A Review of Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine (Game Gear)

1993

?????????????????????????????????Spoiler Alert, Maybe????????????????????????????????

The Story

Lights flash and steam erupts from brightly coloured, cartoon-like machines. Small, round creatures sit on moving conveyer belts, which feeds them into the machines. Each creature waits while the machines transforms them into miniature robots.

Nearby, Dr Robotnik addresses two robotic minions. One minion resembles a chicken standing on two legs, while another is a smaller robot with drills in place of a nose and hands and caterpillar tracks in place of feet. “Witness my dream to rid Mobius of music and fun forever.” he gloats, waving a pointed finger for effect, “My latest invention, the mean bean-steaming machine will not only dispose of those fun-loving jolly beans of Beanville but turn them into robot slaves to serve my evil purposes. ”

“Robots. Bring me those beans.” Dr Robotnik commands.

Each of Dr Robotnik’s minions are defeated until the villain is beaten.

The game ends with a mass of joyful beans celebrating while the machine explodes.

I think that is the story for the game, I am not actually sure.

The Review

This is a review of the game available as an extra feature on the Sonic Adventure DX game as, unfortunately, I have not played this version of the game on the Game Gear itself.

I, personally, have been slightly fascinated by this game. The title seems to suggest that Dr Robotnik was the main character and I was interested by what “Mean Bean Machine” could refer to.

At the time this game was released, there were quite a few games created that were based on an idea similar to the Tetris game (having to prevent falling blocks from filling a screen by making them disappear). I have been informed these games are called puyo puyo. Some of the games were independent titles (such as Baku Baku Animal), while some seemed to be part of a franchise (eg. Dr Mario). This game seems to be a version of the puzzle using the Sonic series.

The story for the game seems to be irrelevant, the game consists of the player fighting against a range of enemies, which become more difficult as the game progresses, until they defeat Dr Robotnik. There are no animated sequences in the game, which consists of a series of combative Tetris-like puzzles, and only a slight resemblance of a story (somehow, making the beans disappear frees them from Dr Robotnik’s clutches). I thought the lack of a plot is probably due to the fact that the game is intended to be an entertaining game, rather than an in-depth story (a more cynical explanation is that the game was released to exploit a fashion for similar games and was made with little thought).

The gameplay is very similar to the Tetris game. Interestingly, while there has been a large number of games based on the gameplay of Tetris, each game seems to present with an unique aspect. In this game, beans fall from the sky in pairs (like the miscellaneous objects in Tetris) into a space, except the beans can be one of four colours (green, red, yellow or pink). If four or more beans of the same colour are in alignment, the beans disappear. The alignment can consist of rows, columns or a mixture (eg. three beans in a row with one on top). Like in Tetris, if the mountain of beans builds up to the top of the space, the player loses. In this game, however, the player is competing against a computer-controlled player and the aim is too keep the pile of beans as low as possible before the opponents space is overwhealmed by beans. Two buttons are used to rotate the pairs of beans either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Another addition to the format was the use of “blocker” beans. These beans, which were black with a white outline, function by building up the pile and blocking groups of beans forming. These beans were removed if the beans adjacent to them disappear as part of a group of four. I am not sure the precise mechanisms that make them appear, but it seems that if one player makes beans disappear, these “blocker” beans will fall into the other player’s space. Seemingly, the amount of “blocker” beans added to the space changes, sometimes a few will appear, sometimes a lot will.

I felt this game to be quite difficult, like many Sonic games released on the Game Gear. As the player progresses through the stages, the game becomes more difficult by increasing the speed at which the beans fall. I found an interesting effect occurred. With the high speed, I was not able to plan a strategy and needed to develop quick reflexes (and to be very lucky) to position the beans as effectively as possible. This meant I was highly focussed on the dropping beans, with little consideration on the arrangement of the beans within the structure or the progress of the computer opponent. I felt myself become more involved in the game and more surprised as the game developed. I remembered feeling anxious as the pile of beans reached the top of the space, the sneering portrait of the enemy adding to the tension, then sudden relief as huge blocks unexpectantly vanished from the pile after shifting forces caused groups of beans to form. As the pile rose again, I felt fear as I realised that my efforts were not decreasing the height of the structure and each bean was helping the pile reach the top of the space, followed by confusion as all the beans vanished from view yet there still being some space left before defeat, followed by happiness as I realised that the opponent had actually been less successful and I had won by an extremely narrow margin. It was interesting to feel so many emotions from such a simple game.

