I literally can’t believe I wasted 3 hours of my worthless life completing Sonic R. And I both hated and loved every single moment of it. I’ll try to explain why this game has become a guilty pleasure for myself and many others:

Soundtrack
Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way: Sonic R’s soundtrack is the most over-the-top, dramatic romance album I’ve ever listened to in a video game, let alone a racing game. It’s hilariously out of place, and it has absolutely no right to pop off this hard; but dear god the music is phenomenal.
Richard Jacques reprises his role as the sound composer after 3D Blast Saturn, and his wildly imaginative compositions are backed up by the passionate, soulful vocals provided by TJ Davis. The end result was some incredibly raw vocal tracks that rival the likes of My Hope Will Never Die, like the main theme, Super Sonic Racing, as well as Living in the City, Diamond in the Sky, Number One, and the now infamous Can You Feel the Sunshine.
The lyrics in these songs barely fit the motif of the stages at all, Can You Feel the Sunshine in particular having zero association with a fucking Resort Island, but that won’t stop you from bopping your head off to them anyways. Arguably the best thing to come out of this game, and this is a universally-agreed fact.

Graphics
Honestly, for a game originally on the Saturn, Sonic R looks stunning. The character models are well animated and the environments have their own unique appeal to them. Radiant Emerald on the Saturn in particular has a shimmering, dazzling track that is translucent and fascinating to look at, which is a shame considering that was removed from later versions of the game. The PC ports do end up adding different weather effects to each course, however, giving some variety to the limited amount of tracks in the game.

Content
This is one of the more disappointing aspects of Sonic R, and I can totally see why. Gran Turismo had 11 tracks. Mario Kart 64 and Crash Team Racing had 16 tracks. Sonic R has *5*. Granted, all these courses were well designed (more on that later), but the overall lack of variety leaves more to be desired from such a game. There’s 9 characters playable in Sonic R, with 5 of them being unlockable by completing tasks in the Grand Prix, but their abilities are so unbalanced that half of the cast is rendered unplayable. Really, you should only pick Sonic and Knuckles or their metal counterparts if you want a real shot at winning races, because the others are borderline unusable and attempting to do so is like SEGA trying to outsell the Playstation. Super Sonic, on the other hand, completely breaks the damn game and using him is a fucking cheat code. There’s also a time attack and a battle mode, but other than that there really is nothing more to this game.

Oh, and also, ironically, Amy, arguably the slowest and most useless character in the game, is the character of choice if you want to beat the game in the fastest time possible. That’s because her car can clip out of bounds, leading to some courses being broken to the point where entire laps can be completed in less than 3 seconds.

Level Design
OK, can we actually take the time to admire the amount of effort put in by the devs to make the courses in this game as detailed as possible? There are tons of shortcuts and secret pathways leading to collectibles scattered throughout each course, making each run through the track more interesting as you plan your route across 3 laps to optimally collect everything while still being fast enough to win the race. Collecting all 5 coins on the first 4 tracks and finishing at least 2nd unlocks a race against that course’s secret character, while obtaining all 7 Chaos Emeralds unlocks Super Sonic, so I’d say your reward for having thorough knowledge of the game offers satisfying rewards and payoff. Once that’s over, you can then turn your attention to optimizing your races using various shortcuts and tricks in order to gradually bring down your time. Admittedly, after reaching that point the tracks often tend to be boring and repetitive, but it's that initial hunt for the coins and Chaos Emeralds that makes Sonic R somewhat worthwhile. However…

Controls
Right. So even I have to admit that the controls of Sonic R are absolute fucking dogwater. The level design, while remarkable, sometimes contains insanely tight turns that require extreme precision to complete, but they’re virtually impossible due to how atrocious your turning speed is. Personally I forgo using the D-Pad/Analog Stick to move and just use the B button to accelerate and the triggers to turn. But how the fuck was I supposed to know to brake by pressing both triggers? Considering the abundance of buttons at your disposal on a keyboard, a Saturn analog stick controller and a modern controller, it baffles me how the brakes couldn’t just be mapped onto a single face button. Another problem with Sonic R is that it controls decently when you’re moving fast, but remotely attempting to turn while not running kills me inside. It’s actually so slow and imprecise that sometimes you end up killing off your chances of winning a race because you accidentally miss a gate/coin. Also, why the fuck is the Spin Dash dogshit? It’s barely faster than accelerating on foot, and attempting to spin basically kills all your momentum, it’s disgusting. This is perhaps the biggest reason why Sonic R doesn’t hold up well compared to the likes of MK and CTR, which is a shame, really, because I like the concept of Sonic characters competing against each other in a footrace.

Sideshow - The (Barebone) Story Detail I Kinda Liked
So turns out Sonic R has a plot! Apparently the entire game takes place in a World Grand Prix that Sonic joins when he learns that Dr. Eggman has also chosen to participate. Eggman, having learnt that the Chaos Emeralds were hidden on the 4 tracks of the Grand Prix, intentionally joined the race to lure his enemies into following suit so they can find the emeralds for him. And once they did so, he’d simply steal them for himself. It’s a clever bit of writing for the character, and would go on to be the basis of most of Eggman’s plan in Sonic Adventure. Another neat thing to note is that Sonic initially had no interest in taking part in the World Grand Prix, but Tails on the other hand was because he ‘wanted to test himself against others’. Hmm…

Verdict
Sonic R has a ton of cool concepts in its level design, while also boasting great graphics and a superb soundtrack, but overall the experience is brought down by a severe lack of content and some of the worst controls ever perceived in a racing game. Unfortunately, 3 hours of me attempting to master this game has made me fall for its natural charm, and now I’m good at the game. Fuck.

6/10, you’ll hate it and you’ll also love it, and you'll find yourself feeling the sunshine as it brightens up your day.

Paper Mario is, simply put it, fun. It derives all the great ideas from its spiritual predecessor, Super Mario RPG, and improves upon them substantially. And while I never really played much of that game, I'm glad to announce that Paper Mario captured my heart from the very beginning up till I finally defeated Bowser.

Here's why:

Visuals
What more is there to say about the visuals that hasn’t been said already? For an N64 game they look clean and pretty, leaning into the paper motif whole-heartedly. It gives the player a cozy, warm feeling whenever they interact with the environment, allowing them to relax and bask in the world expertly crafted by the creators of the game, Interactive Studios.

One minor detail which I really appreciate is that every time you engage in a battle, the background always changes depending on your actual background. It’s hard to notice but when you do, it makes the fight feel much more believable.

Soundtrack
Absolute banger. Every track in this game suits the level they’re played in quite well. Some characters also get their own themes, and they all fucking slap, baby. Some of my personal favourites are Gusty Gulch Adventure, The Sun Tower and the always catchy Koopa Bros theme. I’m not the greatest at discussing music so let's instead move on to the-

UI and Overworld Game Control
This is one of the only gripes I have with this game. The UI takes quite a while to load up, and navigating the menu can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. This might also just be a me thing but I sometimes find myself unable to do the Power Jump properly until after a few jumps. Traveling across water with Sushie overall feels slow as well.

Worldbuilding
In terms of scale, Paper Mario absolutely excels in its worldbuilding. Previously, you’d have the various areas of Mario’s games feel disjointed and distant from one another. But in this game, Interactive Studios have effortlessly weaved together a world that provides a map of the Mushroom Kingdom, setting a standard for future games. Each area is also very distinct and has its own unique features, being populated with various residents that Mario can interact with.Toad Town, in particular, serves as the primary hub world of Mushroom Kingdom, housing the tunnels that allow you easy access to other areas of the land. Overall, there isn’t an objectively boring location in Paper Mario; each town and city feels lively, fleshed out and most importantly, welcoming.

