Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
SEGA probably thought relying on familiar Sonic the Hedgehog iconography for a few small-scale, downloadable platformers was a smart, safe decision after a notorious disaster vigorously tainted the franchise. They weren’t entirely wrong; reception to 2010’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I was positive overall and it sold well. Several of my friends loved the game and gave me bewildered looks when I expressed my grievances with it. Nevertheless, SEGA’s episodic duology occupies a very rocky position within the franchise today. And since my Sonic 4 retrospective was an inadequate venue to discuss its bosses, let’s do so today.
Dr. Eggman, activating the Egg Heart in 2012’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (Image: SEGA)
Generally, I don’t consider boss fights to be among Sonic’s strengths. When they inevitably emerge, however, I want something consistent with the franchise’s breakneck pace. Remember the first Sonic the Hedgehog, when Dr. Eggman ceremoniously debuts with a wrecking ball that you can demolish within seconds? Slowing Sonic down to fight opponents for lengthy, elaborate one-on-one brawls just isn’t part of the appeal, something Sonic 4 struggles to understand…
The Egg Heart’s History
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I remixes bosses from Sonic 1 and 2 (Lost Labyrinth Zone’s generic boss is the lone exception, since its Sonic 1 counterpart, Labyrinth Zone, lacks a proper one). Episode II, conversely, mostly features new bosses. Its final one, the Egg Heart, resides at the center of its last Zone, the Death Egg mk.II; it’s the literal heart of Eggman’s base. Ultimately, Sonic and Tails come out on top and escape, closing the duology (notably, Sonic 4 was conceived as a testbed for episodic content and, at some point, was envisioned as a trilogy. However, prior to Episode II’s release, Sonic Team figurehead Takashi Iizuka claimed they weren’t planning a third. Given the sheer lack of enthusiasm surrounding Sonic 4 by that point, it’s not surprising their confidence waned).
So, what’re my thoughts on the Egg Heart?
Eggman’s mechs rise in complexity in Sonic 1. He first springs for that utilitarian wrecking ball and gradually grabs more combat-centric gizmos. Episode II‘s eyesores don’t quite capture that sense of escalation. (Image: SEGA)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3 & Knuckles are laudable for introducing a wealth of new characters, baddies, locations, and ideas, pushing the still-nascent franchise forward. The regressive Sonic 4: Episode I proudly refuses to even attempt such a feat. It isn’t even successful as a nostalgic throwback, especially in the wake of better alternatives. One year later, Sonic Generations remixed familiar Zones to vastly stronger results. Now, we have Sonic Mania, the most successful—and, arguably, only successful—attempt to emulate Sonic’s 16-bit pedigree so far. And though the game isn’t out yet, impressions of Sonic Superstars suggest it’s also superior to Sonic 4 (which Iizuka painted as a modernization of Sonic’s classic gameplay during a recent interview).
If there is a reason to revisit Episode I in 2023 beyond sheer curiosity, its bosses are not it. The first is Dr. Eggman’s iconic wrecking ball, but there are a few differences. Where you could formerly start wailing on him the moment he enters the screen, you can’t here until his entrance animation finishes. The inclusion of Sonic’s aptly-named Homing Attack trivializes the already simple fight. Though Eggman initially reuses his 1991 attack patterns, that changes after you hit him four times. Then, he flashes red, the music becomes faster (and less cartoonishly bad), and he employs a new, albeit still unimaginative, attack. This is Episode I’s standard for bosses: recycle something, make the fight clunkier, and add a gimmick halfway through.
An Archie Comics one-off is set between both Episodes. Of Sonic 4’s bosses, only two—Episode I’s Death Egg Robot and II’s Metal Sonic—appear therein. An upcoming toy is also honoring the Egg Heart. (Image: SEGA)
However, its final boss, Eggman’s refurbished Death Egg Robot, notoriously ramps up the difficulty. It tanks twelve hits, and after the penultimate one, he employs an attack that can kill Sonic instantly. If you don’t retaliate in time, you’ll wind up redoing the whole fight—and your first time through, Eggman’s instakill move may very well blindside you. Aside from that baffling decision, I actually don’t dislike this fight, and ending a Sonic platformer without relying on the tired Super Sonic cliché was welcome.
