INTRODUCTION

The beginning of it all, the game that opened the floodgates for what was to come! I have such a weird history with this game... Like everyone else, as a kid, I could barely get past the second zone! But now, it's probably the Sonic game I've spent the most hours in. Why? That's what we're here for, to discuss why I think this game is so great in the first place!

GAMEPLAY

You'd think the goal is simple right? Surely a game about the "fastest thing alive" couldn't be that complicated, and you'd be half right. Your aim is the same as any typical platformer, get to the end of the stage, but it's how you achieve this that is interesting. On a first, or even a second playthrough, you'd make your way through the levels pretty slowly actually, being careful not to get hit by traps, finding secrets and discovering the scenery ; yet every act has multiple paths coming from top to bottom - top being high risk high reward, the fastest but at the cost of falling all the way down with a mess up, and the bottom being slower but safer - and to me, this is what gives the game its charm. Replaying it again and again, getting familiar with the pathways, choosing your own routes, or taking your time to find new faster ones! The game isn't fast by itself, it's you, through your own experience and knowledge of it that you can go fast, and I find that amazing. While most people would say Green Hill Zone is the highlight of this game, with how you can easily breeze past it, I find myself appreciating Marble Zone, or even Labyrinth Zone even more, because with time, you can also finish them in no time! Not many people are fond of the arcade-like philosophy of this game (limited lives, emphasis on scoring and replays...), and it's true that it's a bit unfair to newcomers, but I just love how unique it makes it not only from other franchises, but even from other games in the series.

Sonic controls amazingly too, your jumps feel so fluid, and the speed is just right. (Even if there are a few caveats, like the speed-cap when running, but I guess this is remediated by simply rolling, and mastering that is very fun too!).

If I had one bad thing to criticize about this game, it would be basically anything about the Special Stages. Not only are they kind of annoying to get to, but the levels themselves are really tedious, and the reward is not even worth it at all, as the Chaos Emeralds only give you an ever-so-slightly different ending (though I guess getting Continues would be a good incentive to go in Special Stages, but that's about it)

PRESENTATION

Even before starting the game, the chant of the SEGA logo followed by that amazing title screen... It really does something to you doesn't it? It's such a strong start for your first time, but also becomes quickly nostalgic as time goes.

Sonic himself looks great in this game, of course this is how he got known for his "attitude", from the waiting to the balancing animations, it's all great! Though maybe I wish we could see a bit more of his personality? The regular animations like standing and running do feel a bit stiff because of his stoic gaze and lack of mouth, but that's barely even a criticism, he's super cool either way.

Every Zone is so distinct from anything else, and really do feel like actual places that could exist in this world, minus some weirdly floating bumpers and such. It's all so flashy, but even cozy sometimes; Starlight Zone has such a peculiar vibe, I couldn't even describe it. Plus I love how the game follows the theme of every new Zone you visit becomes more and more crowded with robots and machinery... I really like the environmentalist theme!

The unique vibes are also thanks to the soundtrack. While the Genesis often had great music, it also often had that weird "TWANG" in it, but this game has none of that and great makes use of everything it can. I don't think this game has a single track I couldn't listen to on loop for hours, it's so upbeat and fits perfectly! Plus it's all become so memorable too...

LAST THOUGHTS

While maybe not perfect for everybody, I absolutely love this game, and I completely understand how it managed to make Sonic so well-known so quickly! Maybe it's more of a product of its time, and newer players would prefer later entries, but Sonic the Hedgehog 1 still has its own identity, and is really worth playing! And playing... and playing again and again... I swear, every time I'm bored my brain just automatically boots this game up, and I always have a great time! Sometimes I still even discover new stuff, and I find it so crazy. It's a bit hard to get into, especially if it's your first Sonic game, but I still highly recommend it to anyone! I've highly debated over if this game or its sequel was my favorite... It's a tough choice, but I ended up on Sonic 1 being the winner, it really just has that unique thing I can't quite put my hand on that just keeps making me come back... Maybe the higher skill ceiling? I wonder.

Did you know?

