2D or not 2D, that is the question; and one that has plagued the Sonic titles since Sonic 3D (with it's 3D isometric viewpoint) was released on the Megadrive; Since Sega's spiky mascots stunning debut Sonic reached what many consider to be his zenith during the early to mid nineties; going from strength to strength with each new installment.

In 1992 Sonic 2 was released; the sequel succeeded and even bettered its predecessor in every possible way; with everything the original had but on a much larger scale, A greater amount of levels incorporating tighter level design, genuinely innovative boss battles, a new additional playable character (Miles “Tails” Prower), 2-player mode and the debut of the infamous spin-dash move.

Indeed, Sonic 2 was in its day considered by many (and in some opinions still is today) to be the best in the series; the best until Sonic 3 & Sonic and Knuckles were released of course; which as many Sonic fans know only to well broke new ground for the series and did for Sega's reputation what Super Mario World did for Nintendo's.

The spiky blue mammal has played host to many an outing since then, each one incorporating either 2D, 3D and pseudo-3D viewpoints; fudging things up big-time with the release of Sonic 3D which was over-hyped at the time and has since been looked back on as the weak link in the series, responsible for all subsequent titles in the series suffering in some way. This time around however, Sonic Team have finally cracked it! (and about time too) Moving swiftly onwards to present day and they have begun what would seem to be their long overdue redemption.

Utilising an entirely original perspective for the series, Sonic Rush reverts primarily to the simple but stunning 2D backdrops that made the titles so successful in the first place. Seemingly not wanting to limit themselves entirely to this more favorable perspective ST have also opted to render certain aspects of the game in 3D. Evident from footage and screens from the recent E3 2005 demo are fully rendered 3D polygon character models and bosses; also noteworthy is the change of viewpoint from 2D to full 3D during the end of level boss encounters.

Sonic first and foremost works and works well in 2D, so it's encouraging to see the main side-scrolling perspective; more concerning though are the polygonal character models and the 3D boss encounters which for some reason seem to work in unison. This unique combination of the two styles shows promise; it will be interesting to see how it actually plays.

As far as game mechanics are concerned, the classic speed-orientated action is present and has been emphasized for this title; by incorporating an ingenious system whereby the further you progress the more speed is built up and stored in a meter. This meter is new to the series but rather than being merely a tacked-on extra, looks to be genuinely useful serving a purpose; firstly it allows you to gauge how fast you're going, and it can be used to estimate your progress. That's not even the good bit though. Here comes the good part: anytime during normal gameplay you can press the “B” button to deliver a sudden burst of speed to Sonic; this infinitely useful (and yet so simple) gameplay addition is very welcome indeed.

Another key element to Sonic Rush is the inclusion of a new character going by the name of Blaze the Cat; not much is known about this new addition to the Sonic cast which in itself has become somewhat overpopulated in recent years. What is known about Sonic's new feisty, feline female companion however is what the press release tells us (along with sketchy details regarding the plot) “...Blaze is a mysterious queen from another world who joined by Sonic must retrieve the dangerous Sol Emeralds before they fall into the wrong hands...” From this information it's difficult to tell which of the characters (if either) will play the larger role; what is known however is that the individual paths and story-lines will intertwine at specific points so it's safe to assume the main game will be divided in equal proportion between the dynamic duo.

As for the “wrong hands” it has been confirmed that two pairs will be plotting against Sonic and Blaze, in the form of Dr Eggman X2; which is most likely as simple as it sounds, two versions of the evil genius, although this may not seem exactly revolutionary it will no doubt allow for some extra scope during the already promising (and also slightly concerning) boss encounters.

In order to significantly improve gameplay mechanics; ST are utilising the features of the DS. Not so much the touch screen aspect (although ST claim that there will be touch screen based mini games and a whole load of other related unannounced features) but more so the dual screen aspect. It's due to the main assets of the DS (its dual screens) that help to bring the aforementioned gameplay traits to life and portray them in a way which is complementary towards the style of the Sonic series.

Levels have been given much greater scope thanks to this; near vertical drops; huge gaping loops, even corkscrews, which catapult sonic across both screens. All are present and help to further reinforce the core values of the Sonic franchise; speed, substance and style; In short, Sonic is so well suited to it's newly founded dual screened format that it's hard to imagine the series any other way.

Basically, Sonic has found his new home.

All things considered the future is looking promising for Sonic Rush; everything exhibited so far is of a polished and professional standard for sonic titles (something ST has neglected somewhat in recent years) and with still a large proportion of the game to be confirmed; it's great to see one of Sega's top development teams back on top form.

In there quest for originality Sonic Team have ventured into the realms of both two and three dimensions with degrees of trial and error, success and failure along the way. Now they're journeying in-between the very realms of possibility and uncertainty; let's hope that it doesn't prove to be yet another misadventure.

Remember, to be this good takes Ages...