Really starting to enjoy Secret Rings....

[Paul Campbell]

I just wanted to chime in and say that The new Sonic is really starting to grow on me.  Minus the cut scenes and Sonic's annoying voice (tell me again why we should have voice actors in Twilight Princess?) I am actually anxious to play it when I get home each day.  I even have that annoying 80's-Dr. Pepper-commercial-esque music stuck in my head.  Here is a little breakdown of the good and bad:

The Good: 
Once you get a little ways into the game, you actually acquire better control as a sort of upgrade.  Sega should feel lucky that some of us are willing to stick it out and discover this, because the early game control makes you wonder if you should keep playing when the sloppy control is already hurting you this much.  Later, a combination of control upgrades and experience are making things more than bearable.

I really enjoy the attacking method, and how it is also used to get Sonic over areas that he normally wouldn't be able to jump across.  It's fun to time your jumps and dashes just right as you nail three or four floating enemies and then land safely on the other side.

The graphics, sound, and framerate are all excellent, and fly by in a smooth, beautiful blur when you reach higher speeds.

These are all very general points, and help make the majority of the game fun and interesting.  But there are definitely some bad points, some of them a bit nitpicky, but worth mentioning:

The Bad:
Without trying too hard to describe it beyond the Dr. Pepper commercial remark, I will say that, although I am not noticing it now as much, the between level music is very much out of place for this kind of game.

The game sometimes feels a bit too much on rails.  Much of the time the only reason you need to steer is to move Sonic a few inches to the left or right to get him in line with rings or pearls.  This is not always the case, and it is bothering me less as I progress and the control gets better, but it is still worth mentioning.

I don't see why they couldn't have included the option to control Sonic's left and right movements with the digital pad.  That would have been a breath of fresh air in a few of the more difficult parts.

Backing up is a joke.  Sonic slowly steps backwards and you have zero...ZERO visibility of what you are about to step on, in, or out over.

Overall though, like in other games, you just learn to deal with the negative, because it is outweighed by the positive.  I feel confident recommending this game to Wii owners, as long as they will give it a good effort and get past the early stages that make you think the game is going to be a control nightmare, without letting on that it fixes itself later on.

I'd rate this game a B.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

Thats exactly how I felt too.  The game gives a terrible first impression, but as you level up Sonic the experience becomes much better. 

 

I also find the music to be out of place, but I find it incredibly amusing.  Secret Rings isn't a terrible game, and it has too many flaws to be great.  Yet with a little more fine tuning Sonic could be a contender once again.

[Roperious1]

I haven't had enough time to play through too much of the game. -- In regards to backing up, I find with the upgrade it's a little better (pressing 2 while tilting controller towards you)

[VideoGameCritic]

Here's another Wii game I've played quite a bit despite not having the system yet.  I must say, Secret Rings beats the stuffing out of the Xbox 360 game.  It even LOOKS much better, resolution not withstanding.  I agree however that there are some issues that bog things down.  The games in the party mode are uneven as well.  Some are a blast,  but some are absolutely horrible.

[a1]

I rented it recently and I'm starting to have a pretty good time with it as well. Once you get the control upgrades it really starts being fun, and what surprises me most is the fact that some of the missions are actually challenging. And I don't mean challenging like some of the 3d Sonics (because the controls or camera keep screwing up), but legitamately based on skill. There is a level where you race Uhl (that light thing that follows you around) that took me about 20 tries to beat. It was incredibly satisfying once I pulled it off.

 

I also like the games lack of an overworld, and the fact you can skip the cutscenes. It isn't without its faults, of course. The music is awful, but laughable awful so I forgive it, and the controls do screw up at times. Backing up is an exercise in frustration (turn the camera around!), and homing does sometimes screw up, but overall it is definitely the best 3d Sonic I've ever played.