In Scrap Brain Zone Act 2, if you bring at least 50 rings to this elevator (or the one just above!), it'll take you to a shortcut that is practically a straight line to the goal post!

INTRODUCTION

Ahh Sonic 2... While I haven't played it as much as Sonic 1, I still have played it a LOT. I've spent so many Sundays playing through both games back to back, it's a very laid-back thing to do, I enjoy it a lot. I've always found the history behind this game to be fascinating, the anticipation of its release, the versions from before it was out, the actual release day (Did you know that this game basically invented Release Dates for video games? That’s crazy I think, that’s how much people were looking forward to it!)... Learning about stuff like this makes the game feel so much more endearing. But, does this game really live up to how big its build up was...? (You probably already know the answer.)

GAMEPLAY

While I kept saying that "Yeah in Sonic games you need to learn to go fast, the game isn't fast by itself!", Sonic 2 is... definitely faster by itself than 1! Sonic himself isn't any faster, but the level design complements his physics so well that it almost feels like he is at times! From a casual standpoint, it does make it easier to be fast, but after playing it over and over, the same joy of learning new routes and going as fast as possible with time is still completely there, it's the best of both worlds! And of course as everybody knows it, speed is also greater than before thanks to Sonic's new move: The Super Dash Attack… ! (Yes, almost everyone calls it the Spin Dash nowadays, but the original manual called it that..!) The levels are built around it, making it super fun to be able to blast as soon as possible when you come to a stop, or even to find shortcuts...! I love it a lot for that! Not only are there shortcuts made for it, but a well placed and well timed one can make you skip entire sections of some levels, experimenting with it is super cool! Speaking of the levels, they all have so many different gimmicks and fun stuff throughout each stage... They really all feel refreshing, and I love it! The game is now structured in a way where each Zone only has 2 Acts, which helps the game feel much faster as Zones don't drag out for too long anymore (Except ONE, you know the one.)

This game pretty much does everything it tries to do perfectly, so many hidden secrets, fun bosses, always keeping you on your toes and never redundant, I can see why it was this much of a hit!

Of course not every game is perfect... (What do you mean I just said it was?) The end of the game does feel a bit rough, from Metropolis Zone being three acts, to Sky Chase Zone being a bit boring, to the final boss being pretty unfair if it's your first time there (You can tell SEGA was already telling the team to hurry up a lot to get the game done, a story we'll hear time and time again...), but to be honest, these flaws weirdly grew on me? The ending is kind of a bit long and grueling but, it weirdly makes it work as a grand finale, the final challenge to overcome! I'm probably just weird.

Something that I WON'T redeem are the Special Stages. The way of getting to them is cool (taking 50 rings to a checkpoint), as it enables you to get multiple tries during a single level, which trust me, you're gonna need (You can even get every Emerald in the first Zone, as it has 8 checkpoints in total! If you’re very good that is…). The 3D effect is kind of nice, even if a bit hard to follow at times, but these levels are pretty unfair, it's almost just a game of knowing where the rings are sometimes, instead of relying on your senses to react on time. Sadly, doing them is worth the hassle, as being able to play as Super Sonic is probably one of the most fun things you can do…

Lastly, something that this game introduced is multiplayer, in two different ways.

First up, is that when you play the game normally as Sonic, you can just plug in another controller, and this second person will immediately be able to play as Tails. People often criticize this as the second player really seems like an afterthought, as the camera never waits for them, and they can't lose rings or anything. Personally, I quite like it, trying to stay on screen, or catch up from a distance is pretty fun!

Then, we also have the competition mode. It's fairly simple, just being races, but that alone can be fun! The chaos of the random items can really make it a nice experience too... I just wish it would look less stretched than that lol

PRESENTATION

As iconic as Sonic 1 can be, Sonic 2 looks so much more vibrant, the environment is insanely full of color, it's a joy to look at. Even Sonic himself has a shade of blue that kicks even more, he really stands out now, and I love it! And of course, it's the introduction of the little Miles "Tails" Prower, who quickly became, and still is, my favorite character in the series! He's so tiny and cute, and he makes such a great pair with Sonic... I really want to see more of them together.

