As bizarre as that all sounds by itself, they then went and made Espio the only character that can turn invisible! Tasks involve finding hermit crabs, defeating turtles and blowing out coloured torches. For example, Team Chaotix features Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee, members of a Magnum-style detective agency whose story involves a mysterious stranger offering them a potentially large sum of cash. What I most love is that Heroes shines a light on the more interesting cast members of the Sonic Universe. 'Whilst I realise that a lot of my love for this game is shrouded by nostalgia, this isn't just a great Sonic game.' Arcade-based Casino Park and Bingo Highway have sections where Sonic is the pinball in a pinball machine, while exotic Frog Forest and Lost Jungle see you looping round luscious green plant structures and slithering off vines, encountering flora and fauna right from the heart of the Amazon. I particularly enjoy the diverse nature of the environments. There are 14 regular story levels, which are in different orders for the different teams and range from picturesque seafronts to eerie haunted houses.

Special credit has to go to game director Takashi Iizuka, who seemed to be a one-man army in bringing Sonic Heroes to life. Only by completing all four storylines and collecting the fabled 7 Chaos Emeralds in bonus levels as you progress, will you uncover all the forces in play, and be able to face the final boss (I won’t spoil a nearly 18 year old game for you). The objective is to use the characteristic skillset of each type to traverse the environment and reach the large Goal Ring. Teams are composed of three members of distinct types: a speedster, a powerhouse and a flyer, bringing the game’s playable roster up to 12.

Each of these has a unique storyline, with interactions with the rival teams along the way. You begin by choosing one of four distinct teams – Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose and Team Chaotix.

Sonic heroes levels