The designs used in the game were interesting. I found this game to be one of the most vibrantly coloured Sonic games I have experienced, the background of the space is a black block, while the beans are brightly coloured greens, yellows, reds and pinks. Each player’s score is displayed in white lettering, with pink outline, above each space and the next beans in the sequence are shown underneath white lettering with a bright blue outline. For the first 8 stages, the background resembles a wall of emerald green stones. In later levels, the background seems to be decorated with parts from a machine.

The character designs differ to other Sonic games. Instead of using a Dr Robotnik similar to other games, the Dr Robotnik used in this game resembles the character from the Sonic animated series. The enemies do not appear in other Sonic games and I remember two of them being henchmen in the animated series. Each enemy is portrayed in a small portrait between the two spaces and their expressions change depending on the progress of the game: fixed expression when either player could win, keen joy when the human player is failing, celebration after winning, fearful desperation when their pile is nearing the top and defeated looks after losing.

The music for the game is quite strange. It is slow and ranges from tinny thumping to high-pitch whistling, which does not seem to fit with the tense gameplay. The music is also quite repetitive.

I have observed that many of the Sonic games available on the Game Gear use some bizarre aspects. One of the most strangest parts of this game seems to be the credit sequence. Following the end of the game, the background turns dark blue and the credits scroll upwards in bright green and bright red lettering. Weirdly, the names of the staff appear to resemble nicknames, rather than actual names, such as “KAZU&KOZU” credited as Planner, “E.D.A” listed as a Programmer and “7LY BIG KING” and “AAA”return among the Designers. I am not sure what the reason for this is, whether they are actual names, mistranslations, a joke to use nicknames or the staff genuinely did not want to be associated with the game.

The game also uses a number of alternative modes of play. The main game, which uses an interesting password system which uses the beans and an extra, moving bean, is one player. There is also a 2 player mode (called “Gear to Gear Mode”), which I assume uses 2 connected Game Gears. There is an “Exercise Mode”. There is also a “Puzzle Mode”, which requires the player to complete specific challenges (using the same gameplay) and is designed to resemble a piece of lined paper.

In conclusion, the game was fairly enjoyable. I enjoyed the gameplay, it was interesting to use different colours, as it caused some unexpected moments when groups of same coloured beans suddenly formed groups. The game also increased the difficulty at an even pace and to the right level. The game also used some interesting alternative modes. The story for the game was non-existent. The design for the game was interesting and vibrant. The music was repetitive and unsuitable. I also found the music a little annoying.

I also felt that this game would work well on a portable console. I would not be motivated to play a simple game like this on a large screen and spend long amounts of time on it. Instead, it seems like a nice game to play on a small machine for a short period of time while waiting for an appointment or somewhere with little entertainment options, recording the password afterwards to allow the player to continue where they had finished previously. I owned Tetris on the Game Boy and, while I would not have selected it if I had the time to play more in-depth games, I did like playing it for a few minutes while waiting for something. I felt this game could have a similar use.

Nomination for “The Entertainer Award”

entertainer-blogger-award.jpg

This post is in response to a nomination for The Entertainer Blogger Award, therefore, I will try to be more entertaining in honour of the award. Thanks to the Well-Red Mage (link:Well-Red Mage) for nominating me months ago (life moves very slowly in moresleepneeded land, like those dreamlike levels in old side-scrolling games where the character moves slowly and the background consists of clouds).

The Rules of The Entertainer Blogger Award

  • Write a post including the award picture.
  • Nominate 12 other bloggers who are funny, inspiring, and most importantly ENTERTAINING!
  • Add these rules to the post.
  • Thank the person who nominated you and leave a link to their blog!
  • Answer the questions down below:
  1. What do you hope to gain from blogging?