Still, beating a bunch of junk from a decade ago just isn’t exciting, y’know? Shouldn’t a new Sonic game—especially a Sonic 4—contain new content? Even fans of Episode I hoped Episode II would rectify that deficiency. SEGA certainly heard that complaint; long before its formal announcement, Sonic 4 brand manager Ken Balough claimed that “the idea” for Episode II was focusing on “new things” we “haven’t seen.” Now, that mission doesn’t shine through the side-scroller as a whole; its Zones mostly remix or combine traditional Sonic tropes together, and a number of Badniks still return from earlier games. The one area it does mostly apply to is Episode II’s bosses, though.
Eggman’s mechs in Sonic CD employ fairly complex, gimmicky defense mechanisms, a precedent Episode II unsuccessfully (and probably unintentionally) tries building upon. (Image: SEGA)
Imagine being a disgruntled fan of Sonic’s glory days, someone who strongly disliked Episode I. Even accounting for II’s mechanical and aesthetic improvements, its opening Zone is an Aquatic Ruin and Marble Garden pastiche; not a promising start. You reach its boss, see two stone pillars emerge from the ground à la Aquatic Ruin’s boss, and you groan. Then, a twist: two metallic tentacles emerge from the background, smash the pillars, and Eggman mans a new machine, the Egg Serpentleaf. Yes, that subversion’s easy to see coming; the Act’s subtitle is “Dueling Dr. Eggman’s New Creation.” SEGA had also posted concept art of the Serpentleaf a while back, and this is the only Sonic 4 Zone where it’d fit thematically. Still, the gag’s kinda funny and sets the stage for more impressive mechs to follow.
Actually, the Egg Serpentleaf says a lot about Episode II’s strengths and shortcomings. Visually, it looks nifty and is animated decently enough—certainly better than anything the flat Episode I ever musters. The Serpentleaf’s animations, however, represent one of II’s biggest flaws: boss fights are tedious. Sonic games should be snappy, right? It’s in the name! But Eggman’s contraptions here are introduced through long, unskippable cutscenes and are impervious to damage until they’re over. That’s, then, aggravated by their lethargic attack patterns; you’ll wait around while dodging attacks until Eggman decides to render himself vulnerable.
The Egg Scrap Mech epitomizes these issues. It slowly appears, Eggman rains crates on you from afar, and only rarely does he inexplicably open his cockpit. (Image: SEGA)
Episode II’s final two Acts are set aboard the Death Egg mk.II. Now, E.G.G. Station Zone, Episode I’s one-Act climax, was a low point in an already poor game, forcing players through an unnecessary Mega Man-esque boss rush before predictably closing with the Death Egg Robot. Thankfully, Episode II’s concluding Zone hosts two unique (albeit short) Acts instead. The first consists of two Metal Sonic encounters, one a short duel where he fights alongside his creator and the other a race à la Sonic CD (using the overpowered Combo Roll attack or, if you’ve unlocked it, Super Sonic transformation trivializes both). The Death Egg mk.II. also has a disorienting gravity-altering mechanic that, by this point, has added little beyond some aesthetic flair.
Then you reach the Egg Heart. Most of Sonic 4’s fights occur in enclosed arenas, something that’s still technically true here. But the Heart does something kinda novel: it pulls a Ghadius and sticks the hedgehog and fox duo in a hamster wheel, one that takes advantage of its Zone’s gravity-changing gimmick. Actually, Eggman traps Sonic and Tails in three constantly shifting wheels; they start in the outmost one and must jump or fly upwards to reach the center where the Heart rests (using Tails’ flight is quicker than waiting for the upper rings to move within jumping range, by the way; just soar slowly, so you don’t accidentally hit anything dangerous). After hitting Eggman, he whisks the heroes back down to the outermost ring.
