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The year 1991 saw the grand creation of one of the most popular little video game critters in all of history-- Sonic The Hedgehog. Created by the world renowned Sega conglomerate, Sonic has permeated the globe with his idiosyncratic trademarks of speed, attitude and charisma. I want to use this thread as a space for commemorative expression of appreciation toward the games that consumed our innocent minds. This will be the perfect opportunity for Sonic fans to explore their favourite games with in-depth analysis and coverage, giving us the wonderful privilege to witness the magic of the franchise that has distributed approximately 50 million copies worldwide. Anything from the conceptualization onwards will be permitted; even the three-dimensional games. Contributors are again warned about the importance of contemplation; remembering to think about the post before you hit the submit button. If users begin to publish posts that are senseless or completely off topic, your indiscretions will be reported to the moderator.

Now, I'm going to begin with a game that's received quite an horrendous reception. I feel the negativity magnified toward it is somewhat unjustified, as the most prominent of complaints can be overcome with steady patience and determination. Critic scores generally vary from 2/10 to 3/10-- which is pretty appalling by any standard. Gamespot described it as thus: "Jumpy graphics transform this classic side-scroller into a crushing disappointment". Fan reviews were a little more generous collectively, but they essentially emphasized the very same flaws that brought nationwide disappointment to the United States of America.

The game is a partly altered port of the original Sonic The Hedgehog released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991, and 2006, marked the fifteenth anniversary of its conception. This commemoration set the stage for players to play this timeless classic on the go, and a few new complementary features were implemented to celebrate this grand occasion. The greatest of all features being the inclusion of the spin dash manoeuvre, which wasn't introduced to the series until Sonic The Hedgehog 2 in 1992. And users concerned about the desecration of a priceless piece of art are treated to the insertion of the original game-- how it was supposed to be played, without the awesome spin dash.

For those of you unfamiliar with the simplistic storyline, allow me to briefly cover it. Dr. Ivo Robotnik (or Dr. Eggman as he is now known to the younger generation) is snatching innocent animals and cocooning them in mind altering robotic suits; only one of the animals is capable of saving these condemned furry cuties toward emancipation of Robotniks artificially induced subservience. With his terrific momentum of speed and impassioned hatred of injustice, only the blue critter Sonic The Hedgehog is able to thwart the evil scientist insidious plans for world domination. You'll navigate your way through six formidable zones infested with the enslaved animals, sneaky traps and hard environments that make preventing Robitniks plan a challenge to remember. Failure is not an option. The beautiful lush green forests of Green Hill Zone, to the intricate underwater network of Labyrinth Zone, this blue protagonist is pushed to his absolute limits.



The Gameboy Advance port successfully captured the graphics from the original game in 1991 beautifully. This is fantastic considering the developers had to ensure everything was minimized to fit the GBA's small screen dimensions-- and it does this wonderfully. As a result of the smaller screen ratio, Sonic has received a close up, which does slightly obscure the view. This alone creates a problem for those that cannot tolerate even the most subtle of modifications. But the problem doesn't really lie in this, for players understand the necessity of the zoom in. What really created a herd of disgruntled Sonic fans was the defective framerate. Players have to endure a shaky and frequent challenge trying to adjust to this bizarre degeneracy. Some of gone so far as to label it unplayable, as the framerate fluctuates unpredictably from one area to the next. From my experience, the trouble starts to become apparent once the action reaches a certain level of intensity. Whether or not you find this unacceptable is subjective.

The incredibly sensitive collision detection is another glitch that doesn't do this game any favours. There are numerous incidences across Youtube of players being unexpectedly hurt by the faintest of provocations, some of them not even coming into contact with the acts obstacles. It's a little difficult to articulate, and is better demonstrated by an example recorded by players. Needless to say, the progenitor of this fruitful franchise wasn't synonymous with these faults. This reality only reinforces the disillusionment experienced veterans of the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFIu3NKfCks

The soundtrack is another detriment that appears to of upset a considerable number of fans. While I personally think the soundtrack is extremely faithful to the original compositions, others feel like they've been downgraded and don't reflect the atmospheric pleasantries that the initial game boasted. While I find this complaint to be inconsequential, they are somewhat right with their accusations. For instance, Spring Yards Zone can be easily detected to of been altered, and the differences are immediately noticeable. It is arguably the most titalling piece of music on the game, and this inevitably comes across as unsettling to committed gamers.

