Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Was Full Of Squandered Potential

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Today, October 7, 2025, marks the 15-year anniversary of *Sonic the Hedgehog 4*. We’re taking a look back at Sega’s effort to bring back the classic 2D *Sonic* games, and why it didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 definitely has its issues—the awkward movement, the heavy reliance on levels and bosses from the original games, and a noticeably poor-quality soundtrack are the biggest complaints. However, even after 15 years, I still find myself revisiting and enjoying both episodes from time to time.

The game definitely had some highlights. What I really liked was that each section of every area felt unique, instead of just repeating the same challenges. For instance, the first part of Casino Street had typical pinball elements like flippers and bumpers. But the second part introduced a completely new idea – racing across playing cards that served as moving platforms. Then, the third part added cannons you could aim to launch Sonic through the level. Visually, the game was beautiful, successfully blending the bright, colorful style of older Sonic games with a modern look. While the music, composed by Jun Senoue, leaned a bit heavily on the classic Genesis sound, it was still really memorable and catchy.

Sega seemed to be listening to player feedback, and Episode 2 showed clear improvements over the first one. The levels, like White Park and Oil Desert, felt more creative and unique. Tails, Sonic’s sidekick, was also given a much more helpful role. He could now carry Sonic over gaps, speed through water and snow, and even clear the screen of enemies with a special team attack. Players who had both episodes could also replay the first episode’s levels as Metal Sonic, with a new story that ran alongside the original, similar to the ‘lock-on’ feature in classic Sonic games from the 1990s.

Featuring Metal Sonic prominently was unusual for the Sonic franchise, as it marked his return after being defeated in *Sonic CD*. Before this, and in most games since, he’d largely been limited to brief appearances as a boss, often being destroyed without much story development. In Episode 2, however, he’s a constant threat, appearing frequently for challenging boss battles. *Sonic 4* successfully linked the story to *Sonic CD*, which had previously felt separate from other classic *Sonic* games. Similarly, bringing back Little Planet – the setting of *Sonic CD* – and reimagining it as a massive power source for a new Death Egg was a clever callback that felt like it could have been expanded upon.

Sonic 4 is a bit of a mixed bag – interesting and annoying in equal measure. It had some clever ideas for bringing back classic Sonic features, but they didn’t appear until very late in the game. The first episode felt mostly like a rehash of the original Sonic games with a few new tricks. The second episode showed more creativity, but it ended just as things were getting interesting. As for the third episode… it didn’t quite come together.

For a long time, it seemed like a third Sonic the Hedgehog 4 episode would never happen. Many fans believed the second episode didn’t perform well enough to justify making a third one. However, years after the release of Episode 2, Ken Balough, a former brand manager for Sonic 4, revealed in an interview that the game was originally intended as a trilogy, but plans changed for reasons that weren’t shared publicly. This idea gained more support recently when a beta version of Episode 2 was found. This beta contained a scene that hinted at a sequel, showing the Death Egg gaining power using the Master Emerald, with Knuckles involved.

Finding that extra bit of code really got me thinking about what Episode 3 of Sonic 4 could have been like. It definitely hinted that Knuckles would have been a big part of it, probably even someone you could *play* as. I kept wondering if they’d let me go back through the levels from the first two episodes with him, like I can with Metal Sonic, or if he’d be more like Tails – a buddy I could team up with during levels. It made me think, would it have finally felt like a *complete* Sonic 4, just like how Sonic 3 & Knuckles felt finished? Honestly, it’s all just guessing at this point, but it’s fun to imagine!

It’s frustrating to learn that Christian Whitehead, the talented developer of the beloved Sonic Mania, was once considered to lead the development of Sonic Episode 3. Just think – an Episode 3 with the same fantastic classic gameplay and level design as Mania! Even better, they could have updated the physics in Episodes 1 and 2 to match the feel of the original Sonic games. While we eventually got Sonic Mania, it would have been great to see the Sonic 4 series end with a truly amazing installment.

I didn’t expect Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to be an amazing game, especially considering how great the original trilogy was. However, it’s interesting to think about how good it *could* have been if Sega had finished it as they originally planned. Even after 15 years, people still talk about it the same way: it’s a fun, but somewhat unremarkable, classic Sonic game that unfortunately didn’t live up to its potential.

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2025-10-07 17:10