For many years I actually thought that Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System was the same as the Mega Drive version only with 8-bit visuals. Not only is it a completely different game but it actually came out almost 6 months after the Mega Drive original.
There are some similarities, the opening stage is a version of Green Hill Zone (Complete with a nifty version of the level music) as are two others leaving 50% completely original locations. The general gameplay and structure of the game is also the same with several levels per each of the 6 zones followed by a fight with Robotnik and freeing the animals he captured as was the original game's premise.
The rest of the zones contained are different for both better and worse:
Zone 1 - Green hill - I like this zone, it's an easy going classic, there are reasons it or variations of it are normally starting zones
Zone 2 - Bridge - this is weirdly for a sonic game an auto scrolling zone. It kind of works though as this is a much slower paced platformer like it's Mega Drive counter part
Zone 3 - Jungle Zone - I have issues with this one listed below
Zone 4 - Labyrinth Zone - Another similar level from it's big brother, I like the underwater Sonic levels though I know I'm a minority there
Zone 5 - Scrap Brain Zone - So much better than it's big brothers version again, easier and less frustrating
Zone 6 - Sky Base Zone - I liked this level, had a great atmosphere
Of all the zones the only one I wasn't keen on was the Jungle zone. there is a section that's a bit tricky where you climb up a waterfall jumping on ledges and rocks. once the screen goes past a platform though it locks meaning if you try to jump back to it you instantly die even if it's a millimetre which is just kind of stupid. Other minor gameplay annoyances including how the rings work as the amount only matters for gaining extra lives. If sonic takes a hit he loses them all with one visible ring dropping you can't collect so essentially you only have the one hit to take regardless. The boss levels you don't have any rings at all though I kind of liked that as you had to learn the pattern and play skilfully. The bosses themselves aren't brutally hard though, especially to a seasoned Sonic player. Interestingly when you collect a bubble shield from a TV though it does transfer between levels so you can head into a boss with one as a possibility, I liked that.
There are Special Zones accessed through non boss stages when finishing with more than fifty rings as the only other use for them. This gives you the chance to get extra lives or continues by bouncing on springs to the end of the level in a time limit. There are no chaos emeralds here though, for a bit of a change they are actually hidden in the main levels requiring good jump control, using invincibility boxes to reach in spikes etc.
The game handles really well, the jumps and animations feel like a Sonic game should. The visuals and art design are the level of coloured and varied as I would expect, though the tiny enemy models are hilariously cute. The backgrounds are pretty static but Sonic's character model and animations are really well done. Interestingly this is actually the first game made by Ancient, the company formed by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro. It was initially created to make this game specifically and it's Game Gear counter part before going on to later fame making Streets of rage and Beyond Oasis.
Overall I had a good time with this and the thing is I didn't expect to. It looks really nice for an 8-bit game, has a banger OST and plays well with some neat little ideas. Not everything works but overall it's a good little game.
+ Nice visuals and music.
+ Zones are fun and varied.
+ No ring bosses and emeralds on stages are different.
- Jungle Zone instant death isn't very well designed.
- Losing rings all at once is kind of lame.
There are some similarities, the opening stage is a version of Green Hill Zone (Complete with a nifty version of the level music) as are two others leaving 50% completely original locations. The general gameplay and structure of the game is also the same with several levels per each of the 6 zones followed by a fight with Robotnik and freeing the animals he captured as was the original game's premise.
The rest of the zones contained are different for both better and worse:
Zone 1 - Green hill - I like this zone, it's an easy going classic, there are reasons it or variations of it are normally starting zones
Zone 2 - Bridge - this is weirdly for a sonic game an auto scrolling zone. It kind of works though as this is a much slower paced platformer like it's Mega Drive counter part
Zone 3 - Jungle Zone - I have issues with this one listed below
Zone 4 - Labyrinth Zone - Another similar level from it's big brother, I like the underwater Sonic levels though I know I'm a minority there
Zone 5 - Scrap Brain Zone - So much better than it's big brothers version again, easier and less frustrating
Zone 6 - Sky Base Zone - I liked this level, had a great atmosphere
Of all the zones the only one I wasn't keen on was the Jungle zone. there is a section that's a bit tricky where you climb up a waterfall jumping on ledges and rocks. once the screen goes past a platform though it locks meaning if you try to jump back to it you instantly die even if it's a millimetre which is just kind of stupid. Other minor gameplay annoyances including how the rings work as the amount only matters for gaining extra lives. If sonic takes a hit he loses them all with one visible ring dropping you can't collect so essentially you only have the one hit to take regardless. The boss levels you don't have any rings at all though I kind of liked that as you had to learn the pattern and play skilfully. The bosses themselves aren't brutally hard though, especially to a seasoned Sonic player. Interestingly when you collect a bubble shield from a TV though it does transfer between levels so you can head into a boss with one as a possibility, I liked that.
There are Special Zones accessed through non boss stages when finishing with more than fifty rings as the only other use for them. This gives you the chance to get extra lives or continues by bouncing on springs to the end of the level in a time limit. There are no chaos emeralds here though, for a bit of a change they are actually hidden in the main levels requiring good jump control, using invincibility boxes to reach in spikes etc.
The game handles really well, the jumps and animations feel like a Sonic game should. The visuals and art design are the level of coloured and varied as I would expect, though the tiny enemy models are hilariously cute. The backgrounds are pretty static but Sonic's character model and animations are really well done. Interestingly this is actually the first game made by Ancient, the company formed by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro. It was initially created to make this game specifically and it's Game Gear counter part before going on to later fame making Streets of rage and Beyond Oasis.
Overall I had a good time with this and the thing is I didn't expect to. It looks really nice for an 8-bit game, has a banger OST and plays well with some neat little ideas. Not everything works but overall it's a good little game.
+ Nice visuals and music.
+ Zones are fun and varied.
+ No ring bosses and emeralds on stages are different.
- Jungle Zone instant death isn't very well designed.
- Losing rings all at once is kind of lame.
Sonic the Hedgehog, 8-bit. I like it!
It’s not got much to it really. It’s by far inferior to it’s 16-bit counterpart, has almost no regard for designing sections around speed, and the Game Gear version has horrible slowdowns when more than a single entity is on the screen. Despite this it still feels like good classic Sonic to me somehow and is just a simple fun platformer with some cool level themes and a very charming soundtrack. (Who knew Yuzo Koshiro composed a Sonic game?)
One of the most charming things is the overworld map. A real effort was made to provide the player in-game some continuity between each zone and how the overall journey pans out across South Island. Something the 16-bit versions of Sonic 1 and 2 mostly didn’t try. You can actually see how we go from Jungle, to Labyrinth, to Scrap Brain, don’t just gotta take their word for it anymore.
It’s not got much to it really. It’s by far inferior to it’s 16-bit counterpart, has almost no regard for designing sections around speed, and the Game Gear version has horrible slowdowns when more than a single entity is on the screen. Despite this it still feels like good classic Sonic to me somehow and is just a simple fun platformer with some cool level themes and a very charming soundtrack. (Who knew Yuzo Koshiro composed a Sonic game?)
One of the most charming things is the overworld map. A real effort was made to provide the player in-game some continuity between each zone and how the overall journey pans out across South Island. Something the 16-bit versions of Sonic 1 and 2 mostly didn’t try. You can actually see how we go from Jungle, to Labyrinth, to Scrap Brain, don’t just gotta take their word for it anymore.
Picture this scenario in your head, if you would. It is late 1991, and you are an average kid living an average life. You hear about this video game console known as the Sega Genesis, and you see this new game that had come out a while back for the system known as Sonic the Hedgehog. You are blown away by it, not just by the graphics and the gameplay, but also just how fast it was going compared to other games at the time, and you are sold on it. So, for Christmas, you ask for both a Sega Genesis and a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog, and you have a great feeling that you will be getting those things for the holiday. The day finally comes, you open up your presents with glee, and you feel… slightly thrown off. Instead of getting a Sega Genesis and a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog, you got a Sega Master System and a copy of… Sonic the Hedgehog. Eh, close enough, right?
So yeah, sometime after the original Sonic the Hedgehog, they made a separate companion game for both the Sega Master System and the Game Gear, and it was developed by a company called Ancient, with this being their first game they developed (always a good sign). Obviously, the Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog would be both better, quality-wise, and more well remembered then this game, but as a companion game, Sonic the Hedgehog for the Master System is… pretty alright. It is obviously inferior to the original game, and there are questionable design choices present everywhere you look, but for an 8-bit Sonic game, it does its job well enough.
The story is the exact same as the original, so no need to comment on that, the graphics are pretty good for the Master System, and they fit well enough with the Sonic style, the music is actually pretty great, which I really wasn’t expecting for this game, the control is around the same level as the original game, although you obviously can’t go as fast as the original, and the gameplay is your typical Sonic affair, which is pretty fun at points, while serviceable for the rest of the time.
The game is still your average 2D platformer, where you run through many different side-scrolling stages, defeating enemies and collecting rings along the way, finding alternate paths with optional goodies (and by that, I mean six of them), and fight bosses at the end of each zone. It all functions pretty much exactly like the original game, but of course, it is held back by the system’s limitations, making it more platform-oriented overall, which works for the game that we have here. There are also several new stages to be seen, along with repeats from the original game (even though I didn’t wanna see them again), which provides enough variety throughout the game.
Just like with the original game as well, you can also collect the six Chaos Emeralds in order to get a different ending, adding a bit of replayability to the game, but unlike the original, you don’t get them by going into special stages. Instead, they are located in several of the levels, and you simply just have to find them and collect them. It may not be as exciting or involved as with the original, but it is way more convenient and less annoying then the special stages from the original game. And speaking of which, Special Stages also make a return in this game, but instead of them being used to collect Chaos Emeralds, they are meant to get extra lives and continues, which is very helpful, and a nice change of pace compared to the rest of the game.
Now, with all of that said, there are plenty of problems with the game, although most of them are pretty circumstantial. For the problems present throughout the whole game, first off, whenever you get hit in the game, you lose all of your rings rather than being able to collect some of them back, which does suck, and in terms of the boss fights, most of them are simple enough, but you are given no rings when fighting them, making them much more annoying than they need to be. And speaking of more annoying then it needs to be, guess which level is back in this game? LABYRINTH ZONE, and it is just as god-awful as it was in the original game. Seriously, I hope the guy who created this level feels happy with himself, making a lot of kids in the 90s suffer because of it.
Aside from that, there are a lot of little problems present in the game, such as auto-scrolling levels (you know, in a game about GOING FAST(sometimes)), one of the Chaos Emeralds being placed in a bed of spikes, and there being leaps of faith that happen sometimes throughout the game, which can lead to several unwanted deaths. A lot of these problems all boil down to poor level design, and making the game needlessly difficult, but not by much at all, in reality. The game overall, I would say, is easier then the original Sonic (with an exception here or there), and it doesn’t last too long at all, so for being a short and somewhat easy game, I would say it is pretty alright, and I am glad that I finally chose to play it after all this time.
