Is Sonic and the Secret Rings any good?

[stewacide]

Sounds like it basically met my expectations (the best 3D Sonic ever, but with room to improve): From the 1up review: "Recently, Sonic's handlers promised a stunning reinvention with his eponymous Xbox 360/PS3 effort...but that slapdash 3D platformer crashed his 15th birthday with a disappointing thud, continuing a post–Sonic Adventure downward spiral. Luckily, we won't have to stick around to witness a rock-bottom career burnout -- Sonic and the Secret Rings shows a hedgehog who's definitely on the mend." "Secret Rings isn't exactly a triumph, but it's still a clear cut above most of the stuff we've seen on Wii. In the wake of all the recent PS2, PSP, and DS ports, it's encouraging to see that a from-the-ground-up Wii game can look really hot. From a purely technical viewpoint, the textures, polygons, and effects here demonstrate the Wii's step-up-from-GameCube graphical muscle. While nothing here looks like Gears of War or MotorStorm, some stages approach Resident Evil 4–level artistry" "Secret Rings is more fun than any other Sonic in years.... The controls feel a tad reckless at first -- Sonic's momentum takes some getting used to, and trying to go in reverse is a pain -- but become more natural and fluid as you get acclimated to the fast-paced, twitchy action. It's almost as if you combined a surreal, motion-controlled racing game with the tricky, pinpoint platforming of Super Mario Sunshine. Once you've crested that learning curve, the game's true design shines through: Expert play allows you to pull off long combo strings that send you hurtling through stages at breakneck speed...it's immensely satisfying, breathtaking stuff." ...the party-game mode is a dud as expected, but I'm still buying this to play next week