Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a terrific game, and worthy of that title.
The story for this game is nothing short of the aftermath that happened in Sonic 3 when the Death Egg was destroyed. Sonic is now blazing through 4 new zones to defeat Dr. Robotnik once and for all.
The gameplay is just as you would expect from the original games. You use the directional pad to move Sonic left and right. Press 2 to jump, and if you hold down and press 2, Sonic rolls into a ball and picks up speed because of it. Press 1 to transform into Super Sonic (after you have collected every Chaos Emerald, and 50 rings in the level you are playing), which makes him go SUPER fast, controls better, and jumps higher. Collect rings throughout the levels, and if Sonic has just 1 ring in his possession, he will not lose a life. There are also 10 ring boxes, invincibility powerups, extra lives, and shields that you can obtain. The special stages also make a return to this game, and they are just as frustrating as they were in Sonic 1, but in a good way.
The music was very catchy and memorable to me. Each level had a different tune, and I appreciate that no track sounds the same. The Super Sonic songs had a faster, more exciting beat, and I personally enjoyed listening to them every time I played.
If I had to find something I don't like, it's the challenge of the final boss. Each of the zones had ridiculously easy final bosses, but the final one was way too brutal, considering the easy factor of the others. I also didn't enjoy how short the game was, but that was easily forgiven because it is only episode 1, meaning there will be more. That also forgives the fact that you can only play as Sonic, since other characters will arrive later. The last thing that threw me off was the physics, since the friction felt a little too high in this one.
Being a Sonic fan, I will have no trouble telling you to pick this game up, whether it's on Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, or iPhone. The levels are an absolute blast, and Super Sonic is just SO much fun to use. While $15 might seem steep, it is well worth the money.