Overall, while it doesn’t even hold a candle to the Sega Genesis game, Sonic 1 on the Master System is still an alright companion piece for those who probably weren’t fortunate enough to get a Genesis back in the day, and I would recommend it for big fans of the classic Sonic games. For those who aren’t that much into Sonic… you can just skip this one. I mean, after all, this is gonna be a one time thing, and there aren’t gonna be anymore weird companion games made like this… right?
Game #227
So yeah, sometime after the original Sonic the Hedgehog, they made a separate companion game for both the Sega Master System and the Game Gear, and it was developed by a company called Ancient, with this being their first game they developed (always a good sign). Obviously, the Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog would be both better, quality-wise, and more well remembered then this game, but as a companion game, Sonic the Hedgehog for the Master System is… pretty alright. It is obviously inferior to the original game, and there are questionable design choices present everywhere you look, but for an 8-bit Sonic game, it does its job well enough.
The story is the exact same as the original, so no need to comment on that, the graphics are pretty good for the Master System, and they fit well enough with the Sonic style, the music is actually pretty great, which I really wasn’t expecting for this game, the control is around the same level as the original game, although you obviously can’t go as fast as the original, and the gameplay is your typical Sonic affair, which is pretty fun at points, while serviceable for the rest of the time.
The game is still your average 2D platformer, where you run through many different side-scrolling stages, defeating enemies and collecting rings along the way, finding alternate paths with optional goodies (and by that, I mean six of them), and fight bosses at the end of each zone. It all functions pretty much exactly like the original game, but of course, it is held back by the system’s limitations, making it more platform-oriented overall, which works for the game that we have here. There are also several new stages to be seen, along with repeats from the original game (even though I didn’t wanna see them again), which provides enough variety throughout the game.
Just like with the original game as well, you can also collect the six Chaos Emeralds in order to get a different ending, adding a bit of replayability to the game, but unlike the original, you don’t get them by going into special stages. Instead, they are located in several of the levels, and you simply just have to find them and collect them. It may not be as exciting or involved as with the original, but it is way more convenient and less annoying then the special stages from the original game. And speaking of which, Special Stages also make a return in this game, but instead of them being used to collect Chaos Emeralds, they are meant to get extra lives and continues, which is very helpful, and a nice change of pace compared to the rest of the game.
Now, with all of that said, there are plenty of problems with the game, although most of them are pretty circumstantial. For the problems present throughout the whole game, first off, whenever you get hit in the game, you lose all of your rings rather than being able to collect some of them back, which does suck, and in terms of the boss fights, most of them are simple enough, but you are given no rings when fighting them, making them much more annoying than they need to be. And speaking of more annoying then it needs to be, guess which level is back in this game? LABYRINTH ZONE, and it is just as god-awful as it was in the original game. Seriously, I hope the guy who created this level feels happy with himself, making a lot of kids in the 90s suffer because of it.
Aside from that, there are a lot of little problems present in the game, such as auto-scrolling levels (you know, in a game about GOING FAST(sometimes)), one of the Chaos Emeralds being placed in a bed of spikes, and there being leaps of faith that happen sometimes throughout the game, which can lead to several unwanted deaths. A lot of these problems all boil down to poor level design, and making the game needlessly difficult, but not by much at all, in reality. The game overall, I would say, is easier then the original Sonic (with an exception here or there), and it doesn’t last too long at all, so for being a short and somewhat easy game, I would say it is pretty alright, and I am glad that I finally chose to play it after all this time.
Overall, while it doesn’t even hold a candle to the Sega Genesis game, Sonic 1 on the Master System is still an alright companion piece for those who probably weren’t fortunate enough to get a Genesis back in the day, and I would recommend it for big fans of the classic Sonic games. For those who aren’t that much into Sonic… you can just skip this one. I mean, after all, this is gonna be a one time thing, and there aren’t gonna be anymore weird companion games made like this… right?
Game #227
Sonic the Hedgehog was designed specifically for the Sega Genesis, and as such remains an excellent showpiece for what the system was capable of early in its lifecycle. Other games - even within the series - would push the hardware further, but I dare you to find a kid in 1991 who didn't see Sonic and either beg their parents for a copy of the game or a Genesis to play it on.
Anyway, I guess Sega felt like they had to throw Master System kids a bone with this. It's still Sonic, and it is precisely as hampered by being on an 8-bit console as you'd imagine it would be. It is, at the same time, fairly impressive as far as Master System games go, and certainly the better version when considering the Game Gear release. Plus, Bridge Zone's theme is a real bop.
The screen crunch is nowhere near as bad as it is on the Game Gear, but the Master System version is still plagued by bad slowdown, and Sonic does not at all control the way you'd want or expect him to. There was a lot of times I just kinda careened into a boss because I didn't anticipate how much Sonic would slide on the ground, or because he bounced off Robotnik in a way that was unexpected and played counter to my natural Sonic instincts. The more restrictive hardware also means level gimmicks are overall fewer and less interactive, and (naturally) the sense of speed is severely diminished. And yet, I can't fault the game too harshly for any of this because the fact that there's a Sonic game that is still mechanically identifiable as Sonic on the Master System is kind of crazy, and I believe they did the best they could given the time this came out. It's a bit of a back-handed compliment, but I think the Master System's library is weak as hell, and the low bar helps Sonic the Hedgehog stand out as one of the stronger titles on it.
Also, this definitely gets bonus points for the cute little map of South Island that appears between Zones and the credits sprite of Sonic crooning into a microphone. I wonder what he's singing...
Anyway, I guess Sega felt like they had to throw Master System kids a bone with this. It's still Sonic, and it is precisely as hampered by being on an 8-bit console as you'd imagine it would be. It is, at the same time, fairly impressive as far as Master System games go, and certainly the better version when considering the Game Gear release. Plus, Bridge Zone's theme is a real bop.
The screen crunch is nowhere near as bad as it is on the Game Gear, but the Master System version is still plagued by bad slowdown, and Sonic does not at all control the way you'd want or expect him to. There was a lot of times I just kinda careened into a boss because I didn't anticipate how much Sonic would slide on the ground, or because he bounced off Robotnik in a way that was unexpected and played counter to my natural Sonic instincts. The more restrictive hardware also means level gimmicks are overall fewer and less interactive, and (naturally) the sense of speed is severely diminished. And yet, I can't fault the game too harshly for any of this because the fact that there's a Sonic game that is still mechanically identifiable as Sonic on the Master System is kind of crazy, and I believe they did the best they could given the time this came out. It's a bit of a back-handed compliment, but I think the Master System's library is weak as hell, and the low bar helps Sonic the Hedgehog stand out as one of the stronger titles on it.
Also, this definitely gets bonus points for the cute little map of South Island that appears between Zones and the credits sprite of Sonic crooning into a microphone. I wonder what he's singing...
is interesting noticing the efforts in doing sonic 1 on a older and less powerful hardware than the mega drive was: it tries to emulate md's sonic physics utlizing a more slippy gameplay than your usual 8 bits game and its more of a "normal platformer" than sonic 1 is. it does not always works, since some platformers are too small for your butter shoes but c'mon! they tried! the vertical level design while sometimes punishing is very interesting and scrap brain is such a no-sonic level that i cannot imagine being made anywhere else! also if you don't think that "bridge" evoques such child-dreamy vibes and awakens the little boy or gal inside of you as soon as you heard it, you must open your heart more! is just . . . too special for me.
there are elements of this version of sonic 1 that i do really like. bridge zone's music is great, and i think jungle zone is a pretty obvious addition i'm surprised the genesis title didn't have (though i'd believe you if you told me the scrapped 'wood zone' from sonic 2 was ripped from the idea) but overall, this is a more barren rendition of this first title than its 16-bit counterpart. slowdown is worse than the genesis, and labyrinth zone in particular suffers from this, as if that stage needed any more help sucking complete ass. the special stages are cute and i could go either way between them or the trippy genesis ones. boss fights are inexcusably bad. it's a decent enough master system game, i guess.
My aunt once told me she regretted giving me a Mater System when I was three. She is just nine years my senior, so it’s not like she had outgrown video games by then. She had no cartridges and could play Sonic the Hedgehog in the console’s memory, which might maybe have been boring to her — but to me, since I’d visit her only on weekends and didn’t know what a video game was, that was the most mesmerizing gadget imaginable. More than that: my concept of imagination was founded by those bright colors and jazzy, if crunched, music. And mesmerized by Sonic I was, which she noticed, and so she ended up giving her hard-earned video game console to me. “Had I known how obsessed you and your brother would become over it, even now,” she said many years later, “I wouldn’t have done it”. She did change my life with that gesture, because I learned the language of games with a Sonic game for the Master System.
This is deeply influential in a number of ways. To this day, the way I’ll approach any new game resembles the childish curiosity with which I approached that game, and a certain set of expectations was created alongside said curiosity. This applies to all of you: the way you first approached games, and what you came to expect from them, as well as your history with them, colors your analyses. So I’m giving you full disclosure: in a very fundamental, irrational level, if you ever disagree with me about games, that might be (among other things) because I learned how to play games with Sonic on the Mater System.
And that game is very peculiar, in that it’s quite a bit more methodical than most other Sonic games: each act in each zone is completely different from all the other acts in all the other zones, and makes it very clear. Each act in each stage has exactly one 1-Up monitor, and hides it differently; getting 100 rings gives you a life, but resets your ring counter; however, carrying 99 rings to the end of the stage brings you 9900 points, and every 50000 points will also give you an extra life. So getting to the end of the game involves a lot of figuring out, which, for a kid that’s pretty bad at the game and dies a lot, is a big deal. It’s very cerebral, in a number of ways, because planning and strategizing your performance just in order to survive becomes very important.
However, there was no way to figure that stuff out other than just trying things out and moving around a stage, because if the only thing I can control and use to interact with the environment is Sonic itself, he’s also some sort of cursor in a computer screen — except he doesn’t always act the way I want, or I end up finding something I didn’t want. This means I had to play the very best I could at every step of the way, because I could never rely on rings to back me up — unlike you Sonic 2 for the Mega Drive snobs could. At the same time, each step was presented as somewhat self-contained, as a challenge that I wouldn’t find anywhere else in the game, not in the same way. This stage is an auto-scroller; this other one is a vertical level, and you’ll die if you fall; this one has this section leading up to a 1-Up monitor, from which it’s arbitrarily and randomly near-impossible to get out alive.
That’s especially true for the Chaos Emeralds. You can see them just by playing normally, but learning how to get there often feels wrong (like getting hurt on purpose to get the emerald in Labyrinth Zone, because you couldn’t yet dream of being good enough to get it with the Invincibility from the monitor earlier still active). So there’s a choreography to it that’s less apparent in other Sonic games, but also an unruliness that’s less apparent in other games in general. As I grew up a little, I had access to other games (still not knowing what a Mega Drive was) and, most importantly, to other platformers. Which were fun and communicated their challenges much more clearly, but then gave me a sense that I was learning to do things as I was told, and the character was no longer a cursor for exploring the game’s system, whereas Sonic never intended to teach me anything.