The soundtrack is also just as memorable as the first game's, it's just very very great all around. The Zones also feel even more lively, even more like actual places. Aquatic Ruin Zone is one of my favorites this time, its weird atmosphere and pretty chill song, I like it a lot.

There's not much else to say that hasn’t already been said here or for the previous game, it just looks and sounds amazing!!

LAST THOUGHTS

Sonic 2 is a fan favorite, and I totally see why this game gets this amount of love. It really is Sonic at its best. It took everything that made the first installment good, and improved on every single one of them. When I introduce someone to the series, this often is the game I start with, plus I can backseat them with Tails www

Playing slow feels fun, speeding through it in less than an hour also is fun, and once again it just has so many tiny things that I somehow keep finding even after playing it soooo many times! I HIGHLY recommend this game, for anyone! And I mean come on just look at Tails... He should be enough of a reason to try it by himself! (You know I like this game because I played it for this review… And then I was happy to entirely replay it because I forgot to take screenshots…!)

Did you know?

If you somehow manage to get every single Ring in an Act, you get awarded a “Perfect Bonus” of 50,000 points! This sadly isn’t possible in every Act though, as some have Rings that are impossible to reach…

INTRODUCTION

The first Sonic game on a disc! Maybe naming the game after it would be a good idea… The game that was made at the same time as Sonic 2, yet came out a year later! Does it hold up to what came before it? I’ve heard mixed opinions about this game, literally! Some say it’s their favorite game in the series, and some hate it like it’s the worst thing in existence. I’ve definitely played this game WAY less than the last two, because it was pretty hard to access for quite a while (the original game still has no modern official release, and I doubt it will seeing what SEGA has been doing recently… Taking down their own emulated ports and all… We’ll talk about this again, trust me LOL). Well, despite that, it’s time to give it a fair chance for once!

GAMEPLAY

At first glance, it looks like the gameplay is pretty similar to Sonic 1! Same physics, same general structure of getting to the end… The only change is that Sonic has the Super Spin Dash (Well, a different version than in Sonic 2 where you just charge it by waiting instead of mashing a button, but at least we’re getting closer to its actual name now.), and the Super Peel-Out! It’s basically the exact same as the SpinDash, but you run instead of turning into a ball. Though for some reason, I find it way more fun to use, as you have more control over where you’re going, and don’t lose as much speed when running, and if you ever need to go down a slope, you can just roll at any time! I wished we’d see more of this ability.

Of course, the biggest change this game offers is the Time Warp mechanic. At many locations in the levels (Also for some reason, what we typically refer to as “Zones” are called “Rounds”, and “Acts” are… “Zones”. I hope the names of stuff gets consistent soon LOL). It allows you to go to the Past and Future of each level by finding a signpost for either, and keeping a steady speed for a short time. That means the game basically has 3 times the levels! Well, actually, 4 times, as this mechanic is more than it seems. When going to the Past, you can find a Robot Transporter (often referred to as “Generator” despite it being never called that anywhere?? It’s also nowhere in any manuals I’ve read apart from the 2011 mobile version…), destroying it actually changes the future, making it a “Good Future”! Whereas the Bad Future is a mechanical, dark version of the level taken over by Eggman, the Good Future versions are full of color and life, it’s very fun to see the different versions of every level! In the past, you can also destroy holograms of Metal Sonic, but doing this changes absolutely nothing, apart from being a cool thing to find.

Getting a Good Future can of course be done by destroying each Robot Transporter in every single level, but you can also do it by obtaining all 7 of the “Time Stones”. They’re located in Special Stages that are accessed exactly like the ones in Sonic 1, 50 Rings by the end of a level. And those Special Stages…… Are pretty alright! It’s in a pseudo-3D environment again, but this time it’s pretty well done, if a little laggy. Destroy every UFO and you get a Time Stone, getting every Time Stone guarantees a Good Future in every level! For once, not much else to say about the Special Stages!