Some of the youtube video reviews I managed to locate were quite vitriolic. Just like a religious fundamentalist, they are upset by the edifications within the game that compromise Sonic The Hedgehog in its original form back in 1991. According to these groups, there's no room for improvisation. Therefore, I'd expect the reviews to be unfairly negative irrespective of how little it is modified to function on a different console. While it requires a slight adjustment to be accustomed to the changes, I still feel this a strong title that honours the original release respectfully. The bottom line is, I find it playable, and while I consciously acknowledge the glitches that are ubiquitous in the games mechanics, to claim that this renders the game unplayable is unwarranted. In a nutshell, I love it. And I give this game the following verdict: 8/10.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle

Originally released on the Dreamcast and later ported over to the Gamecube, I am inclined to think this game should have stayed where it was and died alongside Sega's hardware because it's an absolute utter pile of sh*t. The gameplay is purely and simply broken. The game can actually be split into three different types of levels; racing, vehicular, and emerald hunting. It was like the designers were trying to hide the fact that not one of these types of gameplay we're particularly good, by offering up as much variety as possible. A lot of fans of the game will tell you that the racing segments are as good as ever, but this is unfortunately untrue. The racing segments of this game are a mess, with sloppy controls and random deaths aplenty. The only way to do well at these levels or indeed finish them at all is by trial and error; learning where all the pitfalls and obstacles are by dying numerous times. The vehicular segments are just simply boring, and although there's nothing particulary wrong with them, there's little there to make you want to go back and play them again. But the worst part of this game is undoubtedly the emerald hunting stages. These employ a sort of hot/cold system with a very limited range, so that you're racing around this massive stages, struggling with one of the worst cameras ever seen in a 3D platformer ever, hoping that at some stage the symbol at the bottom of the screen will start beeping signifying the close proximity of another emerald. The designers must of been hung over, high, or under sexed when they came up with that idea. Probably the latter. There's a bunch of other useless cr*p in this game as well, such as the chao garden, but really I think you get the picture. I'll probably wind up selling this thing on eBay because right now, it insults my other Gamecube games by its presence in their collection.

Score: 2/10

Great review.

Quoted

As I was playing the game earlier today I came across Sandopolis Zone and got stuck several times. I find myself getting frustrated knowing that a younger me probably got through the level quite easily. Damn that kid

Sandopolis Zone has the reputation of being one of the most infuriating levels since Sonic's inaugural appearance at the beginning of the 90's. While I haven't experienced the difficulty that you've encountered, I certainly feel inclined to tell you that it takes me almost seven or eight minutes to complete the second act. Having to precipitately reignite the flames inside the pyramid is one of the constant annoyances I still detest. The necessity gets lodged in your mind eventually, but it's not the easiest of endeavours. All in all, I feel a little discouraged when I reach it-- literally feeling like I have to force myself to see it to the very end.

Incidentally, what character did you employ to go through it? Knuckles's useful ability to glide and climb walls always comes in handy in unnavigable stages like this. Although due to the significant height he's unable to attain in his jumps, the boss can be a little more challenging from my experience. Once you reach Sky Sanctuary Zone with the echidna, I feel the final boss has always been massively anti-climatic for my liking. it just doesn't compare to the Hedgehogs ultimate showdown with Robotnik.

Sounds like a quality game.

I've more of a mario man myself. Super Mario Bros 3 was one of the best games I ever played when I was younger. It was just a quality platformer all the way. It was also painstakingly hard, but that's what made it so addictive. I really ought to play a 2d sonic game some day. The only ones I ever played were SA2 and Sonic Heroes for the Gamecube, the latter of which was a slight improvement on previous 3d sonic games, but still nowhere near a fully fledged transition to the third dimension. If I could find it, I'd get the Sonic Mega Collection for Gamecube which has a lot of the classics on it I think. I could also buy the GBA games and Sonic Rush games for my DS, but DS games are so damned expensive that I'm not sure it'd be worth it for the amount of content.

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Next up on the list of Sonic games I've deliberated to review is Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Master System.



Released in 1991, the 8-bit equivalent to the one of the greatest titles of all time on the Mega Drive was released on both the Master System and Game Gear consoles. While the name of the game shares the identical title to the Mega Drive/Genesis counterpart, the two games are notably distinct on level selection, special stages, and soundtrack compositions. Like the spectacular game above, Sonic The Hedgehog (8-bit) has been resurrected multiple times on Sonic Mega Collection, Sonic Adventure DX for the Nintendo Gamecube, Sega Mobile and recently on the Wii's virtual console library.

