Controls are decently responsive with most of the action mapped to stick and face buttons. However, they’re still tainted with the same flaws that have existed throughout the series. Classic Sonic’s jumping ability has never been his strong suit and sadly his stubby imperfect hop hasn’t been fine tuned here either. In Act Two, Sonic’s homing attacks are still dodgy and running at breakneck speeds can feel a little loose. In some cases, these quirks can result in cheap platforming deaths that Sonic players know all too well. However, like in past great titles, Sonic is a blast to harness when he’s at his fastest, and dealing with his control flaws becomes second nature.

One of the more unique weapons of the Silvergun is a sword, which does a 360-degree swipe around the ship before wielding it to dish out serious damage at very close range. This sword can also absorb pink enemy projectiles, which can be used to charge up a hyper-sword attack that clears the screen of enemies, much like the standard smart-bomb in any shooter. During the timeframe of this attack, your ship is invincible, making it an excellent offensive and defensive maneuver.

Tower defence, eh? That means strategically placing various blockades on a playing field to prevent enemy forces from storming over to your comfy home base, which in this case is a castle with a really big door. Pressing the right bumper will open up your asset window with your tools of defence: towers, catapults, bombs and angry livestock are just a small taste of the goodies you can place with the “X” button while navigating the layout of the land with the left analog stick. After preparing your defences, trumpets will blare and you’ll be cued to press “Y” to unleash your attack.

For a true arcade feel, an arcade stick is a must, but playing with a controller isn’t too shabby. The common gripe with arcade fighters on pads still stands — the d-pad is a little stiff, the analog is a bit loose and you’re missing out on the original six-button layout. Of course, the buttons can be mapped and customized to suit your needs, but you just can’t beat a good ol’ (most likely expensive) arcade stick.