Having learned how to appreciate this delicate balance, when I got around to discovering every game Sonic had to offer, that’s how I approached them too, and this led me to like the slower-paced or the strange bouncy assholes of later or weirder Sonic stages. So I love Marble Zone, Labyrinth Zone, Sandopolis and the entirety of Sonic CD. Because they feel more like Sonic 1 for the Master System, so they feel more like home.
This is deeply influential in a number of ways. To this day, the way I’ll approach any new game resembles the childish curiosity with which I approached that game, and a certain set of expectations was created alongside said curiosity. This applies to all of you: the way you first approached games, and what you came to expect from them, as well as your history with them, colors your analyses. So I’m giving you full disclosure: in a very fundamental, irrational level, if you ever disagree with me about games, that might be (among other things) because I learned how to play games with Sonic on the Mater System.
And that game is very peculiar, in that it’s quite a bit more methodical than most other Sonic games: each act in each zone is completely different from all the other acts in all the other zones, and makes it very clear. Each act in each stage has exactly one 1-Up monitor, and hides it differently; getting 100 rings gives you a life, but resets your ring counter; however, carrying 99 rings to the end of the stage brings you 9900 points, and every 50000 points will also give you an extra life. So getting to the end of the game involves a lot of figuring out, which, for a kid that’s pretty bad at the game and dies a lot, is a big deal. It’s very cerebral, in a number of ways, because planning and strategizing your performance just in order to survive becomes very important.
However, there was no way to figure that stuff out other than just trying things out and moving around a stage, because if the only thing I can control and use to interact with the environment is Sonic itself, he’s also some sort of cursor in a computer screen — except he doesn’t always act the way I want, or I end up finding something I didn’t want. This means I had to play the very best I could at every step of the way, because I could never rely on rings to back me up — unlike you Sonic 2 for the Mega Drive snobs could. At the same time, each step was presented as somewhat self-contained, as a challenge that I wouldn’t find anywhere else in the game, not in the same way. This stage is an auto-scroller; this other one is a vertical level, and you’ll die if you fall; this one has this section leading up to a 1-Up monitor, from which it’s arbitrarily and randomly near-impossible to get out alive.
That’s especially true for the Chaos Emeralds. You can see them just by playing normally, but learning how to get there often feels wrong (like getting hurt on purpose to get the emerald in Labyrinth Zone, because you couldn’t yet dream of being good enough to get it with the Invincibility from the monitor earlier still active). So there’s a choreography to it that’s less apparent in other Sonic games, but also an unruliness that’s less apparent in other games in general. As I grew up a little, I had access to other games (still not knowing what a Mega Drive was) and, most importantly, to other platformers. Which were fun and communicated their challenges much more clearly, but then gave me a sense that I was learning to do things as I was told, and the character was no longer a cursor for exploring the game’s system, whereas Sonic never intended to teach me anything.
Having learned how to appreciate this delicate balance, when I got around to discovering every game Sonic had to offer, that’s how I approached them too, and this led me to like the slower-paced or the strange bouncy assholes of later or weirder Sonic stages. So I love Marble Zone, Labyrinth Zone, Sandopolis and the entirety of Sonic CD. Because they feel more like Sonic 1 for the Master System, so they feel more like home.
At first I thought it was an 8-bit port of the first game, but I was completely wrong
There was some bad ideas thrown in there, like an auto-scroller level (the idea itself isn't that bad, the problem is that it is on a Sonic game), but it still had some good ones like special stages being just bonus and to get the emeralds you search the stage
I don't get exactly the debate of which Sonic 1 is better, but I can confirm that neither one is bad
That being said, DON'T PLAY THE GAME GEAR VERSION
There was some bad ideas thrown in there, like an auto-scroller level (the idea itself isn't that bad, the problem is that it is on a Sonic game), but it still had some good ones like special stages being just bonus and to get the emeralds you search the stage
I don't get exactly the debate of which Sonic 1 is better, but I can confirm that neither one is bad
That being said, DON'T PLAY THE GAME GEAR VERSION
Sonic Marathon List
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played on RetroArch
So in continuing my Sonic marathon, this was the next one I decided to start on. Only played once, got all six emeralds in the end. This was just meh tbh, definitely not as good as the Genesis/MegaDrive version but still not a bad game.
For things I liked, the graphics are nice and got that Master System charm to em. Music is quite nice as well, no complaints there either. The way to get the Chaos Emeralds honestly in my opinion is an improvement over the Genesis ver. with the headache-inducing of a special stage, having you required to search through the level to find the emeralds throughout the stages really motivates you to explore a stage instead of only just breezing through. Special stages were a fun romp too, liked them better than Genesis special stages.
For disliked stuff though, I don't really dislike but I'm not sure where else to put it but the bosses are pretty meh. First off they're all No-Ring run stages and while some aren't too bad and just don't stand out, some line the final one or Labyrinth Zone's are annoying to deal with. Esp. the final since it's pattern is a bit hard to get down. Some of the chaos emerald locations esp. around the final two zones were hidden so much to an extent where it's like "how are you supposed to figure that out?". Like in Final Zone how are you supposed to know to jump off to the left and land precisely on the moving platforms out of sight, not helping that one is in front of a ladder that's hard to get down. Which on that subject, the camera could be a pain at times, leading me to make leaps of faith on occasion, especially when it just randomly panned somewhere that didn't help to where I needed to go.
Finally, Labyrinth and Sky Base Zone were the worst levels in my opinion, what was with the developers and Labyrinth Zone pick another damn stage. Also I thought this RetroArch, but the game has a lot of slow down issues, I looked up videos of it and it just seems that this is just a problem with the game itself, but it was annoying when making jumps on certain stages. Also the fact that if you get hit you can't get ANY of your rings back is annoying.
And this is more a mixed opinion so I don't want to put it in either liked or disliked only, but the fact that the game itself is more a classic platformer like Mario that instead of focusing on the speed really wants you to take your time going through the levels. It's a mixed bag really, on one hand the game designed around that and uses it to its strengths - esp. in stages like Green Hill, Jungle, or Scrap Brain - but on the other hand it doesn't make the game really stand out, its just a regular platformer.
All in all, I didn't dislike my time with it but it's not one I'd see myself going back to that often, I'd rather just play the Genesis/MD ver instead. If I do go back to it, it'll prob be with the SMS Fan remake someone made which I was originally going to play instead (since I did play the Whitehead ver. for Sonic 1) but I felt the developer changed a bit too much (esp. like how to get the chaos emeralds, instead now being in special stages instead of having to search for them) that it didn't feel like it would be an authentic experience for my first time.
To rank the stages
1. Green Hill Zone - Like the Genesis ver. it's a good intro stage, nice music, nice aesthetic nothing I can complain about. Pretty much the only stage where you really get a chance to run through and build up speed like in the Genesis ver. Boss is a fucking joke though.
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2. Jungle Zone - Nice stage, not too difficult the random slow down did make some jumps a pain at times. Boss isn't too bad either.
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3. Scrap Brain Zone - Fine pre-final stage. Has a good balance of difficulty though isn't as iconic as the Genesis ver. Had a good time going through it though, not too much else I can say about it though.
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4. Bridge Zone - Meh, it's not a bad stage, it's just whatever. I honestly don't have much I can say about it. It's ok, nothing that stands out about it, pretty much a clone of Green Hill. The autoscrolling of Zone 2 though was boring though.
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5. Sky Base Zone - I don't like this stage, Zone 1 with the flashing is a honest to god eyesore every time it flashes. Zone 2 being a not hit run is a pain, especially with all the shit going on and having very hard to avoid projectiles (Talking about you random bomb enemy that appears right when a spiked gate is closing on you but you can't get too close to it or get hit or get too far and hit the door). Boss' pattern is a bit difficult to get down after a while too.
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6. Labyrinth Zone - Just like in the genesis version, I still think this is the worst stage. While it's alleviated a bit by being shorter, it's still a boring boring slog to go through and I honestly feel Sonic moves slower here than in Genesis (slow down not helping). They don't bring in Marble, Spring Yard, or Star Light in but Labyrinth Zone gets the cut?
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played on RetroArch
So in continuing my Sonic marathon, this was the next one I decided to start on. Only played once, got all six emeralds in the end. This was just meh tbh, definitely not as good as the Genesis/MegaDrive version but still not a bad game.
For things I liked, the graphics are nice and got that Master System charm to em. Music is quite nice as well, no complaints there either. The way to get the Chaos Emeralds honestly in my opinion is an improvement over the Genesis ver. with the headache-inducing of a special stage, having you required to search through the level to find the emeralds throughout the stages really motivates you to explore a stage instead of only just breezing through. Special stages were a fun romp too, liked them better than Genesis special stages.
For disliked stuff though, I don't really dislike but I'm not sure where else to put it but the bosses are pretty meh. First off they're all No-Ring run stages and while some aren't too bad and just don't stand out, some line the final one or Labyrinth Zone's are annoying to deal with. Esp. the final since it's pattern is a bit hard to get down. Some of the chaos emerald locations esp. around the final two zones were hidden so much to an extent where it's like "how are you supposed to figure that out?". Like in Final Zone how are you supposed to know to jump off to the left and land precisely on the moving platforms out of sight, not helping that one is in front of a ladder that's hard to get down. Which on that subject, the camera could be a pain at times, leading me to make leaps of faith on occasion, especially when it just randomly panned somewhere that didn't help to where I needed to go.
Finally, Labyrinth and Sky Base Zone were the worst levels in my opinion, what was with the developers and Labyrinth Zone pick another damn stage. Also I thought this RetroArch, but the game has a lot of slow down issues, I looked up videos of it and it just seems that this is just a problem with the game itself, but it was annoying when making jumps on certain stages. Also the fact that if you get hit you can't get ANY of your rings back is annoying.
And this is more a mixed opinion so I don't want to put it in either liked or disliked only, but the fact that the game itself is more a classic platformer like Mario that instead of focusing on the speed really wants you to take your time going through the levels. It's a mixed bag really, on one hand the game designed around that and uses it to its strengths - esp. in stages like Green Hill, Jungle, or Scrap Brain - but on the other hand it doesn't make the game really stand out, its just a regular platformer.
All in all, I didn't dislike my time with it but it's not one I'd see myself going back to that often, I'd rather just play the Genesis/MD ver instead. If I do go back to it, it'll prob be with the SMS Fan remake someone made which I was originally going to play instead (since I did play the Whitehead ver. for Sonic 1) but I felt the developer changed a bit too much (esp. like how to get the chaos emeralds, instead now being in special stages instead of having to search for them) that it didn't feel like it would be an authentic experience for my first time.
To rank the stages
1. Green Hill Zone - Like the Genesis ver. it's a good intro stage, nice music, nice aesthetic nothing I can complain about. Pretty much the only stage where you really get a chance to run through and build up speed like in the Genesis ver. Boss is a fucking joke though.
-
2. Jungle Zone - Nice stage, not too difficult the random slow down did make some jumps a pain at times. Boss isn't too bad either.
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3. Scrap Brain Zone - Fine pre-final stage. Has a good balance of difficulty though isn't as iconic as the Genesis ver. Had a good time going through it though, not too much else I can say about it though.
