Just as some actors never made the jump from the silent screen to talkies, so too Sonic the Hedgehog has never really seemed at home in 3-D. Sonic Heroes, though, is the best attempt yet to simulate the fast, uncomplicated thrills of the 2-D Mega Drive days on this generation's shiny new consoles.

Sonic Heroes is basically the action segments from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 stripped of all the insanely dull pseudo RPG elements but unfortunately still containing far too much storyline and the largest and least interesting host of secondary characters ever seen in gaming. Sonic Heroes also inherits many of the older titles' camera and control problems, although here they are now occasional rather than constant irritations.

All this may seem as if it's painting a rather poor picture of the game, but despite all its problems Sonic Heroes is actually a lot of fun. Its main gimmick is that you actually control three characters at a time, with each one having a special ability of either speed, flight or the ability to smash through blocks. Thankfully this doesn't overcomplicate the controls and instead adds a modicum of depth to the otherwise non-stop running-'n'-jumping action.

You still occasionally get the feeling that the game is trying too hard to fit a round peg in a square hole, but on balance more of it works than doesn't, and it's certainly the best Sonic title since the Mega Drive era. --David Jenkins

SEGA's legendary mascot Sonic The Hedgehog makes his historic multi-platform debut and embarks on his biggest adventure ever, with his trademark blazing speed and a new gameplay twist in "Sonic Heroes." Sonic and his friends have evolved, adopting a configuration feature that lets gamers control three playable characters simultaneously, using Sonic's speed, Knuckles' power, and Tails' ability to fly, to conquer massive worlds. This team-based gameplay marks the next evolution in Sonic's gaming career, taking platform gaming to a completely new level. Using the three formations and the powerful moves that each team member has, Sonic and his friends combine forces to battle the ultimate evil.

• Play as one of four teams for a total of 12 playable characters - Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose, or Team Chaotix - each with their own unique signature moves and story line
• Each team boasts multiple specialized stages with unique missions and CG movies driving each "team" story forward
• Experiment with team formations to learn the best way to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and navigate massive environments
• Each stage contains multiple paths and missions for maximum replayability