Stof, I think you are right. This game had a lot of potential. They nailed the hardest and most important part - the gameplay mechanics (and graphics). I don't understand how they screwed up the easiest stuff, like the story, setting, music etc.

Sonic team really just doesn't get it. They keep throwing in random crappy characters into all of these games. They had crappy mech and treasure hunting sections in the sonic adventure games when all we wanted was to play as sonic. It took them until SSR to realize that their 3d sonic games were broken for the past 10 years.

I just don't understand how oblivious a development studio can be to their fanbase... how can sonic team be so secluded while the smash bros brawl team give us literally everything we ask for?

Oh yeah. And the homing sucks too. I don't know how many times I've sunk into the water because I couldn't lock on to the enemy. And some of the levels... There's one in the floating hall episode where the goal is to kill one enemy. The level is about 12 seconds long. you hit a bumper, grab a rope and use it to launch yourself at an enemy. Except the camera is sort of sideways, and the whether or not you hit the enemy is a sheer freak of timing. So it took me about 9 times to play through the level.

Infact a lot of levels are like that. There are way too many times where you die based on something completely out of your control. It makes it hard for me to understand all the 8 reviews.

How can Sega allow Sonic games to be so crappy, especially the main series. Sonic is Sega's official mascot, right? If so, then all Sonic games represent Sega as a company, therefor they should be of the highest quality. It just doesn't make sense that many Sonic games are known to be the some of worst games around. They must be rushing them out trying to get quick cash-ins and don't care about Sonic's rep anymore. I guess their logic is without their own console, what's the point of working hard. They're not really competing against their nemesis, Mario, anymore.

Sega should really get their act together and make the next Sonic on par with Mario like the old days to get some real respect back. The potential is there; Sonic could easily be a much bigger franchise than it is today. Hopefully, the cooperation between Sega and Nintendo in Brawl and Olympic Games is telling of a brighter future for Sonic.

Is the team who made Sonic and the Secret Rings the same team making Nights?

edit:  sorry, I got a bit off topic :P 

Pretty much agree. I thought it was a decent game that at the very least deserves a rent from Wii owners but definitely agree that there could have been control improvements and could have lost the RPG elements. It had the core Sonic gameplay (fast action and difficult levels) probably could have been better if they took some things different directions.

That being said, I loved the terrible voice acting and atrocious music. It was awesome.

 The homing pissed me off so much that I gave up on the game.  I'd play it and be happy for about 5 minutes... I'd keep missing the homing jumps and then it would infuriate me.  It's easily the worst controls that anyone could have used for Sonic.  The game looks great though, but the underlying issue's prevent the game from being fun at all.  Which sucks, it could have been on par with Klonoa.

Stof you said it all. The game could have been 9+ material. Leveling up (3 hours according to Rol) just to solve the clunky controls suck. The cutscenes bugs me. Sega can make (and made last gen) better than this. For me the worst was the homing attack. It was so unresponsive. Move lightly and it wont work, shake with fury it still fails, move it right and you get it 90% of the times.
I rented it 2 times. The first time I got bored after 3 hours and gave up. The 2nd time I enjoyed the game, but the flaws still made the experience average-good.

Before anyone takes my statements the wrong way, I really liked the Wii controls. It was some crazy tilt and smash action. Pulling off a homing attack just feels so damn right. It's the actions that use buttons that just don't work. As for the "you're always running" mechanic. I'm not sure whether it was a good idea or not.

The homing took a little while to get use to but I liked it once I got it. As for the always running, I actually liked that. It made things a little simpler to me and just kept things moving (though it did make backing up a bitch).

I think it was. I just think the turning around could have been better.

If really want a unique Wii experience try Trauma Center. SSR is rent material until sega puts their heart and soul on games.

Another thing that pissed me off. Is Sonic some kind of ladies man? That ending was so annoying, it looked like Sonic and the Genie were lovers.