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4. Bridge Zone - Meh, it's not a bad stage, it's just whatever. I honestly don't have much I can say about it. It's ok, nothing that stands out about it, pretty much a clone of Green Hill. The autoscrolling of Zone 2 though was boring though.
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5. Sky Base Zone - I don't like this stage, Zone 1 with the flashing is a honest to god eyesore every time it flashes. Zone 2 being a not hit run is a pain, especially with all the shit going on and having very hard to avoid projectiles (Talking about you random bomb enemy that appears right when a spiked gate is closing on you but you can't get too close to it or get hit or get too far and hit the door). Boss' pattern is a bit difficult to get down after a while too.
-
6. Labyrinth Zone - Just like in the genesis version, I still think this is the worst stage. While it's alleviated a bit by being shorter, it's still a boring boring slog to go through and I honestly feel Sonic moves slower here than in Genesis (slow down not helping). They don't bring in Marble, Spring Yard, or Star Light in but Labyrinth Zone gets the cut?
Honestly prefer this to the Mega Drive version! Game engine feels comparable to its 16-bit counterpart, and that sense of speed offered in that game is still present here. Heck, unlike Sonic 1 on the Genesis, this game doesn't have a speed cap, so you can literally go so fast in the first act you can fly off the screen for more than 3 seconds, it's insane.
I think what sells Sonic 1 8-bit for me is its overall aesthetic and visuals. Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone both serve as vibrant, colourful zones that the dull color palette of Sonic 1 sorely lacked. There's even a mini-map before every stage to show your progress towards Eggman's base at the peak of South Island's mountains! And what did the 16-bit game get? OOPS black screen with nothing but some text.
I also prefer the soundtrack of the 8-bit version? Scrap Brain, for one, has a far better theme in this game that gives off a feel of melanchony and despair (despite the stage being significantly watered down from the 16-bit version). Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone both have catchy themes that, to me, are as memorable as the likes of Spring Yard Zone and Star Light Zone.
I also like the idea of having to find Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves! Obviously, this wouldn't have worked in old titles where save files and level select aren't staples, but the concept is great, and the Emeralds are relatively easy to find if you know what you're doing. If only Sonic 2 8-bit didn't fuck that idea over...
Overall I think what holds this game back is the physics not being as polished as I want it to be (although that's understandable), the lack of rings in boss fights, the autoscroller stage in Bridge Zone, Jungle Zone Act 2 and the significantly worse slowdown in water (ahem Labyrinth Zone). Ugh.
But yeah this is definitely my preferred Sonic 1 released in 1991, definitely give it a go.
I think what sells Sonic 1 8-bit for me is its overall aesthetic and visuals. Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone both serve as vibrant, colourful zones that the dull color palette of Sonic 1 sorely lacked. There's even a mini-map before every stage to show your progress towards Eggman's base at the peak of South Island's mountains! And what did the 16-bit game get? OOPS black screen with nothing but some text.
I also prefer the soundtrack of the 8-bit version? Scrap Brain, for one, has a far better theme in this game that gives off a feel of melanchony and despair (despite the stage being significantly watered down from the 16-bit version). Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone both have catchy themes that, to me, are as memorable as the likes of Spring Yard Zone and Star Light Zone.
I also like the idea of having to find Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves! Obviously, this wouldn't have worked in old titles where save files and level select aren't staples, but the concept is great, and the Emeralds are relatively easy to find if you know what you're doing. If only Sonic 2 8-bit didn't fuck that idea over...
Overall I think what holds this game back is the physics not being as polished as I want it to be (although that's understandable), the lack of rings in boss fights, the autoscroller stage in Bridge Zone, Jungle Zone Act 2 and the significantly worse slowdown in water (ahem Labyrinth Zone). Ugh.
But yeah this is definitely my preferred Sonic 1 released in 1991, definitely give it a go.
I really enjoy this game on a technical and artistic level. What they were able to accomplish on this hardware is fantastic. The graphics blow other 8-bit games out of the water and every song on the soundtrack is great. Playing it, however, is an experience filled with screen crunch, slowdown, ghosting (on OG hardware), and an overall lackluster experience. Nonetheless, it is a fun romp, and I'd recommend it to any Sonic fan just to see how he made the leap backwards to a weaker system.
higher highs and lower lows than the original. the slowdown in the underwater sections are inexcusable and some of the boss fights suck shit but i genuinely think the music and visual design are on the whole better than the mega drive version.
Not as bad as I was expecting, the game itself is pretty easy and simple, with the only hard part being the slowdown killing me more than any enemies. Also auto-scrolling in a Sonic game is a weird idea to implement in a game about speed, but since Sonic would go off-screen if you go too fast it makes sense.
I thought for a brief, wonderful second to myself finally, a sonic game where you don't have to collect emeralds. Then I saw the end game screen and wept, for there it was looking right at me, 0 emeralds. I looked up the good ending on YouTube, and it's little more than the game telling you here you are, these are the emeralds, look at em. There's no reason to play this game, and yet I did. I guess it was short
Bom, continuando minha jornada de escrever uma reviewzinha pra cada jogo de Sonic que eu jogar, aqui vai mais um, e dessa vez de um jogo que, apesar de achar muito, e muito melhor do que Sonic 1 para Mega, ainda tenho uns (apesar não muitos) incômodos pra pontuar.
De início, o downgrade que de ir pra um console com muito menos potencial se mostra, muito, mesmo, você já recebe um aviso de que você não vai ter loops ou momentos com umas animações fudidamente boas, mas eu, nem de longe, acho isso um problema, se eu pudesse trocar todos os loops, todos os momentos de entrar em "canos" no Sonic1G eu trocaria todos eles por um level design com muito mais personalidade como o que há nesse jogo aqui. Eu acho as fases desse jogo, geralmente tão, mas tão melhores que as fases de mega, tanto as novas, quanto as que são adaptações, acho que a única exceção pra isso é a Green Hill, que apesar de eu gostar aqui, acho a versão de mega melhor.
Aproveitando o gatilho de Green Hill, eu acho que a única coisa que ela peca é que ela parece muito, mas muito básica, não num sentido bom, você não sente muito aquela fase como algo espetacular, como sentia no Mega, e o segundo ato tem algo que me incomoda muito, que é aquela parte que você vai na caverninha, a física do Sonic dentro da água nesse jogo é muito, mas muito ruim, ele não parece só mais lento, ele parece ter uma calça jeans molhada e uma perna quebrada de tão lento que ele parece, é incomodo, te da uma agonia de "Eu quero ir mais rápido, eu quero ir mais rápido" e isso é algo que, infelizmente é muito sentido em algumas fases, não pelo jogador, mas pela forma como ela é concebida.
Por exemplo, Bridge Zone, o mesmo problema, amo o visual da fase, uma fase de ponte em Sonic é algo diferentinho e até que bem bacana, o desafio dos diversos pulos que você tem que fazer, e também as coisinhas que você tem que ir um pouco mais longe pra pegar, são coisas legais, principalmente na versão de Game Gear (E sim, eu vou falar das duas aqui, pq não tem conteúdo o suficiente pra separar), eu prefiro a forma da fase no GG, parece menos reta e um pouco mais diagonal, isso me agrada, de alguma forma faz parecer mais fluído e agradável, difícil de explicar o porque, só um feeling meu, mesmo. Mas eu tenho um problema MUITO grande com o ato 2 dessa zona, não é com o level design dela, mas sim com o fato deles terem decidido torna-la uma fase side-scroller em SONIC, apesar de ser uma fase curta (tem 1 minuto e pouco), é muito agoniante ficar naquilo de querer ir rápido mas ter o jogo te impedindo, então mesmo com o design bacana dela, isso incomoda bastante, apesar de que não estraga a fase, muito menos a zona num geral, eu ainda acho Bridge Zone super divertida e uma das melhores zonas no jogo, mas é algo que poderia ser bem melhor e que tira um pouco do jogo.
Bom, olhando pelo lado bom, a próxima é a jungle zone e deus, eu AMO essa fase, tudo nela encaixa tão bem, subir e descer pelas vinhas é visualmente super agradável, os saltos entre madeiras caindo de uma cachoeira, os lagos com piranhas, eu acho que se tivesse mais poder de hardware, eles até botariam partes onde você tem que se balançar, já que eu enxergo essa premissa em algumas plataformas voadoras que tem aqui. Enfim, o que mais me agrada nessa fase é que tudo parece se encaixar tão bem que torna ela super divertida de passar, seja indo o mais rápido possível, dando saltos exatos ou explorando um pouco essa selva pra achar uma esmeralda ou algo do tipo, é super legal. E a subida na cachoeira do ato 2 é super divertida, e desafiadora de uma forma agradável, também.
Agora Labyrinth Zone tem uma coisa bem interessante, ela é uma fase completamente diferente em cada versão dos jogos, ambas partilham das mesmas qualidades e dos mesmos problemas, estranhamente, apesar de eu gostar do design delas, achar o fator labirinto super bem explorado, eu tenho um problema tão grande com a velocidade dessa fase, porque como eu disse mais cedo, meu deus do céu, a velocidade do Sonic embaixo d'água é terrível, ele não parece mais lento de uma forma natural e como algo submerso pareceria, ele parece mais lerdo de uma forma tão desagradável, não natural e tão absurda que tira toda a graça que essas fases poderiam ter, elas são facilmente o que eu menos gosto em ambas as versões, porque passar por elas é tão irritante, é tão irritante esperar 10 segundos pra andar uma linha reta ou 3 pra dar um pulo, é tão desgostoso e absurdo esse slow que o Sonic recebe embaixo d'água que ele é capaz de tirar COMPLETAMENTE qualquer valência que essas fases poderiam ter.
E sobre Scrap brain. eu tenho surpreendentemente pouco a falar, eu gosto do que tem no segundo ato dela, acho o primeiro ato rápido até demais, mas o terceiro ato dela, a falta de um boss e um simples labirinto é algo tão ruim pra ela, falta muito senso de urgência nessa fase, tipo, qual o perigo dela? Você tá cheio de aneis, quase não tem inimigos, não tem um timer contra você, a corrida pra chegar no Robotnik não parece crível o bastante, parece simples demais pra algo que é está literalmente um level antes da fase final. Apesar de não gostar da fase no Mega ser um ato 4 de Labyrinth Zone, até aquilo consegue ser melhor que um labirinto que você pode passar em 20 segundos e tem um tempo total de 9 minutos pra descobrir o caminho, a simplicidade dele é tão desagradável, a falta de urgência da fase é um problema tão grande pra climatização do jogo, pelo menos o ato 2 salva bastante, já que apesar de algo que eu sequer consigo considerar puzzle, e sim só um caminho um pouco mais complicado, eu até que gosto daquilo, não é algo wooow, mas é bacana, também tem a exploraçãozinha a mais que você tem que fazer pela esmeralda e pela vida da fase que torna ela um tanto mais bacana também; mas no geral, ééééé, eu não gosto de Scrap Brain aqui.