Which thank god, because I didn’t expect to already have this much to say about this game?? Rushing through every level takes no time at all, and isn’t that fun to be honest, but this isn’t where this game shines. Every level has tons of silly mechanics, and as much as people mock them, I find that just sitting back and having fun with them is a big charm of this game. And of course, the more exploration based aspect, trying to find Time Warp Posts, then a good spot to run and change Time, and then finding the Generator… It’s pretty fun! The bosses, though, are all complete jokes, you either destroy them in no time, or they destroy themselves, they really aren’t notable at all.

PRESENTATION

Sonic CD is the first game to kind of have more of a story than Sonic good Eggman bad he steals animals to make robots, go save the world. It’s about this little planet called… “Little Planet”, which appears above “Never Lake” on the last month of every year. This Planet somehow can warp Time itself, and Dr. Eggman has taken that to his advantage, by chaining the Planet to the ground, and making it a fortress! And also kidnapping Amy (which is for some reason called “Princess Sally” in the US manual…), and of course he wants to steal the Time Stones, so it’s up to Sonic to do that before him! While the story is simple, it actually kind of ties the whole game together, I like how they’re an actual explanation for this new location, and it’s weird properties. It’s… neat!

Then, this game starts off STRONG, from a punching title screen, to a good looking and sounding animated intro (I love the original, SEGA CD quality version of the animations in this game, they beautifully translated the frames to pixel art, it’s amazing!), and the first Round, Palmtree Panic, also packs quite a punch, the music immediately kicking in (well, after loading for a few seconds lol), and being so vibrant! But, while I praised Sonic 1 and 2 for having places that actually feel like real locations in a world, it sadly isn’t the case in this game. Every level kind of is a very abstract theme, with shapes and colors, which is a bit disappointing as exploring the Past and Future of these locations isn’t that interesting when they don’t look like much of a thing to begin with… Though even with that, they still look pretty good for the most part (Not looking at you, Wacky Workbench.) - Random thought that I had no idea where else to put, but this game does a thing where the camera actually goes forward a bit when you start running, allowing you to see more of what’s ahead of you, as Sonic is now mostly to the left side of the screen, and I like that a lot! And it was never brought back, ever, thanks.

The music is of course this game’s main selling point, it being CD quality! (Apart from the Past stages that is, but it works well for those so shh). This game is also famously known for having two soundtracks, one for the Japanese and European versions of the game, and another for the US release. And, both are very good! The JP one is more upbeat and techno-y (??), while the US is more atmospheric, sort of, I have no idea what I’m saying. While both are good, I’ll always have a soft spot for the JP one, though both versions have very very good tracks (But I will always prefer Toot Toot Sonic Warrior over Sonic Boom…)

LAST THOUGHTS

Sonic CD… I get why it has mixed reviews now. Just like with Sonic 1, people want to play a Sonic game to immediately go fast without a care in the world, but this game isn’t it! It’s more about exploration, and having fun with what’s around you, which kind of goes with the principle of Little Planet now that I think about it. It’s only there for a short while, so might as well take a break, and have fun with it while you can! It’s not my favorite of the classic games at all, but I found quite a bit of enjoyment with it, it’s different from the others, which isn’t a bad thing sometimes.

This game has pretty low lows though, some levels are a bit jarring to go through, even while exploring. And, it just has this weird feeling, if you take your time looking for the hidden stuff you kinda feel like you’d be better off running to the end as you can just get the Time Stones, but rushing through everything makes the game super short, when exploring it should be the fun part… This game is weird, I’ve always thought that, and it’s probably gonna be my conclusion.

Sonic CD is a weird game, but being weird is far from being a bad thing! If you’re still reading this, you’re probably weird too, doesn’t make you bad though, right? (This is only the third game, how have we gotten this far off already…)

Did you know?

This is probably the most well known fact of any Sonic game… But, if you wait 3 minutes without moving, Sonic will jump off the screen, giving you an instant Game-Over no matter how many lives you had left!

INTRODUCTION

We finally arrive to the Advance series! (Don’t tell anyone reading this in the future that I actually started by this…). I never really played all of these games seriously. I’ve beaten them a few times a while back, but that’s about it. So let’s get a fresh start from the beginning by talking about Sonic Advance!