Side Content
There’s a lot in this game. From the quizzes to the letter delivery to the Star Piece collection, you’d more often than not find yourself discovering tons of secret tiles and new recipes and the sorts. It is a chore to finish, and you don’t really get anything by doing so, but I believe the journey and the characters you encounter along the way makes it a pretty sweet deal.

Story
At its core, Paper Mario tells a very simple story: Bowser yeets Mario and takes Peach and her castle hostage, Mario saves Star Spirits, meets companions, defeats big boss fights, Peach and Twink do Metal Gear Solid shit, Mario saves world, party, Luigi is sad, the end. It’s a simple story, sure, but Paper Mario’s visuals are so charming and their characters so endearing that you literally can’t bring yourself to care about that much. More in-depth views in the chapter-by-chapter analyses later.

Sideshow - Luigi
One thing often overlooked (very fittingly) in Paper Mario’s story is Luigi, who instead of being part of Mario’s team as he kicks Bowser’s ass, is strangely forced to stay behind and guard the house they share. He may play it off as nothing, but Power Jumping in the bedroom allows you to access Luigi’s secret hideout, where his jealousy of Mario’s fame and glory is evidently shown in every word of his diary. This will go on to define Luigi’s character as a whole in future games, so it’s interesting to see where it all started.

RPG Gameplay
This is, in my opinion, where Paper Mario stands out among the crowded lineup of RPGs as a unique, enjoyable experience. Other than the art style, obviously. The Action Command, being one of the key elements taken from Super Mario RPG, is back in full swing in this game, and there is a lot more variety than just tapping a button now. These commands are able to keep the player actively involved and engaged in the combat of this game, while also adding some realism and feeling to these moves. For example, pulling the hammer back before swinging it at your enemies, or having your finger smash that A button right before a jump so your target can feel that extra push of power coming from you, the player.

Not to mention the abundance of customisation that comes with the badge system, which is resemblant to, for example, the Materia system of FF7. My one complaint, however, is that your partner getting hit causes them to be DISABLED for the next 3 turns, which can get rather annoying. Thankfully, this issue is mostly mitigated because not many enemies have that capability.

There’s also the additional advantage of the Star Powers you obtain at the end of each chapter by saving each of the Star Spirits captured throughout the game. Refresh, in particular, is a very useful clutch tool that when used efficiently, can swing a battle in your favour. Couple that with Bow camping strategies (more on that later), and you can basically go past early-game without a hitch. I tend to find myself using Star Storm more often than not, and towards the endgame, Smooch.

Sideshow - Your Companions

Finally, between your 8 companions obtainable throughout the game, they each share different niches that can fulfill any of your needs. Let’s briefly run through them one by one.

Goombario - Essentially your tutorial companion. Actually has some genuine viability for newcomers to the game with Tattle being very useful to gauge an enemy’s health. Not as useful for players who’ve familiarised themselves with the various statistics of the game, though.

Kooper - The early-game sweeper. Has usage in the overworld throughout your playthrough, but generally gets outclassed by your later companions as you go further into the game.

Bombette - The best ‘fuck you and your mother’ character. Her explosions, like Kooper, are used very often to unlock secrets in the dungeons as well as progress further in chapters. Mega Bomb is very useful when you’re sick and tired of having to defend yourself against heavy hitters and have tons of FP to spare.

Parakerry - Honestly just there to serve as the side-quest character. The most useful thing Kerry does other than delivering letters to allow you to obtain Star Pieces is to carry you across large gaps, which, thankfully, Paper Mario has tons of. Battle-wise, though, Parakerry only has the niche of attacking enemies on ceilings, which only appear in, like, the tunnels. Rendered irrelevant and completely outclassed by Watt, though.

Bow - Kills the mid-game. One strategy that I like using with Bow is the ‘Refresh Camp’ strategy, where you basically spam Refresh and Outta Sight, with the occasional Focus mixed in between special moves to recover your Star Energy. Using this, you can cheese any fight by slowly nursing Mario back to health all while evading damage from enemy attacks. Also, slapping people is fucking awesome and as a result, Bow is now an epic girlboss. Slay, queen.

Watt - NOW WE’RE TALKING! Watt is by far the most useful companion you’ll obtain, being a substantially rewarding prize for one of the most annoying fights in the entire game. Not only does his base attack bypass defense and is easy to charge, but this baby orb of sunlight also packs 2 paralysis attacks and a special move that boosts Mario’s attacks. It’s incredible how versatile this guy is, and he’s also very useful in the overworld with hidden blocks being a cakewalk to find while you’re holding him.

Sushie - One of the harder characters to use, with Tidal Wave and Squirt being difficult to hit. The damage dealt with these moves, however, make Sushie somewhat worth using. It’s her Water Cube that makes her useful in battle, though. Obviously Sushie is also useful in the overworld, being the only character that can traverse water. Very straightforward.

Lakilester - He’s cool. But that’s kinda all he does, aside from being very useful during the Crystal King fight. You can hover now, though!

Overall, I think the gameplay of Paper Mario carries on the legacy of the unique gimmicks introduced by Super Mario RPG and further improves upon them to create a fun, intuitive and wonderfully creative experience that stands out among the busy crowd of late 90s - 00s RPGs.

Some extra notes
2 - The Mystery of Dry Dry Ruins
After the winning start to Paper Mario, I was honestly rather disappointed that Mt. Rugged’s Letter fetch quest was annoying, the Spiked Goombas were annoying, Dry Dry Desert’s Bandits were especially annoying, and worst of all, they introduced Professor Kolorado, aka the most annoying NPC in the game. The dungeon almost makes up for it with how you unlock it, as well as the puzzles scattered throughout it, but the boss fight is pathetically easy.
3 - The "Invincible" Tubba Blubba
Personally, this is my favourite chapter in the game. This chapter tests your ability to think a lot more than the other chapters, Forever Forest, Boo’s Mansion and Tubba Blubba’s Castle all providing decent brainteasers that average RPG fans will definitely enjoy. It also features what is arguably the darkest scene in the entire game, where a bunch of Boos sacrifice themselves to allow Mario and co. to discover Tubba Blubba’s secret. You actually do feel sorry for them.

4 - Trials in the Toy Box
SO. MUCH. BACKTRACKING. Screw this chapter, and especially the Big Lantern Ghost. The primary redeeming point is you get Watt and General Guy is the most hilariously bombastic villain in the story aside from Bowser himself.

10/10 it does have its problems but boy do I love Paper Mario. Can’t wait to finally play TTYD in a few months.

Sonic 3D Blast isn't a bad game. Here's why:
(DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW PRIMARILY COVERS THE DIRECTOR'S CUT RELEASED IN 2018 AND THE SATURN VERSION. RATING PROVIDED IS FOR THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, WHICH IS BY FAR THE BEST VERSION)

Let's start by addressing the worst issue of the game by far: the depth perception. Depth perception has always been an issue for older Sonic games, but this game is a whole different beast. Standing right in front of an item box? You often find yourself either not moving with the nudge of a button or moving behind the item box by jumping too far. It's bafflingly hard to get a proper grasp of where exactly should you land your jumps to immediately break an item box. That just goes to show how atrocious the depth perception truly is in Sonic 3D Blast.