I just enjoy posting reviews and sharing my opinions. I hope people enjoy what I write and it causes them to think about the subjects. It would be nice to become wealthy from my blog, but I do not think that will happen.

2. What genre of film entertains you most?

I like comedies, preferably ones which ramble on about a subject endlessly for too much time (just like my blogs). Only joking. I like thrillers (including courtroom, detective and action). I like following a story, gradually learning more about the events and then discovering the truth. It is also interesting following characters and watching them develop personally and in their relationships with others. Sometimes a story about a murder is also an opportunity to examine a someone’s life and the reasons for their death.

3. Do you consider yourself a writer, and what inspires you to write?

If these celebrities bringing out books are considered writers, I am considering myself a writer. Actually, I consider many bloggers I read to be writers because they produce work that is more enjoyable and insightful than many professional writers writing in the mainstream media. I am inspired to write because I enjoy it. I like researching a game, deciding how I feel about and creating a document to describe my opinions.

4. What is your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is blame culture. I hate it when a mistake has been made and people, rather than help solve the problem, spend time finding someone to blame. It just functions as a way for people to divert any negative attention from themselves and ignores the causes of problems. It also encourages people to not volunteer or do anything themselves, but to wait for someone else to try something and then complain about them when it goes wrong. I have a particular hatred for those in positions of responsibility (such as managers or teachers) who will put down their juniors in front of their peers when they should be taking responsibility for making sure the work was completed properly or the person was aware of what they needed to do.

5. Why did you choose your particular WordPress username?

Unfortunately, my username is a bit of an accident. I originally planned to call myself notenoughsleep because it sounded like an interesting name (people would wonder why I called myself it and question whether I was an insomniac), but, because that name was taken, I experimented with different names around the same theme. I eventually chose moresleepneeded, which sounds like a cure for insomnia (which, judging by my reviews, maybe justified).

I would like to nominate the following bloggers:

  1. Very Very Gaming,
  2. Particlebit,
  3. pine717,
  4. benez256,
  5. Mr Panda,
  6. evilwizardesq,
  7. Lightning Ellen,
  8. Sylvio Konkol,
  9. Blow In My Cartridge,
  10. Culture Geek,
  11. Next Level Reviews,
  12. Astro Adam.

I am not sure if I am supposed to create my own questions or ask the same questions I answered (the nominator seemed to suggest they made up their own questions to rebel), so I will just ask the same questions:

  1. What do you hope to gain from blogging?
  2. What genre of film entertains you the most?
  3. Do you consider yourself a write, and what inspires you to write?
  4. What is your biggest pet peeve?
  5. Why did you choose your particular WordPress username?

Follow the rules and I am interested to learn your answers.

2nd “Liebster Award” Nomination

This is the second blog produced as a response to a nomination for the “Liebster Award”.

Thanks to pine717 for the nomination, the following questions were asked by this blogger and I have provided my answers.

  1. “What made you want to start writing a blog?

I have always enjoyed writing and wanted to develop this skill. I also enjoy reviews which discuss stories (such as the meanings and symbolism used in films) and wanted to produce reviews which reflected this.

2. “Outside of gaming, what hobbies do you try to cultivate?”

I play a sport. I enjoy the team aspect and using my skill and strategy to win. I also enjoy reading and watching films.

3. “Night Owl or Early Riser?”

I used to be an Early Riser, but am now a Night Owl. I still like the look of dawn on a clear day and the bright, morning sunlight, so it is a bit of a shame I stay up late.

4. “Book or movie that had the greatest influence on you growing up?”

I am not really influenced much by books and movies. I have always enjoyed the James Bond stories, so I would have to say those books and films. After reading how the James Bond films were influenced by fashions in film, I would have to state that the films themselves seem to chronicle the history of film (from the glamorous sixties to blaxplotation to king-fu to science-fiction to understated eighties to action thriller to gritty noughties to remake). The books are also interesting, as the writer seems to use varied ideas (such as highly political thriller, gangster story, short stories, domestic drama, point-of-view of another character, etc.). In one novel, a heroic character describes how he seduced his wife, won her in a fight, carried her away unconscious when she resisted, kept naked under a table and fed on scraps of food when she tried to escape, until she eventually loves him. This is described as a good way to treat women, so it is probably good that I was not easily influenced.