GAMEPLAY

Of course, as a 2D Sonic game, the first thing I have to talk about are the physics… And, they’re pretty on point! They’re of course not really accurate to the classics but, do they really have to be? They’re good physics on their own, and I think that’s all that matters. Characters can do what you’d expect: run, jump, Spin Dash, but they also each have a new unique combat move when pressing the B button! And… I find them pretty useless, they’re all super slow and kind of break the pace, they also don’t do anything a regular spin attack can’t do, so I pretty much never used them. Apart from that, everyone controls how you’d expect! Tails can fly, Knuckles can glide and climb… Sonic has a mid-air dash, which is a bit weak but also fun to use, but he also has the Insta-Shield! Well, it’s not really a shield, as it doesn’t protect you from anything, and you only get barely more range with it. The manual actually just calls it a “Spin Attack”, they should stop swapping the names of everything, I swear just rolling was called exactly that before, and jumping too. A-Anyway, for the first time, we also have Amy! And her gameplay is actually pretty unique, as she can’t spin! This makes using the combat moves actually useful, as she can also use one in the air too. She also has a few unique moves such as a Hammer Jump, or even just falling to the ground lol. Her Spin Dash is also replaced with “Giant Steps”, it’s just a tiny hop forward, but it’s weirdly fun to use.

Now for the levels themselves. The level design is pretty nice! It actually reminds me of Sonic 1 a lot, pretty slow by itself, but I bet you could go pretty fast if you took the time to learn the layouts. People often criticize these games for having a lot of bottomless pits, but I didn’t encounter that many? (Apart from falling through the ground in the first level as Amy…) Maybe I’m just too good. What I did see though, was a lot of spikes? Spikes to trap you out of nowhere, or just used as stoppers at the end of a platform, it kind of became a bit jarring by the end. The levels themselves are still pretty good, nice and short. The final levels were waaay longer, with a timer ticking down too! But that made them feel like a grand finale, which was pretty fun. Speaking of finale, the bosses were very forgettable and pretty easy to bit. XX Zone having bosses from Sonic 1 and 2 was super cool, but the final boss after it really sucked.

Speaking of… things that suck? (What a transition) Finding the Special Stages was kinda hard, I only ever found one in my casual playthrough, and in the final zone. And as Special Stages usually are, they’re very bad. The perspective is super confusing, and the background is way too distracting for what you have to do. The rings are super hard to get, and sometimes what you have to do is confusing?? I swear the B button looks like it makes you do something that could break bombs, and it even looks necessary to do that sometimes, but it only does a trick that you have to use on these yellow circles, I really didn’t like them, especially since the reward (an Extra Final Boss/Ending Cutscene) weren’t even that worth it…

PRESENTATION

This game looks very very good, the colors pop like crazy, the backgrounds are super detailed and nice, and I think this is my favorite these characters have ever looked. The animations are so expressive, it brings out all of their personalities, I love it! The locations all feel pretty lively too, and as I said look super good, but maybe a bit too detailed sometimes? It makes it a bit hard to see because of how much they try to cram on one tiny screen, but that’s not really their fault. It’s kinda funny to have Zones called “Neo Green Hill” and “Angel Island” despite looking nothing like those locations, but a fresh take on them is always appreciated!

The music is pretty good too, but fairly forgettable. It surprisingly has a few remixes from Sonic 1 and 2 in the menus and in a few other places, and they sound very good! It makes me wonder whatever they were doing with Sonic Genesis even more…

LAST THOUGHTS

This game is pretty good! It’s not perfect, but not everything needs to be. It’s fun to sit down and play for a little bit, and I think that’s fine enough! I can see myself coming back and playing a few levels here in there, I just won’t try to get the Emeralds again lol. I recommend just doing a casual run, it’s super quick and nice! Like, you can really beat the game without having ever touched it before in less than an hour, but once again, not a bad thing! Short and sweet!

Did you know?

Once entering the character selection screen, pressing ⬆️ ➡️ ⬇️ ➡️ 🇱 ➡️ 🇷 ➡️ then 🇦, you can play as Sonic & Tails together! Pretty cool!