This awful issue also brings out some other of the worst issues in the game. For example, the Flickies are rather simple to catch once you free them from the Badnik shells, but the red one jumps all over the fucking place and you have no idea which plane and height and distance its at to reach it without at least several jumps. Even just hitting the Badnik shells themselves is an unnecessary challenge in its own right, in part because you're unable to gauge where exactly to hit the Badnik, so more often than not you'll just use the instant spin roll (which is actually surprisingly nifty in the context of this game). And then there are more instances throughout the game but I'll discuss those, yet again, in my level analyses.

Let's talk about Sonic's control and handling next. Depth perception being awful aside, it's still putrid. Sonic is slow and clunky, his turns are agonizingly sluggish, the Spin Dash (yes, the Spin Dash) feels useless, and the spin roll kills your momentum far too quickly. They had the nerve to only require the Spin Dash to be used for trolleys in Volcano Valley, which doesn't even allow Sonic to leave it unless he jumps anyways!
Thank fuck, then, I played the Director's Cut, which made Sonic faster and makes his smaller turns quicker. One interesting thing to note about Sonic's movement in the game is how absurdly broken the regular Spin Jump. Spamming it somehow covers more ground than a Spin Dash or running will ever do, while also having the additional advantages of having a safety net against Badniks as well as allowing jumps to higher ledges come by like a breeze. It's so broken that the various traps laid out in Spring Stadium (the hidden spears and spikes) feel like absolute jokes due to how long they take to extend outwards. By then Sonic could simply spam jump until he's out of the danger zone. It's also pretty funny, actually, that this sense of speed caused by jump spam makes levels ironically quite fun to tear apart... but obviously, you're still burdened by the necessity of hunting down the Flickies, which are necessary to progress through each level. A fact more emphasised by how much of a refresher Panic Puppet Act 2 is. More on that later. Overall, Sonic's handling is not that good, but Spin Jump spam makes beating the levels more faster and more entertaining. (note: it might only work on the Director's Cut)

His sprite and overall animation looks dogwater though. Ugh.

The story of Sonic 3D Blast is generic as all hell. Eggman kidnaps Flickies to lead him to the Emeralds, Sonic saves Flickies, collects Chaos Emeralds, beats Eggman, day saved, Flicky Island is at peace. There really isn't anything too standout about this whole plot, and cutscenes are mostly reserved for the beginning of the game and the ending. At least the Saturn version has the courtesy to show you a minimap detailing Sonic's progress through Flicky Island, much like Sonic 1's 8-bit version.

The Saturn version, however, does have by far the best interpretation of the halfpipe Special Stages in the entire franchise! From the suave, jazzy music, the visibility of the rings to all the additional elements that makes it stand out, the Saturn executed Special Stages in a way most other Sonic games failed to do. I'd even go as far as to say these are the best Special Stages of the Classic Era! The Genesis version is uh, easy. Very easy. But at least it isn't annoying or frustrating as hell.
And the way you enter these Special Stages is pretty neat, you gather 50 rings, find Tails/Knuckles hidden in the level, give them your rings, they take you to a special stage, job done. On paper, this feels easy. But don't forget this is Sonic 3D Blast you're playing, so more often than not you'll never be able to retain those rings due to the shitty depth perception leading to you being hit for unfair reasons. The original versions even had the balls to limit your Special Stages entrances to Volcano Valley Zone! WITHOUT SAVE FILES! And you'd end up getting a bad ending against your own will, thus locking you away from everything the game has to offer! It's a miracle the Director's Cut has a stage select that allows you to revisit previous stages, and actually limits you to one Chaos Emerald per zone. Gene Gadget and Panic Puppet each have one Chaos Emerald spot, and finding them ends up being a reward upon itself. Because not only do you get to revisit these levels for the Chaos Emeralds, but you also get Super Sonic, which the original game never had!

These are more miscellaneous talking points, so I'll just cover them briefly. First of all, I believe that the Saturn version is the best variant of original 3D Blast, but the load times between levels (including special stages) is disgustingly long, so be prepared to wait a LOT. Second of all, I notice a ton of inconsistencies with ring drops whenever you get hit. Sometimes the dropped rings stay on the overworld for about 3 seconds, like in the original games. But sometimes they vanish the instant they hit the ground, which is especially inconvenient during boss fights where your ring resources are limited! The Spin Dash is somehow made even more infuriating in this game because if you collide with the walls of levels at high speeds, you fucking ricochet all over the place for some reason. It even puts you at an even bigger risk of getting hit than a Spin Jump, so why the fuck are you Spin Dashing in Sonic 3D Blast? Finally, there is one good thing this game contributed to the franchise. The Gold Shield, a unique type of shield only found in a handful of levels, allows you to, for the very first time in a Sonic game, execute the Homing Attack. Not only does it make killing Badniks a lot easier, but it also indirectly planted an idea into Sonic Team's heads on how to tackle Sonic's combat in future 3D games.

And now, FINALLY, we can dive into the levels themselves. I'll be discussing visuals, level design and music for all 7 levels present in the game, as well as the Final Fight.

Green Hill- wait, no- Emerald Hill- ugh, that's not right- Palmtree Panic- damn, there are so many of these-
Green Grove
In all honesty, there really isn't much to say about Green Grove. It's your bread and butter forest/field themed tutorial level for every Sonic game, and the graphics reflect that with their similarities to essentially every other first level. It does a good enough job at showing you what's to come with future levels, with Continues/emblems being tucked away in springs that require all your Flickies to reach, automated Spin Dash segments between sectors of a level (the only times the Spin Dash is functionable all game LOL), and... mines? Yeah those mines are really annoying. The themes across both the Genesis and Saturn versions of the game are great, with the Genesis variant being a precursor to The Air from Sonic Adventure, one of my favourite tracks from that game. Both tracks were composed by Jun Senoue, who would go on to imprint his legacy on the Sonic franchise in the soundtrack department. Boss fight is piss easy but you have to wait quite a bit and waiting's really annoying.

Rusty Ruin
Honestly a really forgettable level in most aspects, but hey Sonic turns into a Beyblade in this one. There are a bunch of moving spike chains that are harder to avoid here, Spin Jump spam won't solve your platforming woes. Act 2, in particular, has two very punishing precise platform jump segments that can get very, very irritating. This remains true for the boss fight, where the platforms you're supposed to jump on so you can hit Eggman can hurt you sometimes for some reason. That boss in particular is really annoying, you don't have enough wriggle room to really maneuver and you only have 6 rings to work with. Combined with the issue with rings disappearing too quickly that I mentioned earlier as well as the depth perception and you have a really upsetting fight to slog through.
Also, the Saturn version has rain in this level, but the music sounds like something Apple would use to advertise their iPhone during the winter season.

Spring Stadium
This whole level is a joke because of Spin Jump spam. All these traps that the developers crafted together can all be resolved by pressing the A or C button a lot of times. To commemorate the occasion, Saturn Spring Stadium Act 2 even has fucking clown music to go along with it! Other than that, the level is colourful, so it has that going for it (?).

Boss fight also suffers from the depth perception issue, but it's not as bad as Rusty Ruin's.

Diamond Dust
This one is an interesting case: the badniks here are, oddly enough, the most challenging ones to deal with other than the ones in Panic Puppet. Badniks are piss easy to deal with in this game, one Spin Roll and they're just dead. The snowmen are turrets and the pogo stick ones can catch you off guard if you're not careful enough. Not to mention the EXPLODING SNOWMEN and mist machines that freeze you into a block, forcing you to drop all your Flickies because why the fuck not. This level looks really nice in comparison to the other levels; the Saturn version even has snow! Finally, the music of the Genesis version is a cooling, relaxing piece, while the Saturn's music is... generic Christmas music. The boss fight is fun though, very easy to beat and doesn't take as long to take out compared to the previous ones, which all required more waiting than attacking.

