As a kid, Sonic Triple Trouble occupied a special place for me. It wasn't the first Sonic game I played, but it was the first one I owned. Hell, it was really THE reason to own a Game Gear, which is how I ended up with that battery-eating monster. Triple Trouble is still a really solid entry in the series, despite the screen-size limitations of the platform it released on, so naturally I was a little curious to try out this fan-designed remake. At the same time, I've never been one hugely into the Sonic fangame scene, typically because I think many of them (even the quality ones) often miss the mark of what made the original Genesis games so good.
So how does this 16-bit love letter to Sonic Triple Trouble hold up then? Remarkably well, actually, to the point where I'd call it a must-play for any Sonic fan. It's that good.
Restraint is the name of the game here, and I think Triple Trouble 16-Bit achieves that in spades. It adds on to the original where necessary and resists the urge to go overboard in places like gimmicks or cutscenes, sticking to things that both pay homage to the Genesis titles while also keeping in line with the wackier stuff the Game Gear titles were known for. What it does add feels natural in context, like the Egg Zeppelin zone, while story new beats not only add a natural transition between levels that put Sonic Mania to shame, but also clears up some oddities with the original game (such as giving a much better explanation as to why Knuckles opposes you here than simply "Eggman tricked him again I guess").
But I think the point where I fell in love with Triple Trouble 16-Bit was Sunset Park Act 3. It's a boss fight more notable for its killer background music than what you actually do gameplay-wise, but it's clear they understood how memorable this was to players. So what do they do with it? Well, they've given the section an entire makeover with an incredible setpiece design that was both fun and exciting and really cemented this game's status as something that eclipses the original. It took what I remember feeling when playing the level, and translated it into something that actually does it.
It's not a perfect package, however, and if I would have to pin some criticism on it, there are two primary areas I'd point to. One would be boss fights, which tend to fall on the easier side. While some have received changes, for the part they stick to what was in the original Triple Trouble, but given the facelift given to its levels, I feel more could have been done to boss attack patterns to make them a little more challenging and a little less simplistic. The soundtrack as well comes up a bit short, with music being neither as catchy as the original's, or as accurate to what the Genesis Sonic music sounds like. I won't hold this against them too much, as even SEGA themselves struggle mightily when it comes to replicating Genesis music, but outside a couple of tracks, this isn't something I'd go and listen to on its own.
There's not too much to complain about beyond that, though. Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit is the real deal, and like I said before, if you're a Sonic fan you owe it to yourself to check this out. It's a game that even exceeds Sonic Mania in many respects, so if that doesn't get pique your interest, I don't know what will.
So how does this 16-bit love letter to Sonic Triple Trouble hold up then? Remarkably well, actually, to the point where I'd call it a must-play for any Sonic fan. It's that good.
Restraint is the name of the game here, and I think Triple Trouble 16-Bit achieves that in spades. It adds on to the original where necessary and resists the urge to go overboard in places like gimmicks or cutscenes, sticking to things that both pay homage to the Genesis titles while also keeping in line with the wackier stuff the Game Gear titles were known for. What it does add feels natural in context, like the Egg Zeppelin zone, while story new beats not only add a natural transition between levels that put Sonic Mania to shame, but also clears up some oddities with the original game (such as giving a much better explanation as to why Knuckles opposes you here than simply "Eggman tricked him again I guess").
But I think the point where I fell in love with Triple Trouble 16-Bit was Sunset Park Act 3. It's a boss fight more notable for its killer background music than what you actually do gameplay-wise, but it's clear they understood how memorable this was to players. So what do they do with it? Well, they've given the section an entire makeover with an incredible setpiece design that was both fun and exciting and really cemented this game's status as something that eclipses the original. It took what I remember feeling when playing the level, and translated it into something that actually does it.
It's not a perfect package, however, and if I would have to pin some criticism on it, there are two primary areas I'd point to. One would be boss fights, which tend to fall on the easier side. While some have received changes, for the part they stick to what was in the original Triple Trouble, but given the facelift given to its levels, I feel more could have been done to boss attack patterns to make them a little more challenging and a little less simplistic. The soundtrack as well comes up a bit short, with music being neither as catchy as the original's, or as accurate to what the Genesis Sonic music sounds like. I won't hold this against them too much, as even SEGA themselves struggle mightily when it comes to replicating Genesis music, but outside a couple of tracks, this isn't something I'd go and listen to on its own.
There's not too much to complain about beyond that, though. Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit is the real deal, and like I said before, if you're a Sonic fan you owe it to yourself to check this out. It's a game that even exceeds Sonic Mania in many respects, so if that doesn't get pique your interest, I don't know what will.
Reviewed on Sep 08, 2022