Sonic Dream Teamnow sits as one of the larger games on the service thanks to the help of post-launch updates. Five notable updates have added plenty of new features, some arguably padding the title out, with others addingSonicstaples that weren’t there before. Those who playedSonic Dream Teamback at launch, or those who decided to pick it up recently, may find surprising depth to what used to be a very easygoing platformer.
What Sonic Dream Team Was Compared to Now
WhenSonic Dream Teamfirst launched, it was a perfect fit for Apple Arcade as a genuine platformer that could be finished in an afternoon. It was announced early on thatDream Teamwould see post-launch updates, and it seems that the biggest ones have made their mark on the game in the span of a year. Each update, and the content they added, can be seen in a broken-down list below.
The first update didn’t entirely shake upSonic Dream Team’s offerings too much, as leaderboards were already available in Tails' Challenges and the new boss challenges effectively serve as padding. The addition of Sweet Dreams Zone was an incredible change of pace as both it andDream Team’s ranking system require players to understand the game’s platforming mechanics intimately to get the S RanksSonicfans know denote them as the best of the best. Sweet Dream Zone brought with it new moon collectibles, and with every moon and Dream Orb collected, fans will unlock Bittersweet Way. Bittersweet Way serves as Sonic Dream Team’s ultimate challenge, being seen as theSonicseries’answer to Mario’s Champion Road.
Other features such as the score attack to Tails' Challenges add optional yet tricky milestones for fans to reach every day, and powers such as Wall Boosting and Quick Switch can come in handy when aiming for high scores and S Ranks. One ofSonic Dream Team’s biggest challenges isShadow the Hedgehog and his gameplay style, however. Chaos Control and Chaos Shift are at his disposal, which helps players clear gaps and slow down time to dodge obstacles and more. He’s unlocked through Tails' Challenges, which also now include a special Fractured Dreams Zone that is designed to demand effort and understanding of mechanics from players, including those using Shadow.
Sonic Dream Team’s Shadow is a Double-Edged Sword
Players can still clearDream Teamitself easily within a few hours, but if they want to S Rank everything and make their way to Bittersweet Way, they need to learn the ins and outs of its colorful platforming playgrounds. For some players, finishing a stage and seeing it registered as a D Rank may inspire them to take on more difficult challenges, while tackling the daily missions to unlock Shadow may gradually help others understand tougher platforming sections as they make their way through. While it’s far fromthe toughest challenge theSonicseries has offered, it might still surprise players just how muchDream Teamasks players to understand how to control the blue blur and his friends to see the game to full completion.
Is Sonic Dream Team Worth Subscribing to Apple Arcade After the Updates?
WhenSonic Dream Teamfirst launched, many players were wondering if the game was worth the subscription fee or evenworth purchasing an Apple device to play it. After a year, and all the updates that came during it, the answer hasn’t changed much. For the overlap of Apple users andSonicfans,Sonic Dream Teamis certainly worth picking up and playing for both the fun and fast-paced platforming the series is known for. OtherSonicfans, however, may not want to purchase an Apple TV, iPhone, or MacBook to playDream Teamas those devices are rather expensive by themselves.
As much asSonic Dream Teamis easy to recommend after the updates shaped it into an even better entry to the series than when it started, the new features only help prove how well the title would do onanother platform like the Nintendo Switch. Sadly, as Apple helped fundSonic Dream Team’s development, there’s no telling how long its exclusivity on Arcade will last, or if it’ll ever go to any other platforms at all.