Mas pelo menos, puta que pariu, eu amo Sky Base, o primeiro ato é incrível, a tempestade junto com as armadilhas que se comunicam com o cenário como se fossem trovoadas é algo tão incrível, e além de incrível super difícil, já que a fase é cheia de armadilhas, pulos que não são os mais fáceis de se fazer, mas ela consegue fazer isso numa medida muito boa, nunca parece injusto, nunca parece culpa do jogo, geralmente o que acontece aqui costuma ser culpa sua, e é uma culpa que talvez numa primeira vez jogando você vá sentir bastante, asdoashdasi, pelo menos se for ruim em plataformers, como eu sou. Mas se tem uma coisa que me agrada aqui é como ela parece muito uma fase final, o ultimo momento antes de se enfrentar o maior perigo, diferente de uma Labyrinth Zone Act 4 como é na versão de mega, aqui é uma subida super perigosa e cheia de armas (apesar de nenhum badnik) pra base do Robotinik que passa um clima bacana.
Ainda sobre as fases, eu amo como aqui elas parecem prosseguir de uma forma muito melhor que as fases de Mega, elas parecem se ligar e é super bacana isso, de uma planice você vai pra uma ponte que se liga com uma floresta, que no final vai te jogar pra uma ruina antiga até você finalmente chegar na fábrica do seu inimigo que no final vai te levar pra uma plataforma pra subir no seu dirigivel, é algo que funciona super bem e dá um senso de progressão na aventura super legal, diferente do que é ir de uma planice pra um templo, e daí pra uma cidade (?). Ou ir de uma fábrica que vai te levar pra um lugar cheio de água e te jogar de novo pra mesma fábrica. E sim, eu to comparando com Sonic 1 pra mega pq, po, é tipo, um "porte", querendo ou não.
Ah, e outra coisa que me agrada MUITO, nesse jogo é a estrutura dele, no lugar de 3 longos atos, 2 atos e uma fase que é exclusivamente um boss, simples, sim, mas muito melhor que a estrutura do mega que tornava as zonas algo longo demais, por vezes. Inclusive, falando nos boss, eu gosto de alguns deles, desgosto de outros, como eu disse antes, o "boss" de Scrap Brain é terrível, mas o boss da Jungle Zone é super divertido, acho que o maior problema com eles é que dependendo da versão que você tá jogando, eles são fáceis demais, já que, como a tela do gamegear é menor, é possível se bater no robotinik fora dos momentos que o jogo quer que você acerte ele, fora que mudaram o boss da bridge zone pra algo que é literalmente segurar o direcional pra baixo, não é um grande problema, mas admito que incomodou um pouquinho quando joguei a versão de GG, sorte que isso não acontece no Master, pelo menos.
Enfim, apesar de uns incomodos com Scrap Brain, Bridge Zone Act 2 e Labyrinth Zone, eu não consigo pensar em nada que me faça desgostar desse jogo, e o resto dele é bastante positivo, as fases parecem ter um algo a mais, os elementos delas se misturam muito bem com os cenários das mesmas, a temática delas é super bacana, e como eu disse lá encima, eu amo a progressão nelas. E apesar de não ser um jogo necessariamente rápido por conta de limitações de hardware, ele contorna isso muito bem fazendo as fases serem mais curtas, assim fazendo parecer que você tá sendo rapidinho e não numa velocidade mais lenta, como era de se esperar por conta de limitações.
No final eu sinto que esse jogo era um pouco do que Sonic 1 de Mega era pra ser, uma boa apresentação pra mecânicas de personagem, com fases visualmente interessantes em um level design que mistura ser rápido com ter que ter fazer alguns movimentos mais precisos. Sinto que no final esse era o objetivo da Sega, e honestamente, eu queria muito mesmo que esse jogo, com essas fases tivesse ido pra um hardware melhor, porque eu consigo imaginar o quão legal seria esse jogo com cipós pra se balançar na jungle zone, com uma velocidade melhor embaixo d'água e com as animações incríveis que Sonic 1 tem. Como acho que deu pra notar, eu não acho ele um jogo perfeito, mas acho super competente e muito divertido na maior parte do que ele tenta fazer. Infelizmente, e um pequeno spoiler aqui, a sequência do jogo pega tudo de bom que tem aqui e joga fora.
De início, o downgrade que de ir pra um console com muito menos potencial se mostra, muito, mesmo, você já recebe um aviso de que você não vai ter loops ou momentos com umas animações fudidamente boas, mas eu, nem de longe, acho isso um problema, se eu pudesse trocar todos os loops, todos os momentos de entrar em "canos" no Sonic1G eu trocaria todos eles por um level design com muito mais personalidade como o que há nesse jogo aqui. Eu acho as fases desse jogo, geralmente tão, mas tão melhores que as fases de mega, tanto as novas, quanto as que são adaptações, acho que a única exceção pra isso é a Green Hill, que apesar de eu gostar aqui, acho a versão de mega melhor.
Aproveitando o gatilho de Green Hill, eu acho que a única coisa que ela peca é que ela parece muito, mas muito básica, não num sentido bom, você não sente muito aquela fase como algo espetacular, como sentia no Mega, e o segundo ato tem algo que me incomoda muito, que é aquela parte que você vai na caverninha, a física do Sonic dentro da água nesse jogo é muito, mas muito ruim, ele não parece só mais lento, ele parece ter uma calça jeans molhada e uma perna quebrada de tão lento que ele parece, é incomodo, te da uma agonia de "Eu quero ir mais rápido, eu quero ir mais rápido" e isso é algo que, infelizmente é muito sentido em algumas fases, não pelo jogador, mas pela forma como ela é concebida.
Por exemplo, Bridge Zone, o mesmo problema, amo o visual da fase, uma fase de ponte em Sonic é algo diferentinho e até que bem bacana, o desafio dos diversos pulos que você tem que fazer, e também as coisinhas que você tem que ir um pouco mais longe pra pegar, são coisas legais, principalmente na versão de Game Gear (E sim, eu vou falar das duas aqui, pq não tem conteúdo o suficiente pra separar), eu prefiro a forma da fase no GG, parece menos reta e um pouco mais diagonal, isso me agrada, de alguma forma faz parecer mais fluído e agradável, difícil de explicar o porque, só um feeling meu, mesmo. Mas eu tenho um problema MUITO grande com o ato 2 dessa zona, não é com o level design dela, mas sim com o fato deles terem decidido torna-la uma fase side-scroller em SONIC, apesar de ser uma fase curta (tem 1 minuto e pouco), é muito agoniante ficar naquilo de querer ir rápido mas ter o jogo te impedindo, então mesmo com o design bacana dela, isso incomoda bastante, apesar de que não estraga a fase, muito menos a zona num geral, eu ainda acho Bridge Zone super divertida e uma das melhores zonas no jogo, mas é algo que poderia ser bem melhor e que tira um pouco do jogo.
Bom, olhando pelo lado bom, a próxima é a jungle zone e deus, eu AMO essa fase, tudo nela encaixa tão bem, subir e descer pelas vinhas é visualmente super agradável, os saltos entre madeiras caindo de uma cachoeira, os lagos com piranhas, eu acho que se tivesse mais poder de hardware, eles até botariam partes onde você tem que se balançar, já que eu enxergo essa premissa em algumas plataformas voadoras que tem aqui. Enfim, o que mais me agrada nessa fase é que tudo parece se encaixar tão bem que torna ela super divertida de passar, seja indo o mais rápido possível, dando saltos exatos ou explorando um pouco essa selva pra achar uma esmeralda ou algo do tipo, é super legal. E a subida na cachoeira do ato 2 é super divertida, e desafiadora de uma forma agradável, também.
Agora Labyrinth Zone tem uma coisa bem interessante, ela é uma fase completamente diferente em cada versão dos jogos, ambas partilham das mesmas qualidades e dos mesmos problemas, estranhamente, apesar de eu gostar do design delas, achar o fator labirinto super bem explorado, eu tenho um problema tão grande com a velocidade dessa fase, porque como eu disse mais cedo, meu deus do céu, a velocidade do Sonic embaixo d'água é terrível, ele não parece mais lento de uma forma natural e como algo submerso pareceria, ele parece mais lerdo de uma forma tão desagradável, não natural e tão absurda que tira toda a graça que essas fases poderiam ter, elas são facilmente o que eu menos gosto em ambas as versões, porque passar por elas é tão irritante, é tão irritante esperar 10 segundos pra andar uma linha reta ou 3 pra dar um pulo, é tão desgostoso e absurdo esse slow que o Sonic recebe embaixo d'água que ele é capaz de tirar COMPLETAMENTE qualquer valência que essas fases poderiam ter.
E sobre Scrap brain. eu tenho surpreendentemente pouco a falar, eu gosto do que tem no segundo ato dela, acho o primeiro ato rápido até demais, mas o terceiro ato dela, a falta de um boss e um simples labirinto é algo tão ruim pra ela, falta muito senso de urgência nessa fase, tipo, qual o perigo dela? Você tá cheio de aneis, quase não tem inimigos, não tem um timer contra você, a corrida pra chegar no Robotnik não parece crível o bastante, parece simples demais pra algo que é está literalmente um level antes da fase final. Apesar de não gostar da fase no Mega ser um ato 4 de Labyrinth Zone, até aquilo consegue ser melhor que um labirinto que você pode passar em 20 segundos e tem um tempo total de 9 minutos pra descobrir o caminho, a simplicidade dele é tão desagradável, a falta de urgência da fase é um problema tão grande pra climatização do jogo, pelo menos o ato 2 salva bastante, já que apesar de algo que eu sequer consigo considerar puzzle, e sim só um caminho um pouco mais complicado, eu até que gosto daquilo, não é algo wooow, mas é bacana, também tem a exploraçãozinha a mais que você tem que fazer pela esmeralda e pela vida da fase que torna ela um tanto mais bacana também; mas no geral, ééééé, eu não gosto de Scrap Brain aqui.
Mas pelo menos, puta que pariu, eu amo Sky Base, o primeiro ato é incrível, a tempestade junto com as armadilhas que se comunicam com o cenário como se fossem trovoadas é algo tão incrível, e além de incrível super difícil, já que a fase é cheia de armadilhas, pulos que não são os mais fáceis de se fazer, mas ela consegue fazer isso numa medida muito boa, nunca parece injusto, nunca parece culpa do jogo, geralmente o que acontece aqui costuma ser culpa sua, e é uma culpa que talvez numa primeira vez jogando você vá sentir bastante, asdoashdasi, pelo menos se for ruim em plataformers, como eu sou. Mas se tem uma coisa que me agrada aqui é como ela parece muito uma fase final, o ultimo momento antes de se enfrentar o maior perigo, diferente de uma Labyrinth Zone Act 4 como é na versão de mega, aqui é uma subida super perigosa e cheia de armas (apesar de nenhum badnik) pra base do Robotinik que passa um clima bacana.