The storyline is practically identical to the Sonic The Hedgehog released on the Mega Drive/Genesis, but saving the day is done in a slightly different way. Dr. Robotnik, the evil scientist determined to fulfil his insidious plans of world domination, is trapping innocent animals and converting them into subservient robots. They are programmed to prevent Sonic from attacking the evil scientist at his HQ-- specifically designed to stop the speedy blue hedgehog in his tracks. Only Sonic can free the cocooned animals and thwart Robotniks wicked intentions. However, it won't be easy.

The stages themselves are separated into three acts, with a total of six stages to complete. Along the way, Sonic can utilize the equipment stored in these bizarre television sets that can either contain a continue, an extra turn, a bubble shield, checkpoints or temporary invisibility. If you go through the stages conscientiously, you should be able to avoid using the continues-- but collecting them is important to cover this possibility regardless. The invincibility item is one of the greatest Sonic can capitalize on, as the device renders you impervious to the hazards around you for about thirty seconds. As the scores are evaluated on the time it takes you complete an act, acquiring this feature will enable you to proceed a little faster-- shortening the time, and increasing your final score as a result. Pouncing on the checkpoint sets is also vital, particularly if you've gone through allot of trouble to arrive at where you are, saving you time and energy to redo the parts of the game that you've already slaved over.

Sonic must navigate his way though elaborate traps, mind-altered enemies (badniks) and dangerous environments that constantly put his life in jeopardy. To protect himself, Sonic must collect the trademark objects known as rings to avoid death on contact. The rings will not only sufficiently protect you against the condemned animals, but the hazardous environments themselves. If Sonic comes into contact with something that relinquishes his possession of the rings, he must instantly seek to reclaim some more to avoid a tragic death. Evading these obstacles won't be a walk in the park, which is why it's important you take your time. Running ahead recklessly without this precarious protection will leave you extremely vulnerable. As mentioned, if you've neglected to locate a few checkpoints scattered around the act, you're going to have to start from all over again. This can be frustrating in any game, so be careful!

The most challenging aspect of the title is the eventuality of facing Robotnik at the end of the stage. Once you reach act three, you speedily approach the destination where Robotnik is waiting for the opportunity to bring you down once and for all. The showdowns with the scientists gradually become more and more difficult as you progress, but there are strategies that you will discern as the precious time goes by. You're heart will race, for one false move could equal you demise. You aren't entitled to any rings at this point, so watch your every step. Finally defeating the evil genius leaves you feeling relieved and relaxed, and the exhilaration accompanying the action is nothing short of breathtaking. Prepared to me wowed!



If you manage to obtain a certain number of rings once you've reached the end of an act, you'll be entered into this crazy pinball dimension where it is you objective to collect as many rings as possible. Additionally, objects such as continue sets and extra lives can be found in undisclosed areas of the world, so keep an eye out for these goodies-- and use them to your advantage.

One more thing I feel I should cover, seen as it's vital to achieve the happy ending, is the chaos emeralds that Dr. Ronotnik is trying to steal in order to power the energy he requires for his empire. Sonic must find these hidden items before the determined eggman gets the opportunity to harness their energy. Hidden somewhere in the first or second act of a particular zone is a priceless chaos emerald. You shouldn't have too much trouble, as you generally just appear to stumble upon them as you advance. There location does get a little more convoluted as you progress though the diversified sequence of zones, but it is certainly isn't insurmountable. Besides, it's not a prerequisite.

And there you have it. What your left with is a terrific game full of excitement, adrenaline and a satisfaction that can only be obtained from a marvellous title like this. While it doesn't hold up to its 16-bit counterpart on the Sega Mega Drive, the game delivers a stunning experience given the limitations of the console. Even today, it shines through as one of the greatest games of all time, memorable by the degree of brilliance that separates it from everything else. This game qualifies for a beautiful score of 10/10. Just simply amazing!!!!

Yeah, Sonic The Hedgehog is a wicked videogame. I used to play it a lot was I was a young boy. But thank to the emulators I still have and can play all Sega Sonic games in my PC (Win XP) Man, I remember beating Robotnik in Death Egg zone in Sonic 2 in a minute both with Sonic and Knuckles or beating time records in Sonic Spinball, mega.

But as far as I remember (based on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games) Sonic and Knuckles are equally fast, but Sonic jumps higher. Tails is slower than Sonic and Knuckles, but jumps as high as Sonic (+ they all have unique abilities, of course). Robotnik is as fast as the fastest of them and jumps as high and far as needed. And mostly quite easy to beat (except Metropolis Zone III with Knuckles)

I've just realized that there are a few grammatical errors in my review. I once again pay the price of my negligence to proofread...


Sorry about this.