Oh wait, there are icy walkways in this level? Well, the main game is already slippery enough, this is nothing lmao.

Volcano Valley.
Woo boy. Bunch of lava pits and fire-based obstacles in a game with horrible depth perception, good luck trying to- oh wait you just got a fire shield. Yeah this level is piss easy once you equip a fire shield. As long as you retain it, you can basically roam the level without worrying about losing your rings or Flickies. It would've also been a really great level to try and beat as quickly as possible... but you still have to find the Flickies. Oh well. Saturn music sounds like dungeon music from an RPG, Genesis music sounds like a prelude to Final Fortress from Sonic Heroes (I see what you did there Jun Senoue). Looks like a volcano level, I guess.
And the boss fight... is easily the worst one in the game by far. Ironically, hitting it is the easiest part. The hard part is everything else. Besides trying to hit the boss, you have to pray your depth perception is good enough that you land on the pipes above the lava every time, not get hit by the occasional steam blasts blowing out from said pipes, pray you don't fall into the lava on the rebound, and ON TOP OF THAT, you have to dodge Robotnik's homing fire attack (how does that even make sense?). It's messy, it's ugly, its bullshittingly difficult. Pop off if you beat this one first try.

Gene Gadget
Snazzy-looking tech level with intertwining tubes, just like Chemical Plant and Scrap Brain. For once, I think the Saturn version actually has the better music, Act 1 in particular being a standout. There are electric tiles throughout the level that can damage you, but you can either equip a Blue Shield (electric immunity) or simply just Spin Jump spam. There are also these annoying fan tiles that send you flying, while also leaving you vulnerable to the pufferfish Badniks you're trying to destroy most of the time. But by far the most annoying thing introduced in this level is the new turret, which shoots at ridiculously fast rates, making you feel insanely lucky to escape from one's vicinity unscathed. Worst of all, they sometimes even stick a Badnik right next to the turret so you have no choice but to get hit sometimes. The boss fight, on the other hand, is discount Quartz Quadrant, but it also has its merits since you're able to hit Eggman as well.

Panic Puppet
Is it weird to say that this may be one of my favourite levels in the game? The music of the Genesis version in particular stands out (Twinkle Kart from Sonic Adventure, anyone?), and the level itself has a pretty interesting color palette we don't usually see in Eggman bases. ou only need to capture a grand total of 5 Flickies in this stage, all of them in Act 1. While the level likes to toss its most annoying obstacles at you (the turrets from Gene Gadget, the platforming from Rusty Ruin, the mines from Green Grove, and its newest weapon: the waiting on the conveyor belts), it's not that big of a hassle when you can just Spin Jump spam to avoid most of the projectiles and quickly recover the Flickies to end off Act 1 swiftly. Act 2 is perhaps my favourite level in the entire game, and shows off story-wise how effortless Sonic makes running through Eggman's traps look. Of course, this is mostly unintentional due to how hilariously broken Spin Jump can be, but lowkey? Actually a fun level to finish, no more finding Flickies just pure, unadulterated platforming. And by now, you should have a better understanding of the controls, making this level more of a difficult victory lap than a level. You've done it! You've braved all the bullshit this game's gimmick has tossed you through! Enjoy this one fun level before the boss fight!
The boss fight, however, is actually rather easy if you know what you're doing. Collect one ring, stand below a moving arm, move away before it crushes you, hit the corresponding blue light, rinse and repeat, recover a ring if you lose your current one. Then, stand at a corner, spam jump on the impending blue light, run away from the homing flames, rinse and repeat, recover a ring if you lose your current one. Finally, stand in a corner, spam jump on the- ah fuck you get the idea. Pretty underwhelming penultimate boss fight, but at least the Final Fight should be more exciting, ri-

Final Fight
ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Final Fight? More like Not Much of A Fight. It's more of the same from the last boss. Stand still, allow Eggman to shoot lasers twice, hit. Move. Dodge homing flames twice, with more room to dodge this time. Hit the mech on the third time. Move. Dodge slow moving hands. Hit. Move. Dodge easily predictable rockets, hit. Move. Stand in a corner to avoid the balls. Hit. RINSE AND REPEAT. Heck, this mech looks fucking puny and lame compared to the other robots Eggman has commandeered throughout the level. HE DOESN'T EVEN SHOW HIS FUCKING BODY. Well, at least the game's over now. Pack it up.

Overall, just play the Director's Cut version of this game. It's easily accessible on the Internet, and its more worthwhile of an experience than the original release back in 1996. It controls better, sounds better (Genesis OST is clear), and includes tons of new QOL changes. In fact, remember how I mentioned that your potential to speed through the stages with expert movement with Spin Jumps is ultimately hindered by the necessity to save Flickies? Well, once you beat the main game the first time, you also get a Time Challenge mode, that requires you to beat the level under a strict timer, but no longer requires you to save any Flickies! Finally, you're allowed to explore the true potential 3D Blast's level design and gimmicky movement has to offer. And it's a more fun challenge than whatever the fuck you just played, mind you.

7/10. Sonic 3D Blast is NOT a dogwater game... as long as you're playing the Director's Cut version.

Sonic CD is everything, but it's also nothing. It feels substantial but it also feels incredibly empty. Not sure how I can put my thoughts into words but I'll at least try:

First off, I personally think Sonic's moveset is near perfect in this game. Think of it as a bicycle's gears for just a moment, OK? In an exploration-based platformer like Sonic CD, you have three ways to jump:
1) A regular running jump, done by gathering momentum over a distance before making the leap. This gives you the most control over your characters actions and a bit more time to anticipate what's ahead so you can plan your next course of action.
2) A Spin Dash jump, where you rev up in place, instantly generating momentum faster than a regular run before jumping immediately as you let go. Covers larger distances than a regular jump, but leaves you with less time to react to the obstacles ahead. Provides security of a spin roll when used on ground.
3) A Super Peel-Out boosted jump, where you use a slightly longer amount of time to rev up in place, before launching off at fast speeds, allowing you to jump farther distances than a regular Spin Dash jump. Still vulnerable to enemies when used on ground unless you roll, which in turn costs you speed in the long term.

See what I mean? Sonic has a versatile moveset where you choose your tools to navigate the towering platforms and mazes of Little Planet, providing you with multiple options on where to go and HOW you want to go. Sonic CD's levels facilitate such exploration, and allows you to wander through the stages freely. The main focus at hand is platforming, and speed is an afterthought, and I like that focus. It's a great contrast to the blistering, sometimes out-of-control speeds of Sonic 2.

So why do the time travel signposts betray this philosophy?

The way time travel works in Sonic CD is you hit a signpost, gather enough speed for a period of time, and once you hit the requirements without having your speed interrupted, you time travel. On paper, this wouldn't be a bad idea, but while the game offers you plenty of areas where you can time travel without worry, it sure as hell does its best to stop you from time travelling as well. And the worst part is, once you lose that signpost, it's essentially used up. In all honesty, I think the idea of time travel could work IF you time travelled immediately after reaching a sign post with sufficient speed instead of what they programmed. It would be a great way to reward the player for using their surroundings to their fullest advantage to build up enough velocity to time travel successfully. And the best thing? Being too slow won't activate the signpost, so you have multiple chances of going through them. :)

The story of Sonic CD is fairly well told: Eggman chains up a planet and fucks up the environment in the past, Sonic discovers the planet, goes back to when Eggman planted the generators and yeets them, saving fangirl Amy in the process, while also beating his new (and IMO the best) rival Metal Sonic in the process. He reaches Metallic Madness, gathering all the time stones (we'll talk about those special stages later), yeets Eggman, day saved. I especially like the idea that all the boss fights take place in the future, either to reward you for taking the time to explore each past region to break the generators, or as a haunting reminder that Eggman's actions have consequences on the ecosystem of the planet, and that you better find those Time Stones to prevent his evildoings from ruining it further. Sadly the time travel signposts also serve to distract the player with an abundance of Future signposts, which ultimately don't really do much but burn up the player's time where they can't achieve anything except gather enough rings for a Special Stage. I'd rather the game keep it simple, play a cutscene after Act 2 to indicate that Sonic time travels to the future, where he sees what his actions have brought upon the zone he'd just navigated.

