Honestly, what can I say that hasn't been said before. Great game, that perfectly replicates the original Rush's incredibly fast gameplay, with a few additions from the 3D Boost games that fit like a ring with it. The level design is mostly incredible, and the alternate pathways all feel neat. But I'm sure you've read all these and more, rightfully earned, praises in practically every other comment, so I'd like to list my gripes with it instead.
Bugs:
Bugs:
- Pressing A too fast on the options menu causes you not to be able to see the sub-menu. Easily fixable by just pressing B, though.
- Holding a direction at the start of the level causes Sonic not to move. Let go and he's freed, but still messes with some level restarts.
- There's certain parts where doing a Forward Trick a bit late will make Sonic aim it to the side, sometimes ruining your shortcut, or killing you.
- Homing Attacking Something while Air Boosting may get you stuck as Ball Form, without being able to jump.
- Some 2D Springs don't have Homing Markers, nor can they be Homing Attacked.
- The Trick Spring after the 2D Waterfall section doesn't allow you to do a Forward or Upward Trick if you start tricking.
- On the 3D platforming section above the waterfall, after bouncing from the spring before the vine, if you Light Speed Dash the 3 rings near it, you'll be stuck forever.
- Some checkpoints spawn you looking at the wrong side.
- The first Egg Ball doesn't actually hurt you.
- No stage intro, but an automated 2-sec look at a bush while Sonic moves to the first trick section, which you wouldn't notice at first since it lasts a sec and the camera doesn't let you look at the trick shines. I'm sure the stage intro will be present in future versions, but I think the camera being changed into a regular behind-the-back one until the part where it shows Sonic's different sides would be wonderful.
- Rail tricks don't give points, nor do they have a finisher, unlike 2D Rush.
- You get way too many rings despite them not really having any use, since you lose all of them on hit, and they don't affect your speed.
- All 3D sections in the latter half have bottomless pits, so making a mistake in the air is a guaranteed death.
- It's way too hard to grab that one Rainbow Ring near the flapper, specially when not doing it after a respawn, since the camera's further away, and the Ring is on an 45° angle after Homing Attacking the Flapper.
- I don't think the slide works really well. Maybe it could be like B makes you curl and pressing it again can uncurl you. That'd even make more sense with the original Rush, since Colors DS is the only one with the slide.
- There's no score decrease when tricking in the same spring.
- Rather than the amount of tricks, maybe the Trick counter could show how many points it'll be adding, like in the original.
- Reduce the amount of rings, and make them increase your speed, kinda like in Advance 2. That'd give more use to them.
- Replace the Tension box on the quick-step section with a Speed or Ring one. I don't think it makes much sense to give away Tension right before a cutscene and a long trick section.
- Maybe the part with the first Egg Ball could lead to another mini-cutscene with the vine launcher.
- I think it should be more difficult to get S Rank. I had to purposefully avoid tricking just to get an A rank.
- Maybe you could add the Bounce when holding Stomp, or when using it during a Trick, like in the Advance games. Could help make platforming faster.
- Some of the 2D springs could work as bounce poles.
- Add an Egg Rank animation for the results screen to go along with the funny fail music.
- Maybe add Red Star Rings to make other routes more valuable.
- I think it'd be for the best if the Homing Markers were bigger.