Ainda sobre as fases, eu amo como aqui elas parecem prosseguir de uma forma muito melhor que as fases de Mega, elas parecem se ligar e é super bacana isso, de uma planice você vai pra uma ponte que se liga com uma floresta, que no final vai te jogar pra uma ruina antiga até você finalmente chegar na fábrica do seu inimigo que no final vai te levar pra uma plataforma pra subir no seu dirigivel, é algo que funciona super bem e dá um senso de progressão na aventura super legal, diferente do que é ir de uma planice pra um templo, e daí pra uma cidade (?). Ou ir de uma fábrica que vai te levar pra um lugar cheio de água e te jogar de novo pra mesma fábrica. E sim, eu to comparando com Sonic 1 pra mega pq, po, é tipo, um "porte", querendo ou não.
Ah, e outra coisa que me agrada MUITO, nesse jogo é a estrutura dele, no lugar de 3 longos atos, 2 atos e uma fase que é exclusivamente um boss, simples, sim, mas muito melhor que a estrutura do mega que tornava as zonas algo longo demais, por vezes. Inclusive, falando nos boss, eu gosto de alguns deles, desgosto de outros, como eu disse antes, o "boss" de Scrap Brain é terrível, mas o boss da Jungle Zone é super divertido, acho que o maior problema com eles é que dependendo da versão que você tá jogando, eles são fáceis demais, já que, como a tela do gamegear é menor, é possível se bater no robotinik fora dos momentos que o jogo quer que você acerte ele, fora que mudaram o boss da bridge zone pra algo que é literalmente segurar o direcional pra baixo, não é um grande problema, mas admito que incomodou um pouquinho quando joguei a versão de GG, sorte que isso não acontece no Master, pelo menos.
Enfim, apesar de uns incomodos com Scrap Brain, Bridge Zone Act 2 e Labyrinth Zone, eu não consigo pensar em nada que me faça desgostar desse jogo, e o resto dele é bastante positivo, as fases parecem ter um algo a mais, os elementos delas se misturam muito bem com os cenários das mesmas, a temática delas é super bacana, e como eu disse lá encima, eu amo a progressão nelas. E apesar de não ser um jogo necessariamente rápido por conta de limitações de hardware, ele contorna isso muito bem fazendo as fases serem mais curtas, assim fazendo parecer que você tá sendo rapidinho e não numa velocidade mais lenta, como era de se esperar por conta de limitações.
No final eu sinto que esse jogo era um pouco do que Sonic 1 de Mega era pra ser, uma boa apresentação pra mecânicas de personagem, com fases visualmente interessantes em um level design que mistura ser rápido com ter que ter fazer alguns movimentos mais precisos. Sinto que no final esse era o objetivo da Sega, e honestamente, eu queria muito mesmo que esse jogo, com essas fases tivesse ido pra um hardware melhor, porque eu consigo imaginar o quão legal seria esse jogo com cipós pra se balançar na jungle zone, com uma velocidade melhor embaixo d'água e com as animações incríveis que Sonic 1 tem. Como acho que deu pra notar, eu não acho ele um jogo perfeito, mas acho super competente e muito divertido na maior parte do que ele tenta fazer. Infelizmente, e um pequeno spoiler aqui, a sequência do jogo pega tudo de bom que tem aqui e joga fora.
There's an unfathomable amount of adoration I have for Sonic's first 8-bit adventure that is sorely missed from pretty much every other journey that would be released on Master System and Game Gear.
It almost feels like Sonic's first canonical conflict with Dr. Eggman, what with Egghead's first genius tactic to deploy against the blue blur being to harmlessly fly overhead and seemingly taunt the rodent before eating shit and find himself covered in ash in what would be a reoccurring situation for years to come. It's a minor thing, but that's just my personal headcanon explanation for why the first boss fight is a tad underwhelming. It's actually even dumber in the Game Gear version, because you can hit him while he's flying around in that one. A strange difference to have Eggman miscalculate his flight trajectory by about one pixel.
Map screens!! Hot damn! I love you already! 16-bit Sonic 1 is already jealous of it's younger sibling's stellar scope of traveling from the lush habitats of Sonic and friends to Eggman's dystopia of endgame capitalism, tediously slow-moving water stages, and probably tons of OSHA violations. A most terrible person. Not even I would be mean enough to subject my worst enemies to sluggish labyrinths of water straight out of the septic system of my scientifically sound mean bean factory. "I promise you I would never do such a thing." I say as I hide the big red button at my computer desk that absolutely isn't connected with a trap door mechanism.
Slightly shoddy collision and some whack death zones in Jungle Zone Act 2 do little to sour my experience here. I find myself only getting comfy as I tag with my hedgehog buddy to take down the cackling vaguely walrus-looking opposition for the umpteenth time. How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man? You didn't even really use the chaos emeralds in this one! You just threw them around the island as if they were Dracula's body parts! What was the plan there Egg McMuffin? Bah.
The very first outing of Yuzo Koshiro's company Ancient! Quite a treat to find out that the master himself did the music! Bamboozling range to go from the cuteness of 8-bit Green Hill to Streets of Rage 3's craziness in only three years. If I ever get angry at the guy for some reason, they can rest easy knowing that they only need to start playing Bridge Zone to make me suddenly have rivers flowing from my eyes and be rendered completely helpless.
Genuinely good and underrated! My own nostalgia be damned!
It almost feels like Sonic's first canonical conflict with Dr. Eggman, what with Egghead's first genius tactic to deploy against the blue blur being to harmlessly fly overhead and seemingly taunt the rodent before eating shit and find himself covered in ash in what would be a reoccurring situation for years to come. It's a minor thing, but that's just my personal headcanon explanation for why the first boss fight is a tad underwhelming. It's actually even dumber in the Game Gear version, because you can hit him while he's flying around in that one. A strange difference to have Eggman miscalculate his flight trajectory by about one pixel.
Map screens!! Hot damn! I love you already! 16-bit Sonic 1 is already jealous of it's younger sibling's stellar scope of traveling from the lush habitats of Sonic and friends to Eggman's dystopia of endgame capitalism, tediously slow-moving water stages, and probably tons of OSHA violations. A most terrible person. Not even I would be mean enough to subject my worst enemies to sluggish labyrinths of water straight out of the septic system of my scientifically sound mean bean factory. "I promise you I would never do such a thing." I say as I hide the big red button at my computer desk that absolutely isn't connected with a trap door mechanism.
Slightly shoddy collision and some whack death zones in Jungle Zone Act 2 do little to sour my experience here. I find myself only getting comfy as I tag with my hedgehog buddy to take down the cackling vaguely walrus-looking opposition for the umpteenth time. How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man? You didn't even really use the chaos emeralds in this one! You just threw them around the island as if they were Dracula's body parts! What was the plan there Egg McMuffin? Bah.
The very first outing of Yuzo Koshiro's company Ancient! Quite a treat to find out that the master himself did the music! Bamboozling range to go from the cuteness of 8-bit Green Hill to Streets of Rage 3's craziness in only three years. If I ever get angry at the guy for some reason, they can rest easy knowing that they only need to start playing Bridge Zone to make me suddenly have rivers flowing from my eyes and be rendered completely helpless.
Genuinely good and underrated! My own nostalgia be damned!
Sonic 1 has a (undeserved) reputation as 'the rough first installment' and the Master System has a (deserved) reputation as 'pathetic'. You'd think the result of back-porting Sonic 1 to this thing would lead to a barely functional mess, but it's surprisingly good, both in respect to the platform's limitations/standards and as a standalone game.
Goes without saying, but the Master System's inability to replicate Blast Processing (tm) makes for a more platforming-centric experience. Level quality can be iffy but the ideas are short and learnable enough for it to come off as '8-bit-isms' rather than a manufactured crime. Charm is what really carries this game tho; I fucking adore the map you get of South Island before each level and the way it eventually transitions to the mountain peak for the final levels. I hear some complaints of the original levels for being 'bland' but I think they work for this game; makes the transition from world to world feel more organic and wholistic. It's also endlessly funny how this game just wholesale rips off Strider for the final zone, that shit made my day.
This isn't a standout title but it's arguably one of the few sincerely solid games to play on MS today. You could even argue it's better than the Genesis version if just on merit of being more consistent. Was very close to giving this a 7 but Labyrinth zone is just as bad here so nnnnnnnnnah
Goes without saying, but the Master System's inability to replicate Blast Processing (tm) makes for a more platforming-centric experience. Level quality can be iffy but the ideas are short and learnable enough for it to come off as '8-bit-isms' rather than a manufactured crime. Charm is what really carries this game tho; I fucking adore the map you get of South Island before each level and the way it eventually transitions to the mountain peak for the final levels. I hear some complaints of the original levels for being 'bland' but I think they work for this game; makes the transition from world to world feel more organic and wholistic. It's also endlessly funny how this game just wholesale rips off Strider for the final zone, that shit made my day.
This isn't a standout title but it's arguably one of the few sincerely solid games to play on MS today. You could even argue it's better than the Genesis version if just on merit of being more consistent. Was very close to giving this a 7 but Labyrinth zone is just as bad here so nnnnnnnnnah
Veredito: O irmão caçula do primeiro Sonic.
Se tu acha que ele é só uma versão piorada de Sonic 1 pro Mega Drive... pra ser sincero, você não tá errado, mas também não tá exatamente certo. O Mega Drive era um dos videogames mais potentes em 1991, e Sonic 1 tirou muito proveito disso. O Master System era BEM mais fraquinho e não tinha nenhuma condição de rodar um jogo daquele calibre.
A solução foi refazer tudo "do zero", um remake pra trás, e as limitações do console com certeza pesaram em cima. Mas se por um lado o jogo parece "Sonic 1 de camelô" (joga no YouTube e compara as duas versões, sério, é bizarro) por outro é fascinante como conseguiram traduzir pro Master System o espírito do original. Saltos enormes em rampas depois de sessões de velocidade, segredos que você acha vasculhando as fases, sessões de plataforma bem feitas... Tudo como você lembra, só que muito mais na humildade.
Até a dificuldade escrota e mal feita das últimas fases tá aqui, e já aviso logo que Labyrinth Zone ficou PIOR do que no Mega Drive. =P
Não é meu caso, mas tem gente que prefere Sonic 1 de Master System do que o original, e entendo perfeitamente. Embora tenham o mesmo nome e sigam a mesma receita, são jogos completamente diferentes. E vale a pena jogar os dois.
Se tu acha que ele é só uma versão piorada de Sonic 1 pro Mega Drive... pra ser sincero, você não tá errado, mas também não tá exatamente certo. O Mega Drive era um dos videogames mais potentes em 1991, e Sonic 1 tirou muito proveito disso. O Master System era BEM mais fraquinho e não tinha nenhuma condição de rodar um jogo daquele calibre.
A solução foi refazer tudo "do zero", um remake pra trás, e as limitações do console com certeza pesaram em cima. Mas se por um lado o jogo parece "Sonic 1 de camelô" (joga no YouTube e compara as duas versões, sério, é bizarro) por outro é fascinante como conseguiram traduzir pro Master System o espírito do original. Saltos enormes em rampas depois de sessões de velocidade, segredos que você acha vasculhando as fases, sessões de plataforma bem feitas... Tudo como você lembra, só que muito mais na humildade.
