Sonic Next - Knee-Jerk Reaction

So I've put about four hours into Sonic Next, and I do believe I can sum it up in two words: "pretty garbage."

I'm fatigued from both frustration and dissapointment, so y'all get the list treatment.

PROS
- Silver, Blaze and Mephiles seem to have decent/solid VAs.
- very pretty game
- Silver is a blast to play even when his levels aren't
- music is decent
- returning Shadow, Amy and Eggman VAs

CONS
- Button-input-recognition is shotty
- Collision detection is iffy
- General control scheme redefines "touchy"
- Tails is terrible
- Knuckles isn't much better
- Dusty Desert sand traps.  You'll see.
- level design: directionless field, narrow path over chasm or claustrophic melee
- returning Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Rouge VAs

Go back and play SADX.  That floaty feeling when controlling Sonic (when you can) is all magnified ten-fold.  Tails controls worse.  Ultimately the whole thing feels hollow and thrown-together.  I was hoping for something playable - like Shadow the Hedgehog.  So far I'm seeing a short and easy game made maddening by poor programming.

Rent this one first, folks.

Coming Attractions
Sonic #169 - ""Order from Chaos" (part two)" (November '06)

Sonic #170 - ""Comings and Goings" (December '06)

Sonic #171 - ""I Am" (January '07)

Sonic #172 - ""Truth of the Heart" and "Worth the Effort" (Febuary '07)

Sonic X #16 - "Valentine's Fray" (January/Febuary '07)

Sonic X #17 - ""March Maddness" (Febuary/March '07)

NOTE: due to the funny way the weeks fall throughout the year, two release dates hit during November. Thus, StH#168-169 will be released in November.

Completed Issues
Sonic #160 - Birthday Bash p1
Sonic #161 - Birthday Bash p2
Sonic #162 - The Darkest Storm p1 + Ties that Bind
Sonic #163 - The Darkest Storm p2 + Sonic Riders p1
Sonic #164 - The Darkest Storm p3 + Sonic Riders p2
Sonic #165 - Leak + Call of Duty
Sonic #166 - M25YL p1 + The Chaotix Connection (dialogue)
Sonic #167 - M25YL p2
Sonic #168 - Order from Chaos p1 + Courage and Honor