Scot ponders the relevance of Sonic in 2004.

For all his speed, Sonic has never quite managed to get ahead of Mario in the popularity stakes. Not since the days of the 16-bit Mega Drive has Sonic made any sort of considerable stand against Mario, and with landmark titles such as Super Mario Sunshine and the venerable Mario 64 crushing the likes of Sonic Adventure with a mighty white-fisted plumber's glove, it never looked as if Sonic stood a chance.

Sonic Team have spent a while now reviewing the formula and deciding on what the best action to take would be regarding their precious franchise. With less and less people turning to the blurry hedgehog these days as a videogame icon, a title that would rejuvenate Sonic's popularity and standing in the industry was essential to keep him above ground. Sonic Heroes is their latest return to the big league, and with the excitement on the streets surrounding the prospect of a new Sonic title, it'd be fair to say that the blue one's return has made a considerable impact already.

The main gimmick behind Sonic Heroes is the team-based action, allowing you to switch between three characters on the same screen. Each character is associated with a special attribute, be it speed, the ability to fly or powerful attacks. The team can also bunch together to perform team-based abilities, such as gliding or whirlwind attacks. The idea behind the team-based play is that in order to proceed throughout the level efficiently, you'll need to switch characters to take advantage of the situation.

For instance, if you've come across a long stretch of path, littered with trails of rings, bounce pads and perhaps a few enemies, Sonic would be the obvious choice thanks to his speed and special homing skill. Climbing a mountain or moving across a dangerous chasm populated by moving platforms would require Tails, while Knuckles is on hand to destroy huge groups of enemies, smash objects and form a triangle formation that allows the team to gently float to earth.

You soon realise that you're never really required to make a decision as to what character to use, but rather forced due to the level design. If the game is going to force you to use a character in certain situations, there doesn't seem much point of allowing you to change characters at your own discretion. When the game does allow you the freedom to assess the situation yourself, it works very well, and while one character may be able to clear the task, using another may save you a significant amount of time and effort.

The levels are all themed around classic Sonic levels all hailing back to the Mega Drive days. The environments all do a tremendous job of capturing the classic Sonic feel, and while the graphics don't push the hardware to its absolute limits, they do have a comical feel that does set the tone nicely. There are definitely moments here where you'll pause for a moment just to take it all in - after all, this is a Sonic game and the presentation Sonic Team have applied to it is extremely polished.

Then come the frustrations that are commonly shouted about when a new platform title is released. The casino levels - while boasting some strikingly vibrant visuals - rely on more than a few old tricks. There is an overabundance of pinball-themed play here, and when you're trying to hit your "ball" around a board that boasts more hindrances than your average army training camp, the theme starts to wear a little thin on the ground. There are plenty of cases where you get the feeling the designers were feeling a little too ambitious, and when the same challenges are repeated later on, albeit tougher and with extra obstacles/enemies, you'll grow tired and hurry on the next stage.

The Sonic of yesterday is dead and buried and it appears that the sooner we let that go the more we can enjoy the games featuring him today. Sonic Heroes is fast and vibrant but like previous adventures lacks depth. It's the best 3D Sonic title so far and will please fans of the hedgehog and those who enjoy a challenging platform game - as long as they are willing to forgive that Sonic has moved on. In a way, enjoying Sonic Heroes is like moving on from your ex-girlfriend. The best thing to do is accept that things will never be the same, for better or for worse. Try the new life - you may just like it.