Although a lousy answer to Sonic's leap into the third dimension (mainly due to the troubles of Sonic X-Treme), Sonic 3D Blast is nonetheless a neat little experiment, even if quite flawed, with fantastic vibes.
I think this game (the Saturn version specifically) radiates with everything that I love about this weird era of Sonic the Hedgehog. It just oozes with that more surreal and unabashedly 90's vibe found in other Sonic media like Sonic R, the OVA and Sonic CD; one that defines Classic Sonic to me. One big part of it is the music; composed by Richard Jacques, I always preferred this soundtrack to the Genesis version. It's very atmospheric and chill, honestly akin to the US soundtrack of Sonic CD. I also have a soft spot for the extremely dated pre-rendered visuals; Sonic looking like a Happy Meal toy is simply all part of the charm.
As for the gameplay side of things, I think there is, in fact, fun to be found here. Although Sonic controls a bit weird, I found myself getting used to it after Rusty Ruin and comfortably jumping and rolling all over the place; albeit when the level design works with it. Some stages like Rusty Ruin and Volcano Valley (at least without the fire shield) are just flat-out unfun. Flicky collecting also gets a bit annoying at times, with them scattering about every time you get hit, it becomes a pain in the ass having to catch them again in stages like Volcano Valley. Depth perception issues also persist here and there. That is, however, not to say that the gameplay was mostly bad in my experience; as for stages such as Green Grove, Spring Stadium, Diamond Dust and Panic Puppet, I found them to be decent fun going through them. Nothing to knock your socks off, but it is where 3D Blast shows its merit.
While I don't think I'll be going back to this game any time soon due to its more frustrating aspects, 3D Blast is a cool little side-game with a hell of a lot of heart. I don't think it'd hurt to try it out and see what you think; although I can only recommend the Saturn version from my experience.
I think this game (the Saturn version specifically) radiates with everything that I love about this weird era of Sonic the Hedgehog. It just oozes with that more surreal and unabashedly 90's vibe found in other Sonic media like Sonic R, the OVA and Sonic CD; one that defines Classic Sonic to me. One big part of it is the music; composed by Richard Jacques, I always preferred this soundtrack to the Genesis version. It's very atmospheric and chill, honestly akin to the US soundtrack of Sonic CD. I also have a soft spot for the extremely dated pre-rendered visuals; Sonic looking like a Happy Meal toy is simply all part of the charm.
As for the gameplay side of things, I think there is, in fact, fun to be found here. Although Sonic controls a bit weird, I found myself getting used to it after Rusty Ruin and comfortably jumping and rolling all over the place; albeit when the level design works with it. Some stages like Rusty Ruin and Volcano Valley (at least without the fire shield) are just flat-out unfun. Flicky collecting also gets a bit annoying at times, with them scattering about every time you get hit, it becomes a pain in the ass having to catch them again in stages like Volcano Valley. Depth perception issues also persist here and there. That is, however, not to say that the gameplay was mostly bad in my experience; as for stages such as Green Grove, Spring Stadium, Diamond Dust and Panic Puppet, I found them to be decent fun going through them. Nothing to knock your socks off, but it is where 3D Blast shows its merit.
While I don't think I'll be going back to this game any time soon due to its more frustrating aspects, 3D Blast is a cool little side-game with a hell of a lot of heart. I don't think it'd hurt to try it out and see what you think; although I can only recommend the Saturn version from my experience.