Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice

Developer Sanzaru Games seems to have taken the criticisms of Shattered Crystal to heart. [Issue #24 – November/December 2016, p.22M]

While it’s not going to revolutionize the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is a solid entry in the franchise. Its slick controls, fun boss battles, and entertaining speed sections are bound to put a smile on fans’ faces.

While Fire and Ice’s art direction and music are woefully generic, the well-constructed level layouts create a solid arcade-style experience that accomplishes a sense of extraordinary speed while accommodating a reasonable degree of control. Sonic Boom successfully draws from much of what makes the best of classic Sonic game play satisfying, sprinkles in a better-conceived exploratory structure, and remixes it into an intelligent, cohesive, and rewarding package.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is more positive than negative. It is developed to tap that deep nostalgia that Sonic fans have for the series, while bringing in some new elements that make it more than just an arcade platformer. While it isn’t perfect, especially the controls, it’s still a very entertaining experience that should satisfy the Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase.

It has its flaws, but nonetheless the constant change of abilities that first perfectly to the level design makes this one of the better entries in the Sonic games of late.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is surprisingly good with a level design that actually takes advantage of the speed the character has.

It’s not quite the next big step that some may want, but Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is nevertheless a fun, funny little platformer that’s a worthwhile romp for fans of the genre.

The new Sonic Boom manages to offer an adventure with good ideas, but its lack of difficulty makes it recommended for young players.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is a complete and entertaining game that brings back Sonic to the right way. However, there are some elements and issues that do not have a positive effect on its gameplay.

The younger players amongst us should have no trouble picking up and enjoying some Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice. It’s geared toward younger kids, and maybe as a 32-year-old man with nostalgia brain, I want to try something a bit more. It feels short with only a handful of hours to work through each stage, many of the stages feel the same, and while the platforming isn’t bad, it’s like a small piece of candy: It’s gone quickly, no matter how nice it might taste. The game is somewhere between the classic franchise titles and the modern ones, but it holds truer to the originals, and y’know, that’s a good enough start.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice isn't the worst Sonic game I've ever played. It isn't terrible. The platforming and sense of speed are here, though just not as fun as you might remember them. The whole affair is rather ugly -- which can't only be blamed on the 3DS, though it doesn't help -- and the game isn't exactly long at a few hours to complete, if that. Hardcore fans of the series will probably get some enjoyment out of this, but for the full price of $40, it is hard to recommend to anyone else.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is a big step in the right direction for the spinoff series. While it still has quirks, it's a fun, easy experience that anyone can play. Though I still vastly prefer the classic Sonic games, Fire & Ice is an enjoyable spinoff title that brings some great elements of those games back into the forefront.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is a new entry in Sonic’s franchise for Nintendo 3DS. The gameplay is fast and fun: there are plenty of stage types and many characters to choose, each with his unique skills. But the game seems way too easy, with too much advice and unlimited lives. It’s a good game overall, but not the right one to celebrate Sonic’s 25th anniversary.

Despite an overly simplistic story and maybe being a bit too laid back, I really enjoyed my time with Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice. It’s a well-paced platformer, with the right mix of stages when I’d get bored of the basic platforming. Although it’s missing some of the polish I’d expect from other platformers, there’s a good foundation here for possible greatness if Sanzaru continues to be given the opportunity.

Sonic is back with a rather good platform game on 3DS. Sometimes the screen is a bit too crowded, but the level design keeps everything enjoyable.

Sanzaru has tried to listen to the bad response to the worst sold Sonic game ever. Changing into different characters, using fire and ice is fun, but those puzzle platform elements still mess up the awesome speedy feeling that we long for.

It is a good return for Sonic and his friends. It tries to maintain the balance between the classic style of Sonic and platforms of exploration but he still has a long way ahead.

This is one game that won’t give you too much of a challenge however, you will be able to cruise through it, but there are things to go back and look around for. A fine-spin off game, but it still is missing something to make a proper stamp on the world.