Quoted from "transcore"

Fantastic review to a fantastic game! I believe this was one of the first games I ever owned in my life! I recall playing this for hours in my parents room back when I lived in New Zealand. Ahh nostalgia.

Thanks!

The Master System was my first games console, and Sonic The Hedeghog was a my first video game too. I never got to own the original game on the cartridge though, as the magnificence was integrated onto the system when I purchased it. There were minor differences between the two, such as the omitting of the karaoke like credits which are always quite amusing. And it did operate on the 17% slower PAL interface-- slowing down both the game play and musical pieces. Nevertheless, it took my breath away!

I'm looking around Ebay to purchase myself another Master System console, purely for the sake of collecting items that were monumental to my upbringing. I've purchased Sonic The Hedgehog for Mega Drive, both American and European, and the Master System game. Now all I need is the game itself inbuilt into the console. The best deal I can hope for is around £20. For the sake of nostalgia, I recommend you do the same!

Quoted from "transcore"

Yeah I've seen those before matey. But I was thinking more along the lines of getting this!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/bd6f/

A company known as Blaze were responsible for manufacturing and designing a similar gadget, but the gamers were limited to a few titles that they hand selected themselves. Sonic & Knuckles was inserted onto the integrated chip, alongside Sonic Spinball-- both of which aren't really the greatest of the series. You'd a thought the original would have been implemented, but, they obviously had other titles on their mind.

They also released another Sega Mega Drive replica that permitted retro gamers to use their old Genesis cartridges in the machine. Needless to say, it was a complete disaster. Critics complained of the delicate material that had been used to assemble the components, and the gameplay had been slowed down significantly-- effecting utility.



But this?! This appears to be the Holy Grail we've all been looking for. I'm not letting this splendiferous little thing slip through my fingers that's for sure.

Quoted from "transcore"

Yeah I purchased the Blaze one. I waited months but it never came. So I just cancelled my order. Damn them.

The Sega Mega Drive handheld system did generate a series of favourable reviews, but I still think the limitation of the twenty games they've inserted onto it without consulting the retro gaming community was a little preemptive. The fact that you can't use a memory device to store games on and play them on the system only serves to devalue the product. Judging by the reviews though, it's good to see the ports have maintained an acceptable level of playability-- which is an unfortunate scrutiny after the release of the abomination above. Players are better off seeking a real Sega Mega Drive on Ebay or Amazon marketplace.

As I've purchased the sexy little gadget you directed me to in the hyperlink, I think it'll be a good idea to review the product once I'm entitled to receive it. Based on the reviews I stumbled upon on Youtube, it looks like a worthy investment, and the reviewers themselves appeared sincere and methodical. I was particularly listening in for the structure of the console itself, as the Blaze Mega Drive replica I showed you above turned out to be rather cheap and unsustainable. I'm still a little sceptical of both the authenticity and durability of the item! I hope these doubts evaporate once I grasp the system in my hands.


I've found some interesting information regarding the review of Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis featured in my opening post, which I think you'll find puzzling with a little due diligence. As you already know, the game itself was released in 2006 to commemorate Sonic's 15th anniversary of his inception on the Sega Mega Drive. It was intended to be a direct port of the original, but considering the tweaks necessary to make it compatible with the GBA, a few changes were all but unavoidable to the developers.

Once distribution began all over the US, players were bewildered and unanimously disappointed with the frame issues, collision detection and desecration of the musical compositions that they all know and love. The excuse for this mishap was apparently because Sega had lost their original source coding to make a faithful port possible. So they improvised with they had and created a complete re-write, and now that I think about it, this actually makes allot of sense.

This all seems fairly reasonable in itself, but the cell phone incarnations did in fact use these original source codes. So what on earth were the developers of this game doing? The names of the team responsible for the GBA port aren't featured on the credits, the original cast is. As you yourself have played Sonic The Hedgehog on your Iphone, this should at least raise your suspicion level just a little. Someone made an attempt to create a more faithful conversion of the original game, and he was gloriously successful in his endeavour.

While I can gleefully overlook the indiscretions, others are a little more sensitive about the issue. And they have ever right to be a little disgruntled about it. Anyway, play the game itself and commence in investigation if you're interested.

I'll be reviewing Sonic 3 next. Do you want to give Sonic 2 a go?

Quoted from "transcore"

Before I do a review I will have to refresh my memory by playing it a bit. Might be a while though buddy!

Take all the time you need.

I recommend you incorporate it into your favourites or you'll lose track of it entirely.

The thread's very esoteric, so don't expect anyone we know to revive it any time soon.