Speaking of Special Stages, I really like them! They're perhaps my favourite versions of special stages in the Classic Era bar 3D Blast Saturn (we'll get to that in that review). They're really technologically advanced for their time and provide a genuine challenge that isn't frustrating like the halfpipes of Sonic 2 or whatever the fuck Sonic 1 had. My only problem is that unlike Sonic 1 and 2's mobile ports, which have easily accessible level selects akin to S3&K, Sonic CD chooses to lock this useful function behind a Time Attack challenge! And while it does server as something for the truly dedicated to tackle, it is annoying that you have to put in all that extra effort to pick up the 2 Time Stones you left behind. At least I picked up all the generators in my run, I guess.

Finally, Metal Sonic. Need I say more about this character? Sharp, sleek design ahead of its time, clearly based off Sonic yet completely different in personality and motif, and arguably one of the most iconic boss fights in the entire FRANCHISE. The designers truly popped off with the creation of Metal Sonic, and it's a genuine shame he isn't utilised as much in the future, save a few certain examples.

Those are my thoughts on the gameplay in general. and now for level specific stuff, like the graphics, the music and the level design. This is where things get messy.

Palmtree Panic
In terms of graphics, this is the most detailed looking first level we've had so far. The backgrounds are stunning, and the warn colors spill through the screen directly into your eyes. Accompanying it is either kids cheering you on as you embark on this relatively long journey, or a chill Hawaiian-esque piece that relaxes you and eases you into the atmosphere of the game. Palmtree Panic is well designed, but it also feels rather empty by comparison. There's lots of platforms for you to experiment with different gear switches and jumping, but everything starts to grow repetitive after a while, and you end up wanting to leave sooner than you'd want to, just to avoid the same ol' same ol'. Good Future music across both versions are either 'YAY YOU DID IT GREAT JOB' (JP) or 'Haha Donkey Kong music' (US), and that's neat. Boss fight is piss easy.

Collision Chaos
Not a good level of the sorts. The music of the US version is ambient but honestly doesn't fit the level. The JP version is meh. Graphics are OK I guess, but doesn't really stand out in the game overall. The pinball physics are fine enough, but damn do I hate the massive abundance of bumpers and pop-it bubbles. God's sake this is a really annoying level. Fairly standard casino-themed level, it's not as anger-inducing as Spring Yard to me, but it works out. Boss fight is Discount Casino Night.

Tidal Tempest
Everyone praises this level to hell and back, but after playing it for a second time, I don't really see the appeal. This is perhaps the emptiest a Sonic level has felt thus far: the top path isn't difficult or challenging to maintain and are primarily inhabited by these huge dragonflies that don't put up a fight at all. The bottom path, meanwhile, does have a few crushing pillars and tubes to traverse through, but ultimately most of the stage is just littered with springs to send you back up to the empty top path. Labyrinth was annoying. Chemical Plant was thrilling. Aquatic Ruin was challenging.

Tidal Tempest was boring. It looks boring, it plays boring, it feels boring. At least the music is great, Tidal Tempest Present being a standout in particular. Oddly enough, emotionally this was the lowpoint of the entire playthrough for me.

But the next stage certainly picks things up.

Quartz Quadrant
This. Level. Holy shit. The music is phenomenal across both versions. The JP version being this wonderfully composed jazzy orchestral piece that has all the bombastic uplifting feel of 90s SEGA games, while the US version has cool as guitar shreds, and I'm a sucker for hard rock, no less in Sonic games. The visuals are basically a cooler looking Mystic Cave (Present), a mossy, old-fashioned and dangerous cave (Past), and a beautiful, golden coloured city (Future), all accompanied with phenomenal music. Quartz Quadrant JP's G mix also stands out really well among this bunch of music. Remember when I said that speed was an afterthought in Sonic CD? This level effortlessly solves this problem by bring in conveyor belts that either push you along or attempt to drag you back, and that adds an extra element of challenge to your platforming. When you're moving forwards in a conveyor, you actually get a sense of speed that rivals Sonic 2, and even then you're still in control of your movement and can still execute tight platforming without much problem. It's the only level that blends together visuals, music, speed and platforming together into one really amazing stage. The conveyor belt boss fight, while easy, serves as an interesting change of pace and something unique for the player.

Wacky Workbench
Whoops this level. US version is better in terms of soundtrack. This level is the most sensory overload of the levels alongside Collision Chaos. If Tidal Tempest was nothing, then Wacky Workbench was everything. They toss everything at you, including some annoying Badniks, tons of gimmicks, spinning platforms, nitrogen exhaust pumps, and need I mention the bouncy electric floor? This level is interesting because with the electric floor getting in the way, for the first time ever, the BOTTOM route is the only path through this level that requires accurate and precise platforming for you to clear. The high routes are filled with hazards and empty platforms for you to fall back down into the blast zone. That part is all fine, you actually have stuff to explore, at the very least.

What really gets me though, is the generators. Wacky Workbench Act 1, for some reason, literally hides its generator's only entrance in LITERALLY THE ONLY PISTON IN THE ENTIRE GAME THAT DOESN'T CRUSH YOU. How does that even make sense? Why would anyone in the right mind try to get crushed in a piston? At least Wacky Workbench Act 2 had the courtesy of hiding its generator at the beginning of the level, which isn't too big of a hassle to backtrack towards. Surprisingly though, as much as I hate that, this isn't even one of my 2 least favourite zones in the game.

Stardust Speedway
See, this is why speed should be an afterthought, a reward for expert play from the player. Stardust Speedway is a case of a Sonic level that is too fast. You barely have control over Sonic when you're trying to find the generator, and somehow the level even manages to find a way to worm in Sonic 2's biggest problem into it. You're out here feeling good, feeling fast, feeling alive, and then you get fucked by a random slingshot spike that you never saw coming. Speedy sensation gone. Rings lost. Humiliation. There are a lot of automated boost pads that send you rocketing everywhere that hinder your ability to seek out the generators properly. Without said boost pads, Stardust Speedway would've been a really fun level to discover cool secrets in with its fun little 'foreground | background' gimmick. The potential for high speed travelling in this level makes this a speedrunner's wet dream.
Music is pretty good. I thought the JP B remix was solid, I could see it being used more often in future games. Metal Sonic boss fight is legendary, a thrilling challenge that keeps the player actively involved and fighting to save this random girl you don't know, just because it's the right thing to do so hell yes you're gonna do that.

And now, we reach the final zone of the game. I'm gonna be dissecting these levels act by act, because oh boy, do I have words for them.

