We live in a world where a platformer is being criticized for being a platformer, simply because the playable character is capable of going fast, which for whatever reason makes everyone believe that they have to go fast every single second.
This is an action arcade game, meaning your goal here is to obtain as many points as possible. The ways you can get points is by (sorry for wasting space talking about the game mechanics which you already understand but I feel a revision is needed based on the criticism this game receives):
Destroying Badniks (100 points)
Collecting Power Rings (100 bonus points after clearing the stage)
Clear a stage as fast as possible (Time bonus)
Depending on whether you get hit during an Act will determine whether you can enter the Special Stage, which is another opportunity next net more points. Although, you could argue the first flaw veers its head when you realise "winning" a special stage doesn't earn you a higher score than if you "failed". I can only assume this means Special Stages are purely treated as a Bonus Stage to see how much higher of a score you can obtain (this would explain the RNG based design of the special stages).
It'll be unengaging using the same strategy of getting a high score in every stage, so every stage is designed with a different challenge in mind and this seems to be the biggest contention everyone has with this game.
It's commonly said the level design nose-dives after GHZ, which is utter nonsense as it's just the game giving different challenges that cater to the game design/philosophy:
Before the listing I'd like to explain the key aspects in Sonic 1's level design - Open levels and Linear levels
Open - Multiple paths are abundant and the challenge here is to find ways to skip the stage, typically use ramps and inclines
Linear - Not necessarily restricted to a single path but the challenge focuses more on traditional platforming. They're typically host to a midwit's least favourite stage.
Green Hill (Easy Open Level) was designed to be skipped, all of its Acts can be beaten in under a minute and you'll be rewarded 10000 - 50000 points for doing so. (makes sense since the birth of Sonic was from how Naka was bad at Mario and playing the first stage over and over does get grating so you're directly rewarded for speedrunning it)
Marble (Easy Linear Level) is designed around tension, there'll be an abundance of rings and hidden monitors until you reach the underground platforming sections where the threat of losing those rings become ever present. It's a more traditional stage but because it takes full advantage of the Ring mechanic, it makes for so much more of an engaging experience compared to if Sonic was more like every other Mario clone of the time.
Spring Yard (Intermediate Open Level) is designed around Sonic's ball physics even more so than Green Hill to the point it's pinball inspired. The Stage is skippable but it could also be worth farming points in the pinball areas of the zone as colliding with bumpers nets you more points.
Labyrinth (Intermediate Linear Level) is designed around balancing ring collection and a death count, Risk - Reward at its finest. You could rush to escape the water as quickly as possible to avoid drowning but you'll be missing out on all the extra rings.
Star Light (Hard Open Level) is designed to where rolling is directly rewarded but at the same time will punish players for not being able to maintain their control of Sonic.
Scrap Brain (Hard Linear Level) is just ball-busting, it easily the most punishing and hardest to retain rings in. Yet is the only platforming focused level that uses Sonic's rolling mechanics.
If the breakdown/analysis of these levels didn't make it clear, Sonic 1 doesn't actually suffer from first game syndrome at all, In fact it's actually really well thought through. The fact that they changed the level order for the sake of a more healthy difficulty curve at the sacrifice of its themes should be evident of that.
The game makes full use of all of its mechanics here to create its own unique arcade platformer experience that even within its own sequels fail to replicate or be as engaging.
It really is a shame this game is so under-appreciated, even by its own fans..
This is an action arcade game, meaning your goal here is to obtain as many points as possible. The ways you can get points is by (sorry for wasting space talking about the game mechanics which you already understand but I feel a revision is needed based on the criticism this game receives):
Destroying Badniks (100 points)
Collecting Power Rings (100 bonus points after clearing the stage)
Clear a stage as fast as possible (Time bonus)
Depending on whether you get hit during an Act will determine whether you can enter the Special Stage, which is another opportunity next net more points. Although, you could argue the first flaw veers its head when you realise "winning" a special stage doesn't earn you a higher score than if you "failed". I can only assume this means Special Stages are purely treated as a Bonus Stage to see how much higher of a score you can obtain (this would explain the RNG based design of the special stages).
It'll be unengaging using the same strategy of getting a high score in every stage, so every stage is designed with a different challenge in mind and this seems to be the biggest contention everyone has with this game.
It's commonly said the level design nose-dives after GHZ, which is utter nonsense as it's just the game giving different challenges that cater to the game design/philosophy:
Before the listing I'd like to explain the key aspects in Sonic 1's level design - Open levels and Linear levels
Open - Multiple paths are abundant and the challenge here is to find ways to skip the stage, typically use ramps and inclines
Linear - Not necessarily restricted to a single path but the challenge focuses more on traditional platforming. They're typically host to a midwit's least favourite stage.
Green Hill (Easy Open Level) was designed to be skipped, all of its Acts can be beaten in under a minute and you'll be rewarded 10000 - 50000 points for doing so. (makes sense since the birth of Sonic was from how Naka was bad at Mario and playing the first stage over and over does get grating so you're directly rewarded for speedrunning it)
Marble (Easy Linear Level) is designed around tension, there'll be an abundance of rings and hidden monitors until you reach the underground platforming sections where the threat of losing those rings become ever present. It's a more traditional stage but because it takes full advantage of the Ring mechanic, it makes for so much more of an engaging experience compared to if Sonic was more like every other Mario clone of the time.
Spring Yard (Intermediate Open Level) is designed around Sonic's ball physics even more so than Green Hill to the point it's pinball inspired. The Stage is skippable but it could also be worth farming points in the pinball areas of the zone as colliding with bumpers nets you more points.
Labyrinth (Intermediate Linear Level) is designed around balancing ring collection and a death count, Risk - Reward at its finest. You could rush to escape the water as quickly as possible to avoid drowning but you'll be missing out on all the extra rings.
Star Light (Hard Open Level) is designed to where rolling is directly rewarded but at the same time will punish players for not being able to maintain their control of Sonic.
Scrap Brain (Hard Linear Level) is just ball-busting, it easily the most punishing and hardest to retain rings in. Yet is the only platforming focused level that uses Sonic's rolling mechanics.
If the breakdown/analysis of these levels didn't make it clear, Sonic 1 doesn't actually suffer from first game syndrome at all, In fact it's actually really well thought through. The fact that they changed the level order for the sake of a more healthy difficulty curve at the sacrifice of its themes should be evident of that.
The game makes full use of all of its mechanics here to create its own unique arcade platformer experience that even within its own sequels fail to replicate or be as engaging.
It really is a shame this game is so under-appreciated, even by its own fans..
_Ryu
2 years ago