Levels in the game are divided into 'zones', each consisting of two acts of normal gameplay then a 3D boss battle. Both of the DS's screens are used to display the play area, with the player's character moving between them as necessary. The player begins the game with three lives, one of which is lost when the character is hit without any rings in their possession, crushed, drowns, falls into a bottomless pit, or reaches the act's 10-minute limit losing all lives results in a game over. The player collects rings as a form of health when they are hit by an enemy or harmful obstacle, their rings bounce in all directions and can be recollected. In the tradition of past Sonic games, gameplay consists of moving quickly through levels, collecting rings and defeating enemies. The player controls either Sonic the Hedgehog or Blaze the Cat, who differ in terms of special abilities. Sonic Rush is a 2D platform game, similar to earlier games in the series as well as later ones like Sonic Advance and Sonic Mania.

Gameplay Blaze runs through a loop in an early level of the game, demonstrating the dual-screen feature. A sequel, Sonic Rush Adventure, was released in 2007. Upon release, Sonic Rush was well received by critics, with praise stemming from the game's visuals, music, and similarity to older games in the series and criticism stemming from its overall quickness. The game's 2.5D format was based on Sonic Team's idea to combine elements from 2D and 3D games in the series. The game was announced under the working title Sonic DS at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2004, and under Sonic Rush at E3 2005. They respectively battle Doctor Eggman and his doppelgänger Eggman Nega at certain points. The game's storyline follows the intertwining adventures of the series' main character, Sonic the Hedgehog and a new character, Blaze the Cat. However, boss battles, the main characters, and a special stage are rendered in 3D, creating a 2.5D effect.

Levels in the game are side-scrolling and displayed using both of the DS's screens. It is a 2D platform game, similar to earlier games in the series like Sonic Advance, as well as later ones like Sonic Mania. It was released on November 15, 2005, in North America, November 18 in the PAL region, and November 23 in Japan, and was the final game in the mainline Sonic series to be produced by Yuji Naka before his departure from Sega. Sonic Rush is a 2005 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps for the Nintendo DS as part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Blaze the cat sprites sonic 1