Sonic 4 gives bosses their own Acts, which begin with a short walkway where you can gather Rings. Unlike those in Episode I, II’s always contain at least fifty, meaning you can transform into Super Sonic after scoring all seven Chaos Emeralds. (Image: SEGA)
It keeps the focus on platforming, not fighting, and the difficulty gradually ramps up. After sustaining a few hits, Eggman electrifies the gravity rings: portions of them briefly spark, harming Sonic or Tails should they touch them. A few more successful hits later, another mid-fight cutscene airs where Eggman tampers with the platforms again—now, sections of each ring begin falling off. Oh, and reaching the Egg Heart is only part of the challenge. Cribbing from Sonic 3’s Big Arm, the Heart’s spiky underside hurts Sonic if they connect. And Eggman’s final gimmick is surrounding the Heart with a red shield, which requires the Combo Roll attack to break. If you take too long, Eggman will try nuking you with a devastating black hole-themed blast.
Now, I must stress something: the Egg Heart never approaches the series’ best bosses. Basically, every issue that mars the rest of Sonic 4’s lineup persists here. Should you dare commit the indefensible crime of dying at any point, you’re sitting through the Act’s bland obstacle course and unskippable cutscenes again. And did this convoluted thing really need to withstand twelve hits? At least with the Death Egg Robot, you can hit it frequently and chain attacks together. Your first time dueling the Egg Heart, however, will take a while.
Visually, the Egg Heart looks nice; it even pulsates like a real heart. Its theme is rather forgettable, though. (Image: SEGA)
One thing, however, gives the Egg Heart a juice its contemporaries lack: it rewards alternating between Tails’ Combo Moves and Super Sonic (using the former reverts Super Sonic back to normal). For the sake of this article, I earned Episode II’s “Golden Wave” trophy, which requires beating every boss as Super Sonic. Getting it wasn’t worth the effort (Egg Scrap Mech is excruciating), but doing so buttressed the Heart with a certain tension. You have finite Rings—more than in prior boss Acts, but still not enough to coast—and Super Sonic loses one per second, even during mid-battle cutscenes. So you must avoid hazards, hit the Heart as regular Sonic a lot, and might want to avoid transforming altogether until the finishing blow. However, Super Sonic deals extra damage per hit, and smartly rationing the form makes the fight go faster; you might even skip a mid-fight cutscene. If you master weaponizing Tails’ flight to strike the Heart from the side, this actually becomes a relatively breezy affair, which is great.
The primary point of contention I raised when chronicling Super Sonic was how mundane the once majestic metamorphosis has become; SEGA’s done little to interrogate it since Sonic 3 & Knuckles (a problem last year’s Sonic Frontiers, which I look forward to playing, has seemingly tried to address). But the Egg Heart samples a potential avenue for the transformation: Episode II never alters how it works, but simply imbues it with an interesting, optional risk-reward dynamic during boss fights. That’s kind of neat!
Episode II wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to salvage the Sonic 4 saga, but taken on its own merits, it… isn’t terrible. It’s a no-frills, second-rate 2D Sonic platformer. (Image: SEGA)
Sonic 4 remains a weak simulacrum of the hedgehog’s Genesis classics, one that makes it explicitly clear that SEGA did not understand their strengths or why they resonate with fans. I have no intention of ever playing either Episode of this flawed duology again, especially when a wealth of better options exist. But I am glad I revisited Episode II one last time and found something about the Sonic 4 saga I can genuinely appreciate, an idea I wouldn’t mind future Sonic titles developing further.
Congratulations, Egg Heart! You were the beginning of the end…
Nevertheless, Episode II‘s ending is lackluster. Our heroes narrowly escape the second Death Egg after a series of violent explosions, and then… it merely powers down, meaning CD’s setting, the fabled Little Planet, remains trapped underneath. I wonder what, exactly, Episode II’s cut teaser was meant to show… (Image: SEGA)
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