Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

Consoles: PS3, 360, Wii, iOS
ESRB: E

I personally enjoyed the game, though I'll be the first to say it's far from perfect.
First off, the biggest offender is the physics. Hey, Dimps, does the word "momentum" mean anything to you? I shouldn't stop in midair the second I let go of the direction. Also, Spider-Sonic. Just... Spider-Sonic. (For those who don't get it, it's not too uncommon to come to a complete stop on nearly vertical walls. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's kinda annoying.) Also, The Uncurling is a problem (when rolling off a ramp, Sonic will uncurl in midair. They claim it's to set up for a Homing Attack, but I'm not buying it) as is the fact that Sonic runs faster than he rolls (the exact opposite of which was true in classic Sonic games.)
Another, yet minor, problem is the music. To say it's bad wouldn't exactly be true; the music itself can be quite good. Unfortunately, some of the music can be really forgettable (Lost Labyrinth says "hello") and they use the SAME FUCKING INSTRUMENTS FOR EVERY SONG GODDAMN. For some songs, the synth works well (options screen and Splash Hill acts 2 and 3 are my personal favorites) but for others, it makes you wonder why they just didn't use another one. Also, you sometimes have to wonder why decided to use the lower-quality drum samples from Sonic 2 rather than the ones from Sonic 3.
My only other valid complaint about the game is the level design. It gets quite repetitive at times, and there are speed boosters (a big no-no in classic Sonic design) in every level. It's not a huge problem, but it only emphasizes the physics problems. You shouldn't need speed boosters; that's what the (almost useless in Sonic 4) Spin Dash is for. There are also parts of the levels that force you to use the Homing Attack, but these aren't a problem for me because I don't have any problems with the HA. I like it and I've played plenty of ROM hacks that prove that it can work well in classic Sonic.
Okay, enough complaining. This is actually a good game, I swear. For anyone with even a tad bit of nostalgia for the Genesis/Mega Drive Sonic games, this is a great game to buy. Splash Hill Zone feels just like how Green Hill would feel on a modern system. I love it.
Also, the graphics, while not the best, are pretty good. Some people say the plastic-like look is bad, but I personally dig it. My only gripe with the graphics is that Sonic's model is a bit too shiny.
There's also the fact that there's really nothing wrong with the gameplay itself other than the physics setbacks. Sonic's running acceleration is a bit off, but Most of the time you'll start running by Air Dashing or Spin Dashing to get around this.
All in all, Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a great game, but it reaches short of perfection. I'm keeping my hopes up for the physics problems, which are my only real problems with the game, to be fixed in Episode 2.
Final Rating: 8.5/10