Até a dificuldade escrota e mal feita das últimas fases tá aqui, e já aviso logo que Labyrinth Zone ficou PIOR do que no Mega Drive. =P
Não é meu caso, mas tem gente que prefere Sonic 1 de Master System do que o original, e entendo perfeitamente. Embora tenham o mesmo nome e sigam a mesma receita, são jogos completamente diferentes. E vale a pena jogar os dois.
Maybe I’d listen to the entirety of Donda if the Scrap Brain theme was part of it. Also when the credits were playing I thought the Flintstones theme was gonna play.
As we move toward a world where our console games get ported even to our smartphones, the art of capturing the essence of a home-console game on a handheld is becoming a lost art. Sonic the Hedgehog has some history with this topic, but it all begins with a game that takes the wheels of familiarity off, setting the stage for how future handheld Sonic games approach connections with their older siblings.
I think I need to stop playing Sonic games because as someone who likes this more than the original Sonic the Hedgehog and whose favorite Sonic game is Sonic R, I keep having bad opinions.
Sonic 1 on the Game Gear is a nice start to what would be a mixed bag of games on the system. It's got some nice fun zones like Jungle zone but it does sadly falter in some areas.
One interesting thing about the game for me is that the platforming feels like a different take on the series, like because it was so early on it felt like Ancient didn't fully know what made Sonic level design the way it is. Like there is even a auto scrolling level that doesn't involve the tornado, I don't think that concept was ever done again until Lost World on Wii U.
One thing to give credit to this version is they did compensate for the smaller screen by giving Sonic a smaller sprite, adding warning signs in the first zone and even different bosses from the SMS version. Though speaking of bosses they are pretty poorly designed especially the first two. The only boss I actually die on is the one in Jungle zone and that's just because I suck.
Chaos emeralds having to be found in stages is also a good idea but sadly I feel like they aren't well placed, one's even in the open in Labyrinth zone. You don't even really get much of an ending for getting them all either. At least you get more points for getting them all. There are still special stages but they basically are just there to help you get more lives or even get continues.
One last thing I was to mention because I doubt most people know about it is 1-up monitors. While they do exactly what they did in the Mega Drive game, there is actually one in every single level. If you happen to get every single one, a 1-up monitor will actually show up before you fight the final boss and I think that's really neat.
Overall, its a good game with flaws of it being so early in the series but it still is very enjoyable and it's definitely one of the better games on this handheld. Play it if you ever get the chance!
One interesting thing about the game for me is that the platforming feels like a different take on the series, like because it was so early on it felt like Ancient didn't fully know what made Sonic level design the way it is. Like there is even a auto scrolling level that doesn't involve the tornado, I don't think that concept was ever done again until Lost World on Wii U.
One thing to give credit to this version is they did compensate for the smaller screen by giving Sonic a smaller sprite, adding warning signs in the first zone and even different bosses from the SMS version. Though speaking of bosses they are pretty poorly designed especially the first two. The only boss I actually die on is the one in Jungle zone and that's just because I suck.
Chaos emeralds having to be found in stages is also a good idea but sadly I feel like they aren't well placed, one's even in the open in Labyrinth zone. You don't even really get much of an ending for getting them all either. At least you get more points for getting them all. There are still special stages but they basically are just there to help you get more lives or even get continues.
One last thing I was to mention because I doubt most people know about it is 1-up monitors. While they do exactly what they did in the Mega Drive game, there is actually one in every single level. If you happen to get every single one, a 1-up monitor will actually show up before you fight the final boss and I think that's really neat.
Overall, its a good game with flaws of it being so early in the series but it still is very enjoyable and it's definitely one of the better games on this handheld. Play it if you ever get the chance!
I didn't know this existed till recently it was decent.
Sonic doesn’t actually feel that bad to control despite the obvious downgrade from the regular version.
Feels even more Mario-y than the original in design but most levels actually work around the limitations. Doesn’t stop there from being some really cheap shit in the boss fights and some of the levels.
Feels even more Mario-y than the original in design but most levels actually work around the limitations. Doesn’t stop there from being some really cheap shit in the boss fights and some of the levels.
A respectable simplification. Because of the Master System's limitations, the focus here is on much more simple platforming challenges, as in a Mario game. In fact, the whole thing very much reminds me of SUPER MARIO LAND and how that game related to its big brother. Judging it by that framework, it's competent but not particularly impressive. The controls and physics are good enough (and familiar enough, to players of the Genesis version) that you can pull off some daring jumps, but the level design isn't all that exciting. In fact, it ranges from run-of-the-mill to bad, with autoscrollers (which feel verboten in a Sonic game), janky vertical levels (where you can't fall back down past the screen at all or you instantly die) and, yes, Labyrinth Zone (you would have thought most of the levels being original to this game would have meant they could leave it out!! But no, here it is!! And it's even worse!!) The signature speed does show up from time to time, but mostly you'll be plodding along at a plumber's pace, carefully jumping and dealing with one enemy at at time.
Probably the most impressive thing about this is how much of Sonic's charm they were able to capture in this format. It can't live up to the big boys but they gave it a good shot.
Probably the most impressive thing about this is how much of Sonic's charm they were able to capture in this format. It can't live up to the big boys but they gave it a good shot.
Easy on the eyes and with some pretty decent controls. Unfortunately the level design is inconsistent and often feels like it was not play-tested properly. One part of the game I believe requires you to make use of the fact that knockback will always send Sonic in the opposite direction of where he is facing, rather than from where the attack is coming from, to progress. The only other time I've seen this was in Castlevania: The Adventure, so yeah, that's not good.
Sonic 1 8-Bit is far from perfect (in fact it has a lot of problems), but it's a game that shaped me into who I am, and without it I'm not sure I'd be gaming today. Removing nostalgia from the picture though, the vibrant levels and the cool music will always be a diamond in the rough as it's hard to give it top marks when frustrating design and horrendous lag get in the way of enjoyability and accessibility in the modern day.
Although it's taken me this long to get through the game proper due to its brutal levels, Sonic 1 8-Bit holds the distinction of being the subject of my oldest ever memory. The fuzzy imagery of sitting in a dark room as a small child playing Sonic 1 with my dad by my side will always be special and perhaps cloud my judgement a little bit, but I'll continue to hold this game dear, even if I think it's aged worse than I would've liked.
Here's to 2023, I couldn't possibly think of a more fitting game to start it with.
Although it's taken me this long to get through the game proper due to its brutal levels, Sonic 1 8-Bit holds the distinction of being the subject of my oldest ever memory. The fuzzy imagery of sitting in a dark room as a small child playing Sonic 1 with my dad by my side will always be special and perhaps cloud my judgement a little bit, but I'll continue to hold this game dear, even if I think it's aged worse than I would've liked.
Here's to 2023, I couldn't possibly think of a more fitting game to start it with.
The physics are odd if you're used to the MegaDrive games but the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog is surprisingly good. The more platforming focused levels made for the weaker hardware are surprisingly fun and the game while more challenging than it's 16-bit counterpart has a mostly steady difficulty curve. That said the water physics in Labyrinth Zone feel pretty bad and really hurt the game for a few levels, and putting an autoscroller in a Sonic game for Bridge Zone Act 2 was a crime. The 8-bit soundtrack is fun and bouncy.
Ugh…
Where do I even begin?
The first thing you see in Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear is the extremely downgraded art. I know this is an 8-bit game, but everything just looks lifeless. Then, there’s the music. The OST for this game is just chiptune and while it is decent, but it does feel a bit empty. Now, I think it’s about time I talk about the gameplay.
Sonic’s movements feel extremely slippery and he jumps way too high. The former point will become very important later. Also, when you get damaged, all of your rings come out as just one single ring. To make matters worse, you can’t even recollect that ring. I guess the game just really wants you to die. One more thing to note is that the game is extremely laggy. Jumping will make the game lag, moving will make the game lag, doing nearly anything will make the game lag and I hate it. Now, it’s time to talk about Green Hill Zone.
The Master System and Game Gear Green Hill Zone is largely the same as its Genesis counterpart up until Act 2. In Act 2, we are introduced to the most hated thing in the Sonic franchise, which is water. As if the Genesis games’ water didn’t slow down the gameplay enough, the Master System and Game Gear games’ water slows it down even more. It feels like trying to swim through mud or quicksand. I’m not joking. It really is that bad. Luckily, the water section doesn’t last that long. However, the worst is yet to come.
I need to make an entire section for Green Hill Zone Act 3 just because of how bad it is. To start the act off, you have some extremely boring platforming to do. Due to Sonic’s movements being very slippery, this is not as easy as it should be. Then, you have the boss. Holy fucking shit. It’s so easy that it makes the Genesis Green Hill Zone boss look like it’s from a Dark Souls game. I hate it so much. However, the worst is still yet to come.
Bridge Zone might actually be the most painful part of a video game I have ever played. Act 1 introduces us to the Hell of Sonic games and it’s not a good first impression. First of all, there are these stupid platforming segments that you can easily fail due to Sonic’s slippery movements. Second of all, there is this part where you have to jump onto small moving platforms off of a curved wooden bridge that is extremely hard because there’s a high chance that going on the curved wooden bridge will make Sonic roll off of them and into the void. Third of all, when on the aforementioned curved wooden bridge, it is extremely hard to jump onto the aforementioned small moving platforms due to it being extremely hard to go up the slope that is on the end of the bridge, which is the specific area you need to jump onto the platforms from. By the way, you have to do the exact same thing again but with something that will launch you quite high instead of the small moving platforms. Fourth and last of all, at the end of these stupidly hard segments, you can easily be pushed into the void by a spring, making you restart the entire act. Unfortunately, this is only Act 1.
Bridge Zone Act 2 is an autoscroller. That should immediately be a red flag, but if it isn’t, the rest of the act will be. Once again, there’s stupid platforming segments and parts where you have to jump onto something from the slope on the end of a curved wooden bridge. Also, there are points in this act where the lag really gets dialed up. Sadly, we still have one act left to go.
Bridge Zone Act 3 is just another garbage and easy boss battle. It’s very repetitive and trying to land on the edges of the platforms just makes you fall into the void. I don’t want to talk about it any longer because there’s really nothing to talk about other than those two points. Now, it’s time to talk about Jungle Zone.
Jungle Zone Act 1 isn’t that bad. However, there are some weak points. For example, there is a part where you must slide down what appears to be a plant and get onto a platform. However, unless you already know that it’s going to happen via watching playthroughs of the game, you will 100% hit a row of spikes that is placed quite close to where the plant ends. Other than that and some weird segments involving water, though, Jungle Zone Act 1 is fine.
Jungle Zone Act 2 is slightly worse than Act 1, but it’s still miles better than the acts of the previous two zones. There is a lot of platforming in this act and it’s not terrible. However, there is one major flaw. When you fall off of a platform, instead of just falling until you land on a lower platform, you die the second you touch the bottom of your screen. That’s no good. Other than that, however, Jungle Zone Act 2 is also fine. However, Act 3 definitely isn’t, so let’s talk about it now.
Jungle Zone Act 3 might be my least favourite boss battle so far. Just like the previous act, you still die the second you touch the bottom of your screen. Both that and the fact that hitstun is basically nonexistent make this absolutely terrible to play. It took me around 10 tries to beat this stupid fucking boss. Now, it’s Labyrinth Zone time.
