, as you race through a level, you may encounter a large ruin blocking your path. You can attempt to use your character with the flight ability to fly over it, but a more convenient form of moving the object would be to destroy it using your strength character. I found myself using speed more than anything because the speed character has a good balance of desruction power along with quick movements. Strength is a good choice too, but the character is usually quite slow. I only use the flight ability when absolutely necessary.

_____If this all sounds confusing and daunting, don’t worry: Sonic Heroes includes a Tutorial Mode that will show you how to switch, when to switch, and what characters to switch to depending on the situation. It’ll become child’s play after the Tutorial and a few levels, though it can get a little frustrating and confusing at some points.

_____Sonic Heroes moves FAST. Fortunately, it’s not too fast, but it can be difficult to maintain a smooth run through a level because you’re constantly switching characters and because it’s sometimes hard to judge when to use what character. This will become second nature eventually, but as you’re starting out you’ll likely get a little confused. Speaking of speed, the PS2 version moves at about half the framerate of the XBox and GameCube versions (presumably due to a lack of processing power), so if speed isn't your thing, you might want to check out Heroes for the PS2.

_____In addition to speed, Sonic has always been about simplicity, and the controls are as simple as they come in a 3D adventure. The B and Y buttons are used to switch characters, A is jump (Double tap for a "Homing" attack,) the X button is Special Attack, and the White button takes advantage of the "Team Blast," which is a massive attack that can be used to destroy many enemies at once. I have heard complaints from a few people that the game forces you to use the analog stick across all three platforms, rather than the conventional D-Pad. This doesn't bother me, as I'm used to the joystick control, and prefer it for its more precise directional control, which is an absolute must in a fast-paced game like Heroes.

_____The graphics in Sonic Heroes are the typical SEGA platform fare: Bright colors, blinking lights, and plenty of rings. Zipper pads and springs are sprinkled all around every level, providing an assortment of delicious eye candy as you race around each area. Sonic and friends are designed as accurately as ever, with all the trademarks the characters are known and loved for. Knuckles has his claws, Tails has his tails (of course), and Sonic has his classic spines. The other characters that inhabit the world of this game are also nicely designed. The Playstation 2 version unfortunately suffers from either dated hardware or a bad port job, and therefore the visuals do suffer. Still, it's quite impressive no matter which platform you decide to play it on.

_____The sound in Sonic Heroes will bring a nostalgic smile to the face of anyone familiar with the original Sonic games on SEGA Genesis. Many classic sounds, including the famous "ring" sound, are back in all their glory, and the new sounds work perfectly for the game. The music, as in the Sonic Adventure games, is mostly 80’s-style heavy metal, with a dash of electronic and ambience tracks thrown in. They all fit the Sonic world well. Character voices fit their character, and are, oddly enough, well acted. Omochao, who narrates the Tutorial Mode, is quite irritating, but Big the Cat's total lack of ability to say anything other than "Froggy!" will keep you giggling throughout Team Roses storyline.

_____Sonic Heroes is a great addition to a long-running, popular franchise that just keeps delivering the speed and the fun to consoles everywhere. Now, owners of any console can enjoy the adventures of Sonic and friends. With the addition of the teamwork system and the loads replay value, Sonic Heroes comes highly recommended to anyone who likes good games. And who doesn’t like those?