Metallic Madness Act 1
This level is an interesting one. There is an obvious top path and a bottom path here. The bottom path requires expert navigation and some fundamental platforming to reach the generator. Then, it's off to the top path where you have only ONE POSSIBLE ROUTE to finish the level. And obviously you know they had to bring back the Scrap Brain rotating platforms for this one. One drop from a mistimed jump and you're sent plunging back into the abyss, where you have to... wait. That's right, instead of something like protruding spikes which would be a hassle to avoid again and again, they made it even more of a hassle by placing pistons that can instakill you all in a single pathway. And it's annoying, to say the least. I do not want my failed attempts at slightly unfair platforming to be punished with instant death or WAITING. Because I do not want to wait for pistons to move for fucks sake.

Act 2
Remember how I said Wacky Workbench was gimmicky? Imagine that but multiply it by several million. Act 2 has shrink rays, huge moving crushers, zoot chutes (the generator can be found by following one of those paths), and pistons that send you flying upwards much like the electric floor of Wacky Workbench. It's also most linear level in the entire game with there being only one pathway to clear the level normally. I digress, though, because this is the last level in the game and they have to provide a challenge.

Act 3
THIS IS NOT A CHALLENGE THIS IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR WHY DO I HAVE TO SCRAP BRAIN ZONE OVER A BOTTOMLESS PIT AND WAIT FOR STUPID SPIKE MATS TO FALL SO I CAN LEAP OUT OF ANOTHER PIT AND WHY ARE THOSE STUPID FIREFLIES SO ANNOYING TO HIT

AND WHY, AFTER ALL THAT BULLSHIT, IS THE BOSS FIGHT SO FUCKING EASY?

...cool music though.
----

Sonic CD is the most experimental, open game in the franchise, it's controls are fluent and innovative, its environmental themes shine throughout the entire game, the soundtrack is glorious, the level design is all over the place but a joy to explore and tear apart as a speedrunner, and it also has cool opening and closing animations courtesy of Toei! With amazing vocal tracks to accompany them (Sonic Boom, Toot Toot Sonic Warrior and Cosmic Eternity are all phenomenal tracks that only 90s Sonic could fashion up) How did I go the entire review without even mentioning it once? I have no fucking clue! It does make this game all the better, though!

8/10. It's quite literally everything everywhere all at once, except when they decide to parts of the game with emptiness and pain. Those smaller parts will never take away from how fun the experience was overall, though. Ultimately, this game is phenomenal for its exploration, especially when you can choose your own pace, your own style, and when you're given canvas after canvas of terrain to tear through, the adventurer within you will rise to the occasion.

> speeds through level with the new spin dash
> hell yeah this is fun wow emerald hill feels like green hill but bette-
> GET FUCKED BY A FUCKING MONKEY LOL

Sonic 2 is... not the greatest game ever, let's put it this way. Sure, it's a vast improvement over Sonic 1, in my opinion, but with all its improvements come lots of worse stuff.

First off, let's briefly bring up the new mechanics, the graphics, the soundtrack and the content. The Spin Dash is a great addition to the Sonic franchise. Having the ability to instantly build up speed is a godsend to these games, reducing the burden of having to find an adequate place to build up momentum. Instead, the game challenges you by putting up all the stops to make you lose the momentum you earn.

And that's where I think the problem comes in with this game. The speed cap being cut does make the player feel like they're going faster than ever, sure, but it also makes you struggle to see what's ahead of you, hence impounding your ability to plan your next step properly. The unfair Badnik placement and Badniks in general are probably well documented at this point, but it's kinda true: Sonic 2 may have more spectacle, but the experience viewing these visuals isn't the greatest.

Which is a shame, because I really think the graphics here are much better than Sonic 1. The colors are more vibrant and eye-catching, the backgrounds and foregrounds look more detailed, and there's a more cheerful vibe in general to most of the stages. Emerald Hill, in particular, is a fantastic glow-up to Green Hill's more muted tones. Sonic's new idle animations add more flavour to his already distinct character, and I like the new colour of his fur. Tails also makes his debut in this game, and thank fuck it is because I don't have to judge the fox from his... more recent appearances in the main series. He's cute, what more can I say? Sucks he can't fly in this game but hey that's what makes this game not as great as everyone says it is. Finally, this is probably just me nitpicking but the shield bubble in this game really bothers me.

The soundtrack of Sonic 2 is definitely better than Sonic 1. Emerald Hill, Chemical Plant, Casino Night, Metropolis, both boss themes and the Special Stage theme all have great themes, and even the worst of the bunch (Hilltop) is ok... I guess? Super Sonic theme kinda mid tho tbh. But. Hear me out. Wing Fortress is the best theme across both games, period. The music gives off a vibe of 'yep shit's gotten real now we're at the home stretch time for this epic journey to reach its climax and accompanying it will be the most epic orchestral track you've heard thus far', and I fucking love it.

I haven't much to say about the 2 player mode and the sound test of Sonic 2 except its pretty nifty. Onto my zone-to-zone coverage of Sonic 2.

Emerald Hill
Green Hill Zone but better... is what I would say if it weren't for Coconuts. Like its predecessor its a very fun level to speedrun, this one even moreso thanks to the easily accessible speed shoes in each act. The new corkscrews are cool and fancy to look at, and there are more loops than ever to breeze through, serving as a fun way to introduce the Spin Dash to the masses. Overall I'd say this is my preferred zone but I do know about Coconuts and the abundance of disgustingly placed spikes throughout the level. And that one random waterfall that's a bottomless pit for whatever reason. Boss fight is piss easy.

Chemical Plant
Fast as fucc boi
People who struggle with the water segment in act 2 have a massive skill issue: learn the shortcut, dummies. It's not that hard, in fact the momentum guide/reward from earlier in the act (that one extra life) should've already provided a hint as to what you can do to find said pathway. Anyways this level has a lot of downward inclines that make Sonic go nyoom and fly off the screen, but in a good way. Banger music, iconic tech demo showcasing the newly uncapped speed limit of Sonic 2. Boss fight is piss easy.

Aquatic Ruin
The peak definition of 'top route superior to bottom route', even moreso than Chemical Plant. Whereas bottom route Chemical Plant doesn't require you to spend an extended amount of time underwater and actively helps you out of it if done properly, Aquatic Ruin's bottom route is essentially Labyrinth all over again. Thank god the Spin Dash makes these water segments more tolerable. Even the top path isn't as fun, with bushes obscuring your vision in an unhealthy fashion. Visually got good vibes, though. Boss fight is piss easy.

Casino Night
Teaching kids how to gamble since 1992! A great way to implement pinball physics into Sonic games in a really fun way, with flippers and springs being contributers to the platforming, although it can get annoying at times. Also a great place to farm extra lives. Overall fun level to fuck around in, and is definitely more platforming-based than the last 3 levels. Shame Casino Night became the blueprint for hundreds of other shameless inferior copies of the same type of level in the future. Boss fight is actually really fun!

Hilltop
Ever heard 60s hillybilly music? That's what Hilltop sounds like. Overall a great stage though, just the right amount of branching paths, just the right touch of speed and a great foundation for momentum-based platforming. Rising lava segments are infinitely more fun than whatever the fuck Labyrinth's boss fight was. Shame about the see-saw being a returning gimmick but eh. Boss fight is piss easy.

Mystic Cave
Another level that blends platforming, speed and exploration spectacularly. It has pretty colors, a neat vibe and annoying firefly badniks oh wait that's not a good point. Boss fight is piss easy.

Oil Ocean
Boring and unfun in this game, with a lot of waiting and stupid automated cannons as well as just poor level design in general. BOSS FIGHT IS PISS EASY DO YOU GET IT?

Metropolis
Hell but if the OST was a banger. The sadistic enemy placement, overwhelming length and unforgiving difficulty spike have been talked to death already, so I'll spare you the pain: This zone is bad. Fuck the stupid exploding starfish, fuck the mantis and fuck the giant crab barely anyone can see coming.