The Genesis Labyrinth Zone is already one of the most hated zones in all of Sonic and it deserves that title due to its unavoidable/unforeseeable enemies, extremely slowed down gameplay due to the water and and more. Now, what if I told you that the Master System and Game Gear Labyrinth Zone is even worse? Well, that’s exactly what’s about to happen. Labyrinth Zone Act 1 reintroduces us to water, which slows down the gameplay even more than the Genesis games’ water. After doing some boring platforming, you arrive at one of, if not the most badly placed enemy in all of Sonic. Basically, you have to get over an Unidasu, but on the ceiling, there are spikes. You have to wait for the Unidasu to throw all of its spiked balls at you before killing it, which takes an unimaginably long time to do. A big problem with this zone is that you have no idea when you’re going to start drowning due to there being no sound effect to tell you so. This issue can easily kill you. Anyway, after a not so difficult platforming segment, the act finishes.
Labyrinth Zone Act 2 is just Act 1 but slightly better. Most of the points I made about the previous act apply to this one as well. I don’t have anything else to say about it. Now, it’s time for a boss battle.
Labyrinth Zone Act 3 is probably my favourite boss battle. It’s not too hard, but not too easy as well. It’s not great, but it’s not bad like the last few boss battles. Time for Scrap Brain Zone.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 1 is honestly my favourite act in this entire game. Nothing about it is actually bad. Other than the gameplay getting a bit boring and repetitive, this act is pretty good. However, I cannot say the same for Act 2.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 2 contains a stupid maze that is only hard because every route looks the exact same and you don’t know where you’re going. However, that’s not even the worst part of this act.
Now, I’m going to be perfectly honest with you all. I nearly couldn’t finish Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear. Do you wanna know why? Because of one stupid fucking segment in Scrap Brain Zone Act 2. Basically, you have two doors. The first door leads to a room with conveyor belts while the second door leads to the first door. You also have a button. This button will open one door and close the other. Your objective is to get into the conveyor belt room. However, this segment is virtually impossible. No matter how quick you are, you will always end up stuck behind one of the two doors. I was about to give up until I watched a playthrough of this game and saw that you have to do a lot of backtracking after pressing the button to make the first door open and the second door close, and when I say that you have to do a lot of backtracking, I mean it. You must go all the way back to the bad maze I talked about earlier and go down a different route than the one that led you to the two doors and the button. Eventually, you will be teleported in front of the conveyor belt room with the closed second door behind you. After some boring platforming, the act finally finishes.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 3 doesn’t have a boss battle, but another maze. That’s basically it. Sky Base Zone time.
Sky Base Zone is probably my favourite zone in this entire game. Its main flaw is that it’s kinda boring. I do like the boss battle, but it is a bit too easy.
Before I end this review, I would like to touch on a few minor details. First of all, instead of collecting the Chaos Emeralds by completing the Special Stages, you can find them throughout the zones. I hate that one of the Chaos Emeralds is hidden inside of a spike in Labyrinth Zone. You basically have to kill yourself to get it. Second of all, the ending might be the most underwhelming and anticlimactic ending I have ever seen in my entire life. Third and last of all, I would just like to talk about the music for a second. While it is just chiptune, the OST is enjoyable. I recommend that you listen to it if you like chiptune music.
Well, that’s my review of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear. It’s definitely not a good game in the slightest. It deserves nothing more than 1.5 stars. Thank you for reading this review and I’ll see you when I review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Master System and Game Gear.
Where do I even begin?
The first thing you see in Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear is the extremely downgraded art. I know this is an 8-bit game, but everything just looks lifeless. Then, there’s the music. The OST for this game is just chiptune and while it is decent, but it does feel a bit empty. Now, I think it’s about time I talk about the gameplay.
Sonic’s movements feel extremely slippery and he jumps way too high. The former point will become very important later. Also, when you get damaged, all of your rings come out as just one single ring. To make matters worse, you can’t even recollect that ring. I guess the game just really wants you to die. One more thing to note is that the game is extremely laggy. Jumping will make the game lag, moving will make the game lag, doing nearly anything will make the game lag and I hate it. Now, it’s time to talk about Green Hill Zone.
The Master System and Game Gear Green Hill Zone is largely the same as its Genesis counterpart up until Act 2. In Act 2, we are introduced to the most hated thing in the Sonic franchise, which is water. As if the Genesis games’ water didn’t slow down the gameplay enough, the Master System and Game Gear games’ water slows it down even more. It feels like trying to swim through mud or quicksand. I’m not joking. It really is that bad. Luckily, the water section doesn’t last that long. However, the worst is yet to come.
I need to make an entire section for Green Hill Zone Act 3 just because of how bad it is. To start the act off, you have some extremely boring platforming to do. Due to Sonic’s movements being very slippery, this is not as easy as it should be. Then, you have the boss. Holy fucking shit. It’s so easy that it makes the Genesis Green Hill Zone boss look like it’s from a Dark Souls game. I hate it so much. However, the worst is still yet to come.
Bridge Zone might actually be the most painful part of a video game I have ever played. Act 1 introduces us to the Hell of Sonic games and it’s not a good first impression. First of all, there are these stupid platforming segments that you can easily fail due to Sonic’s slippery movements. Second of all, there is this part where you have to jump onto small moving platforms off of a curved wooden bridge that is extremely hard because there’s a high chance that going on the curved wooden bridge will make Sonic roll off of them and into the void. Third of all, when on the aforementioned curved wooden bridge, it is extremely hard to jump onto the aforementioned small moving platforms due to it being extremely hard to go up the slope that is on the end of the bridge, which is the specific area you need to jump onto the platforms from. By the way, you have to do the exact same thing again but with something that will launch you quite high instead of the small moving platforms. Fourth and last of all, at the end of these stupidly hard segments, you can easily be pushed into the void by a spring, making you restart the entire act. Unfortunately, this is only Act 1.
Bridge Zone Act 2 is an autoscroller. That should immediately be a red flag, but if it isn’t, the rest of the act will be. Once again, there’s stupid platforming segments and parts where you have to jump onto something from the slope on the end of a curved wooden bridge. Also, there are points in this act where the lag really gets dialed up. Sadly, we still have one act left to go.
Bridge Zone Act 3 is just another garbage and easy boss battle. It’s very repetitive and trying to land on the edges of the platforms just makes you fall into the void. I don’t want to talk about it any longer because there’s really nothing to talk about other than those two points. Now, it’s time to talk about Jungle Zone.
Jungle Zone Act 1 isn’t that bad. However, there are some weak points. For example, there is a part where you must slide down what appears to be a plant and get onto a platform. However, unless you already know that it’s going to happen via watching playthroughs of the game, you will 100% hit a row of spikes that is placed quite close to where the plant ends. Other than that and some weird segments involving water, though, Jungle Zone Act 1 is fine.
Jungle Zone Act 2 is slightly worse than Act 1, but it’s still miles better than the acts of the previous two zones. There is a lot of platforming in this act and it’s not terrible. However, there is one major flaw. When you fall off of a platform, instead of just falling until you land on a lower platform, you die the second you touch the bottom of your screen. That’s no good. Other than that, however, Jungle Zone Act 2 is also fine. However, Act 3 definitely isn’t, so let’s talk about it now.
Jungle Zone Act 3 might be my least favourite boss battle so far. Just like the previous act, you still die the second you touch the bottom of your screen. Both that and the fact that hitstun is basically nonexistent make this absolutely terrible to play. It took me around 10 tries to beat this stupid fucking boss. Now, it’s Labyrinth Zone time.
The Genesis Labyrinth Zone is already one of the most hated zones in all of Sonic and it deserves that title due to its unavoidable/unforeseeable enemies, extremely slowed down gameplay due to the water and and more. Now, what if I told you that the Master System and Game Gear Labyrinth Zone is even worse? Well, that’s exactly what’s about to happen. Labyrinth Zone Act 1 reintroduces us to water, which slows down the gameplay even more than the Genesis games’ water. After doing some boring platforming, you arrive at one of, if not the most badly placed enemy in all of Sonic. Basically, you have to get over an Unidasu, but on the ceiling, there are spikes. You have to wait for the Unidasu to throw all of its spiked balls at you before killing it, which takes an unimaginably long time to do. A big problem with this zone is that you have no idea when you’re going to start drowning due to there being no sound effect to tell you so. This issue can easily kill you. Anyway, after a not so difficult platforming segment, the act finishes.
Labyrinth Zone Act 2 is just Act 1 but slightly better. Most of the points I made about the previous act apply to this one as well. I don’t have anything else to say about it. Now, it’s time for a boss battle.
Labyrinth Zone Act 3 is probably my favourite boss battle. It’s not too hard, but not too easy as well. It’s not great, but it’s not bad like the last few boss battles. Time for Scrap Brain Zone.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 1 is honestly my favourite act in this entire game. Nothing about it is actually bad. Other than the gameplay getting a bit boring and repetitive, this act is pretty good. However, I cannot say the same for Act 2.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 2 contains a stupid maze that is only hard because every route looks the exact same and you don’t know where you’re going. However, that’s not even the worst part of this act.
Now, I’m going to be perfectly honest with you all. I nearly couldn’t finish Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear. Do you wanna know why? Because of one stupid fucking segment in Scrap Brain Zone Act 2. Basically, you have two doors. The first door leads to a room with conveyor belts while the second door leads to the first door. You also have a button. This button will open one door and close the other. Your objective is to get into the conveyor belt room. However, this segment is virtually impossible. No matter how quick you are, you will always end up stuck behind one of the two doors. I was about to give up until I watched a playthrough of this game and saw that you have to do a lot of backtracking after pressing the button to make the first door open and the second door close, and when I say that you have to do a lot of backtracking, I mean it. You must go all the way back to the bad maze I talked about earlier and go down a different route than the one that led you to the two doors and the button. Eventually, you will be teleported in front of the conveyor belt room with the closed second door behind you. After some boring platforming, the act finally finishes.
Scrap Brain Zone Act 3 doesn’t have a boss battle, but another maze. That’s basically it. Sky Base Zone time.
Sky Base Zone is probably my favourite zone in this entire game. Its main flaw is that it’s kinda boring. I do like the boss battle, but it is a bit too easy.
Before I end this review, I would like to touch on a few minor details. First of all, instead of collecting the Chaos Emeralds by completing the Special Stages, you can find them throughout the zones. I hate that one of the Chaos Emeralds is hidden inside of a spike in Labyrinth Zone. You basically have to kill yourself to get it. Second of all, the ending might be the most underwhelming and anticlimactic ending I have ever seen in my entire life. Third and last of all, I would just like to talk about the music for a second. While it is just chiptune, the OST is enjoyable. I recommend that you listen to it if you like chiptune music.
Well, that’s my review of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System and Game Gear. It’s definitely not a good game in the slightest. It deserves nothing more than 1.5 stars. Thank you for reading this review and I’ll see you when I review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Master System and Game Gear.
the better Sonic 1