It’s not the new Generations (that we’re all waiting for), but faithful fans of the series should be moderately happy with it if they can endure a subpar level design. [12/2016, p.77]

Thanks to its high pace, this funny and fast platformer distracts you from recognizing that there are not very inventive environments or enemies. [Issue #268]

Sonic tries to reconquer the throne, but this is not his best attempt. Fire & Ice brings back the speed levels, but the special arcade sections are inconsistent and technically insufficient. Only for the biggest fans of the blue hedgehog.

Compared to the many missteps in Sonic’s history, it’s a decent example of what the series could be in a modern context. But when measured solely on its merits as a platformer, Fire and Ice is a repetitive yet competent game that's slightly above average.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is too easy and suffers of a lack of inspiration for what concerns the level design. Buy it if you are interested in the TV series, otherwise you should spend your money for something better.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice has a forgettable story and some rather tedious, but optional, side missions. While the main 2D levels can be fun, they start to feel repetitive before long.

This isn’t the smartest, most exciting or most imaginative 2D platformer you’ll find on the 3DS. In fact, Sega seems hell-bent on hobbling its chances with a selection of tedious or frustrating mini-games...Yet, overall, Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice isn't bad, dishing out the kind of rollercoaster looping, spring-heeled madness that first made us love the little fella. It’s a high-speed sprint in the right direction; it's just a shame about the missteps on the way.

After the terrible previous entries in the Sonic Boom series Fire & Ice manages to look superb in comparison, but, on its own merits, it's simply a good game… and there's nothing wrong with that. Not every title has to reinvent a genre or break the mould. This is an enjoyable 2D scrolling platformer that has the added benefit that may introduce some new players to "The Fastest Thing Alive." It may not be perfect, but it's fun and certainly one of the best Sonic games in recent memory.

Even being the best title inspired by the Sonic Boom cartoon (Ryse of Liric and Shattered Crystal were both a mess), Sonic Boom Fire and Ice fails to impress long time fans of the blue Sega mascot, due to a bland level design, a childish difficulty level and the unimaginative repetition of the same puzzles and monster types.

It's good to see that Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, while far from the higher thresholds of the classic Sonic games that built the character, improves on its predecessor and presents a very decent gameplay and good ol' high speed action on its levels. It doesn't go all the way with it, though, as its lacklustre visual presentation demonstrates, not to mention the lack of alternative paths but this new chapter is closer to what is expected from a game bearing the name of Sonic.

A solid effort and worth consideration on 3DS. The core campaign blends a variety of styles, with the main stages employing an enjoyable mix of exploration and puzzle solving with moments of satisfying momentum and speed. There are some slightly disappointing downsides, and it's a game that occasionally feels constrained rather than supported by its source material. Overall, however, it deserves credit for what it does well, and should certainly be tempting to fans of the show and also broader Sonic enthusiasts willing to accept its limitations.

Nintendo 3DS has plenty of good platformers, but you can hardly say that Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is one of them. However it represents a step ahead of Shattered Crystal, so you should consider this game if you (or your children) are the biggest fans of the TV series.

Sonic Boom is a side scrolling platformer designed for a young public, that suffers from a linear level design, flat and fairly anonymous.

Once again, Sonic is a true disappointment as the speed is not quite here, and if you try to get the most of it, you won't be able to explore and find hidden items. A game aimed at youngsters maybe?

Sonic Boom Fire and Ice isn't a bad game. It is a short one, however. The fact that the game doesn't have much to offer in terms of content holds the game back quality-wise.

The uninspired platformer has nothing to attract you with and the game is flat and average. It stands out only with its poorly designed levels.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice isn’t a bad game, it just isn’t a good Sonic one. It’s a solid, if bland, outing for a character that still deserves much better. Fans of the Sonic Boom animated series will still likely find something to enjoy, but younger gamers may struggle with the new-found emphasis on multiple abilities and gated areas.

Fire and Ice just isn't a good game. While its platforming may be mechanically sound, the game just tries to do too much - and fails at most of it. If you're looking for a return to form for Sonic the Hedgehog, Fire and Ice unfortunately isn't it.

Being better than the other Sonic Boom games really isn’t a compliment, as this dull, ugly platformer continues to sully the memory of Sega’s once great mascot.