Sky Chase
Aesthetically pleasing and a breather for what's coming next, but it's also a 2 minute and 6 second cutscene.

Wing Fortress
Perfection. My favourite zone across both Sonic 1 and 2. Great music, a great balance between speed and precise platforming, tons of secrets littered throughout the stage, an actual challenging boss fight, a really cool cutscene where Sonic literally flies off into space off a rocket?! 10/10 level.

Death Egg
Metal Sonic is a really interesting boss fight, but definitely pales in comparison to the Death Egg Robot. It's menacing, a huge time sink for the inexperienced, and certainly one of the hardest boss fights in Sonic history. I don't really hate this zone.

Oh and also the special stages are good but only if you play as Sonic I've run out of things to say

...well, there is one thing I can say. Every time I play Sonic 2, I intentionally forgo obtaining any of the Chaos Emeralds. Sure, Super Sonic is a fun little reward for your route memorisation in these otherwise brutal stages, and playing with him through levels feels like a cakewalk...

...but the bad ending of Sonic 2 is miles better than the good one.

See, when Tails was introduced in a time where sidekicks were just that- a buddy who tags along on the main hero's journey as the hero powers through everything and saves the day in heroic fashion. But in the bad ending, Tails, the cute little fox who's been cautiously following you throughout the entire game, breaks the stereotype and shatters it completely. You, having just took out Robotnik's Death Egg, are freefalling from the skies, with practically no way to cushion the crushing blow that awaits you on the ground. Your death is imminent.

And this is when Tails swoops in on a rocket-powered Tornado, catching you on the wings of the iconic red biplane. He saved your life. And by doing so, he's proven his worth as more than just a regular sidekick. Miles 'Tails' Prower is a hero in his own right, and he's shown it by saving the hero he'd grow to idolise and eventually become an equal to. And just that thought makes me love the bad ending of Sonic 2.

7/10. Again, Sonic 2 is not the greatest Sonic game, and it's definitely not the greatest Genesis era game. But for the massive contributions it made to future games in terms of story and gameplay, it's definitely an iconic game.

Sonic Triple Trouble is a game that is primarily carried by its spectacle. It's levels are all solid and unintrusive, but ultimately its the creative storytelling methods of this 8-bit title that truly brings it all together, rivalling even the cutscenes of S3&K.

I remember the first time I played Triple Trouble, I was blown away by the seamless transition between Sunset Park Acts 2 and 3, and gosh that music is so iconic every Sonic fan knows the tune to it. Then there's the snowboarding in Robotnik Winter Zone, the Knuckles cutscenes, the Metal Sonic fight... All of these contribute to a fantastic visual treat for the player.

Everything else, though? Ehhhh not so much. The soundtrack is my favourite of the 8-bit titles after Sonic 1, but then there's a ton of issues I also have. Screen crunch is still prevelant and can screw you over on many occasions. Atomic Destroyer Zone continues the growing trend of Sonic 8-bit titles traversing through tubes in the final level of the game. The wonky jump physics paired with the inability to jump out of a loop for some reason. Sonic takes too long to shift momentum when turning during slow speeds, for some reason. The Peel-Out has virtually no advantages over the Spin Dash. Sonic's sprite looks odd. All these combine to bog down the gameplay of Triple Trouble quite a bit, but it doesn't stop it from being one of the most impressive 8-bit handheld games.

7.5/10, visual spectacle, stunning graphics for an 8-bit title, solid soundtrack. Brought down by Sonic's controls and interactions with the level lacking polish.

Sonic the Hedgehog is the weakest of the Classic era main titles, but that should not be a damper in what is otherwise a really solid debut title for SEGA's mascot.

First of all, the graphics and overall design of the stages are great and impressively detailed, with Green Hill Zone in particular having a distinctive charm not seen in most games at the time. I do believe the color palette used for Sonic 1 is a bit dull, though. Marble, Spring Yard and Star Light could've been more vibrant, but they instead went with dull purple, boring brown and dull dark green. In their defense it does increase the realism of the stages you traverse through so that's fine I guess. Sonic himself looks sharp and charismatic, at least, effortlessly displaying that cool edge that made him such an iconic figure of the 90s with his cocky and impatient attitude.

The soundtrack is rather mid for Sonic standards tbh. Pales in comparison to its Master System counterpart, Spring Yard sounds shit (not sorry), Marble and Labyrinth both sound pretty generic but they're at least alright. Scrap Brain and Green Hill both have good themes though. Shame Sonic 2's soundtrack absolutely dumps this one's in the mud.

Alright now for the meat and potatoes of this review: Sonic's control and the levels in general.

What more is there to say about Sonic's movement that hasn't been said already? It's fluent, natural and easy to grasp, he slows down uphill and speeds up on downward inclines, he gains increased vertical height from bouncing on enemies at certain angles; the physics in this game feel realistic and simple. A really good foundation for the franchise's future games.

Green Hill Zone
See, when I think of Green Hill Zone, my mind immediately comes to speedrunning. Most people argue for the necessity for more difficult, riskier high routes, but this zone proves otherwise. This zone has many branching pathways that can all be traversed through quickly as long as the player has the skill. But in speedruns, you don't see speedrunners rushing through Ring Heaven, you see them jump after the slope, knowing that the lower route is the fastest option available when finishing the stage. Similarly, GHZ act 3 has not one, but TWO optimal routes available for speedrunners to tackle: the standard lower route that's easier to execute but difficult nonetheless, and the insane high route that requires insane precision from the player to bounce onto strategically placed enemies in order to reach the boss from astronomical heights. Quite literally the peak of the game, a fantastic tutorial for newcomers as well as playground for those who keep coming back for more.

Marble Zone
This zone is mediocre, but it isn't the worst. Yes, you heard me right: stop calling Marble Zone garbage. Sure, there are obligatory waiting times on some of the lava segments, but skilled players know to use their momentum to leap onto the platforms in Act 1, or navigate through the shortcut in Act 3 that skips another lava segment. Yes, the level is quite linear and some of the waiting could've been cut from it, but this is a good level to explore, with a lot of secrets and at least one extra life per act. A checkpoint in Act 3 would've been helpful, though.

Spring Yard Zone
Hot take: I really dislike Spring Yard. The music sucks, the badniks are quite annoying, the bumpers ARE annoying, and if you thought waiting was annoying in Marble, just wait until you reach the moving blocks. I like how there are multiple signposts at the end of Acts 1 and 2, also the times where you can gradually increase your momentum by rolling down half pipes, but that's about it. Moving on.

Labyrinth Zone
Yeah this zone is shit. But it's not the worst, really, experts at the game know of the massive shortcut in Act 1 and the other shortcut in Act 3. The problem is Sonic 1's water physics are exemplified by your extended stay in the water, with a lot more linearity and waiting than even Marble Zone. The badniks here are also incredibly annoying (the ball guy and Grounder), as well as those fucking extendable spears. A difficult level, but not in the fun way. Don't even get me started on that boss fight where you only have a shield to work with if you die on your first try. Platforming on that level is tedious and I fucking hate it. But again, not complete garbage, learn the shortcuts and you actually halve your time spent in Acts 1 and 3.

Star Light Zone
Boring. Yes, there are loops but honestly this zone is super forgettable, the color palette is at its dullest in this level and the music makes me want to go to sleep. Does have the most inventive boss fight in the game, though, so credit for that.

