'Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice' review: Play as Sonic and friends through a variety of fast-paced levels and hidden pathways

The franchise of “Sonic The Hedgehog” has been around for years, but the game titles included in the same have not been all well-received. The latest addition, “Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice,” has taken all the best from its predecessors while changing up most items that needed a facelift.

As much as the series was beloved, there has always been a disconnect in terms of speed and excitement when it came to the game publications. For whatever reason, Sega had trouble translating the feel of the series into a player-controlled environment. However, things have been changed with “Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice.”

The framework of the game is that Sonic and his friends Amy, Tails, Knuckles and Sticks arev once again trying to foil Eggman’s plot. This plot, through what Tails describes simply as “science,” somehow gifts Sonic and the others with the abilities to control fire and ice. These abilities help the team as they go from level to level trying to defeat Eggman.

In “Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice,” players are able to blaze through different levels in the 2D platform, but they can also veer off in order to discover hidden challenges and different collectibles. Hitting the dash pad or jump button is what launches the different characters into superspeed. Like most “Sonic Boom” games, players need to simply time when to jump or swing -- this time with the added feature of fire and ice abilities.

However, each level also has a hidden path, full of collectibles and challenge areas. These collectibles, though relatively useless in gameplay, do add a different dimension to the game. Furthermore, avid players will need to use all the character’s special abilities -- Sonic's air dash, Tails' laser cannon, Amy's hammer, Sticks' guided boomerang and Knuckles' digging ability -- to completely finish each round.

“Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice” definitely has a lot to offer its players. The game is available for play on Nintendo 3DS.