The spiky one gets statted up

A colourful, cuddly Sonic RPG - from the makers of mighty Xbox 360 epics Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic? It might be like James Cameron directing the next series of In The Night Garden - but in the case of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, it's worked out beautifully.

Unidentified Fighting Objects

So, the hedgehog's crew are under threat from an unknown enemy (clue: it's aliens from outer space) and only hours of RPG gameplay can save them. Along the way, Bioware has, rightly, shoehorned in enough Sonic characters and references to make a Sega fan faint - even Dr Robotnik gets a surprisingly kind-hearted cameo.

In the exploration sections, it's all about teamwork: you can't just rely on old spiky-chops. Knuckles can gallop up vertical walls. Big The Cat can survive environmental hazards unsinged. Sonic himself is needed for loop-the-loops. As a result, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood’s 20 chunkily cartoony environments aren't short on things to see, do and find.

Tap out

Or punch in the face. The battles - with evil throbbing maggots and bad-tempered robot armadillos - require team specialties, too. Sonic moves fast, naturally; ‘Lady-bat’ Rouge distracts enemies; and so on. But unlike, say, Final Fantasy IV, the stylus isn't left to just stir your tea.

Meaty POW attacks - essential against some baddies - work like Elite Beat Agents: tap and slide to on-screen prompts, and the timelier you are, the more devastating your attack will be. It adds real heart-stopping tension to the fight, especially as the same test of steady-handedness is used to *defend* against potentially fatal hits.

Bioware's love of detail is etched all over Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Delve too far into the rich array of item-tinkering, team-selecting, Chao-fiddling menus, and it's possible a search party will have to come and help you back. And the developer's expert story-telling is here, too: odd as it may seem, this really is a mini Mass Effect on your tiny touch-screen.

But RPG addicts be warned: like the somewhat similar Mario & Luigi titles, this is lighter than your average RPG. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is for younglings - the proof is in the Pokemon-esque ability to trade ability-enhancing Chao across Wi-Fi. Battles are easy-ish, character development is pretty limited, and the game only really gets into its stride right at the end.

Seek and destroy

And while the combat is among the best on DS, things are less sparkly elsewhere. The repetitive 'kill this / fetch me that' side-missions will have you itching to get back to the scrapping. Thankfully, the game as a whole sees Sonic using a lot of his little hedgehog fists and not so much of his feet or brain.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is as accomplished a Sonic RPG as you could hope for. Colourful, confident, and a perfect fit for DS, it's proof that serious big developers and cheeky little hedgehogs can mix.

GAME's Verdict

• The touch-screen tapping makes the fighting system sparkle.
• Classy dialogue and some surprisingly deep character-driven moments.
• So much Sonic stuff, it's like a Sega fan's Christmas and birthday rolled into one.

• You'll be aching for another fight during the repetitive out-of-combat bits.
• Like Mario & Luigi, this doesn't have the depth of 'grown-up' RPGs.
• Will leave you impatient for a sequel to round off the rough edges.

Review by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: DS
Review Published: 01.10.08