Scrap Brain
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. This is Eggman's main turf on South Island, so obviously he would have it heavily guarded with buzzsaws, flamethrowers, electrical circuits and pitfalls. That doesn't mean it's fun though. Act 3 also has the guts of making Labyrinth Zone harder, but it also does have a massive shortcut that rewards players who are able to clear the gap fast enough. Then you reach the final boss, it's relatively easy, you take out Eggman, day saved, end of game.

Oh wait the Chaos Emeralds-

Special Stages aka Please Don't Ever Play the Original Release
First off: There are only TEN opportunities for you to get SIX Chaos Emeralds. And zones like Labyrinth, Spring Yard and Star Light all have certain unfair elements that'll scupper your chances of entering a Special Stage ring at the end of a level. Second of all, these special stages aren't even that hard. But they're ANNOYING. The music is garbage, the controls are mostly out of your hands, and whether or not you get the Chaos Emerald at the end depends on luck, rather than the player's skill!

AND YOU ONLY HAVE TEN CHANCES AT THIS SHIT

Let's not forget the Spike Bug! The lack of continues! The Labyrinth Act 2 crash! There's a lot of things wrong with the original game. So, if you want to try the original experience for yourself, I would recommend just flat out playing the 2011 port by Christian Whitehead. It has a better framerate, free of most game-breaking bugs, save files, and just to slap on more good shit they added widescreen, more playable characters (Tails and Knuckles) and the Spin Dash. Taxman doing the heavy lifting for this community I swear to god.

6/10 I don't actually hate this game despite most of my negativity in this review but it's definitely the weakest of the Genesis saga.

If Door to Phantomile was the crest of a wave of emotions, then Lunatea's Veil is the wave itself. Now, that may sound bad, but while I do prefer the emotional masterclass of Klonoa 1's story, I had a lot more fun with Klonoa 2 in general.
Here's why:


HOLY SHIT I CAN DOUBLE JUMP WHILE STATIONARY NOW?

Immediately Klonoa 2 fixes one of my biggest problems with the first game, making double jumps significantly easier to pull off. And that's not all, because Klonoa doesn't skid as much when he stops now, which means you're less prone to falling off small platforms (which mercifully the game trimmed down as well). Both of these optimizations make Klonoa feel like an absolute dream to control, your movement is so perfect and fluid that it makes platforming a lot more fun to do.

As for the levels themselves, I initially wasn't that convinced with the game. New features introduced like the auto-spring and the tornado early on made me feel as if the platforming process felt a bit too automated for my taste, with the puzzle element being left in the dust. Fortunately, from Volkan Inferno onwards, the game kicks things up several notches, with platforming matching the difficulty of DtP. Volkan City, in particular, was my least favourite stage in the entire game with how little challenge there was to the stage. But set a rampaging robot after you and suddenly the level is a lot more stressful and challenging for the player. And then the game never looks back, Ishara's Ark and Maze of Memories being among my favourite levels across both games.

The boss fights this time were more interesting as well! Not only do they all have multiple phases now, but there are some really fun ones like Polonte and the final boss, the King of Sorrow (which is still great despite only having 2 phases compared to DtP's 3). However, Cursed Leorina, in my opinion, takes the cake for being the best boss fight in the entire game, from both a story perspective and a visual perspective. It rivals even Baladium and Ghadius in that regard.

The level design in general is good, although not as great as DtP which seamlessly blended both planes into a pleasant looking environment, whereas this game relies more on cannons to make Klonoa switch planes. The difficulty curve can be a bit harsh as well, with the levels before and after Volkan Inferno having staggering differences. Even moreso the gigantic 15 minute behemoths known as The Ark Revisited and Kingdom of Sorrow, both of which have really unforgiving level design, which, while satisfying, can equally be very frustrating.

Another thing I didn't like about the gameplay is Klonoa 2's leniency with providing extra lives for the player. When you start losing lives frequently in the game, it actually spawns more extra life tokens for you to keep floating around the 3-5 life count, which makes game overs much less frequent.

Soundtrack is a bop. Graphics are phenomenal for its time, providing a visual treat for the player. Best of all, they still hold to today's standards. However, this does come at the cost of the usage of in-engine cutscenes, which personally reduces the charm of the story. The characters look a lot less expressive and flat when the camera is panned in on them, which is a problem the original game never had to deal with. Klonoa in particular initially frustrated me, because he was the focal character of DtP and was chocked full of emotive expressions, but I later came to appreciate that. Which leads me to my overall thoughts on the story, and Klonoa in particular:

I think Lolo is alright, Popka a bit annoying but tolerable, Tat exists, Leorina complex and fascinating, and the King of Sorrow being just as thought-provoking with his motivations much like Ghadius from DtP. While emotionally it isn't as hard-hitting as, say, Grandpa dying or that fucking ending, Lolo's backstory and character arc is serviceable for those who want to invest in the story emotionally. I'll also take a moment to single out Leorina, whose motivations from the get-go are clearly not of pure evil. She thinks what she's doing is for the greater good of the world, and that by doing so she'd be able to save the world itself prove herself as the most powerful priestess without having to resort to their lame training methods. But she eventually comes to realise the flaws in her actions and becomes an ally to Klonoa and co.

Finally, Klonoa himself.

As mentioned earlier, I was rather conflicted by Klonoa's lack of peppy optimism and expressiveness, both things that made him stand out in DtP. The more I thought about it, though, the more it clicked in my mind.

There is a radical change in design for Klonoa between this game and DtP. Aside from the cosmetics, he also feels taller, and definitely looks older. This isn't the Klonoa we've come to know from his misadventures in Door to Phantomile anymore. Personal headcanon: DtP was the first time Klonoa the Dream Traveller actually travelled through dreams. Empire of Dreams then happened (although I removed Huepow from that story in particular since he was only there to fulfill the role of the Wind Ring). By now, Klonoa has matured significantly from an emotional perspective. While he still retains some of that optimistic. determined charm we know him for in DtP, he's also more serious and slightly reluctant (and also a hit with the ladies...?). This is odd to say considering I just said he was determined, but it certainly felt like it to me, IDK. Regardless, we're following an older Klonoa who's experienced the sorrow and heartbreak of DtP and whatever happen in EoD (I never played it), he's learned from his past experiences and as a result, became more hardened and matured.

'I believe that if you don't forget the sadness of this moment, we'll always be... together.'

When Klonoa said this to Lolo before leaving this world and returning to his reality, I don't think it was just a simple line to comfort her.

He's speaking from experience. And when he spoke, he thought of Huepow and how he had to say goodbye to his best friend back then.

And it's just like the themes of the story. It was foreshadowed early on with the level name 'Sea of Tears', but the King of Sorrow and his secluded Kingdom sends a strong message:

'It's ok to feel downcast and sorrowful. It's moments like these where our resolve is tested, but as long as we have the courage and support of our friends, we keep moving forward.'

Superb follow up to the themes of Door to Phantomile. It may not be my best explanation but... bravo.

And I think that's everything covered! Oh wait, the board segments. Honestly not the biggest fan, as I definitely preferred the emphasis on puzzle platforming delivered by DtP, but I think all the board riding stages are pretty good, even being able of sprinkling it some minor puzzle elements into the levels themselves. The controls are decent and while you are prone to falling off easy earlier on, once full mastery is obtained it's definitely a fun experience for those willing to invest time to hone these skills.

8.5/10 it may not be a perfect game, but its definitely one of my favourites.

Sky High Zone Chaos Emerald.

The Hangglider.

Green Hills Zone Act 3.

GIMMICK MOUNTAIN ZONE.

This game is bullshit, and not in a good way.

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.