I also feel my life has been affected by a book called “The Colour Atlas of Clinical Gynaecology”, but I was not a kid when I read it.

5. “Favourite beverage to relax with?”

The eighth beer. Not really. I actually like chilled cola.

6. “Favourite character from a game?”

My favourite character from a game would be Naked Snake from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I enjoy the game and find this character interesting. The character seems to go through a change during the story and is shown to have a close relationship with some of the other characters. I also find it interesting how this character changes in later games (the fact that he is first shown as a 3D character in this game also gives him a strange aura).

I am also interested in Donald Love from the Grand Theft Auto series. The Grand Theft Auto games between Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories seem to show the development and characters and stories in a fictional universe, the most prominent of these characters include Donald Love. In 1986, he is the protégé to a Vice City property magnate. In 1998, he is a wealthy business owner trying to run for mayor of Liberty City, who is bankrupted before he regains his wealth, partly by destroying a neighbourhood of the city. In 2001, he is a media tycoon, who orchestrates the rescue of a friend and becomes obsessed with a mysterious object he retrieves from an unknown source, before disappearing. Amongst this, there are references to unexplained “morgue parties” and darker elements of his personality. It is also interesting how his character changes from shy to jolly to suave.

7. “Favourite season of the year?”

My favourite season would be Spring. I remember it being the right temperature (not too warm or cold) with interesting weather (sometimes being bright, sometimes downpour), without the steady damp of other seasons.

8. “What was the first game that really made you like video and computer games?”

It would have to be Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Until then, I had mostly played simple games, such as Mega Drive games like Sonic and Ecco, which were enjoyable, but uncomplicated. Playing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was much different. The story was much more involving and featured much more heavily than older games. The puzzles required more thought and practice. The settings were interesting and the dungeons were themed.  The world outside of the main story was much more complex, there were collectibles, characters had their own stories and there were many areas to explore. Interestingly, some of these details had no affect on the plot, which was strange considering everything in older games were designed to influence the single story running through the game. This game demonstrated that games were not just a diversion for an hour or so, they could be story-telling mediums which used well-designed environments and allowed the player to explore. It was also interesting the impact of the game on the outside world. People, who I did not think ever played computer games, wanted advice on completing dungeons and friends would talk about their progression in the game.

9. “The Beatles or Led Zeppelin? (Or neither?)”

I prefer  The Beatles, particularly the later music. I like the way the music ranged from simple, peaceful music (“Here Comes the Sun”) to surreal (“Glass Onion”) to playful (“Octopus’ Garden”), which seem, to me, to represent sixties popular culture.

10. “Pie or cake?”

What is the intention for this question? I prefer to eat cakes than pies (cakes have icing).

11. “Favourite number”

I like the number ten. It was always easy to add, subtract, multiply and divide by ten at school and I have loved the number since then.

As part of the award, a group of bloggers are selected and invited to answer a number of questions.

These are the questions:

  1. Why did you choose the name of your blog?
  2. If you could go back in time to experience any event, where would you go?
  3. What subjects do you enjoy finding out information about?
  4. What is a mystery you would like to know the answer to?
  5. What is the funniest way that you have heard anyone mistake the lyrics for a song?
  6. What is the weirdest question you have been asked as part of a Liebster Award Nomination?
  7. What is the name of a dance song (which sounds like it was from the eighties) which features energetic music and a deep voice singing “Hold me”?
  8. How do you like to write blogs?
  9. What would you do if I sang out of tune?
  10. What is a song that reminds you of a specific time or place?

These are my nominated bloggers:

  1. mrpanda,
  2. evilwizardesq,
  3. LilSamuelJones,
  4. LightningEllen,
  5. AstroAdam,
  6. Anyone who reads this blog post

A Review of Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble (Game Gear)

1994

———————–Spoiler Alert—————————

The Story

Blackness. Six gems fall from the sky, glittering in the darkness as they fall to the ground, six different colours brightly flashing among the blackness. A pink ball bounces from the side, picking up each diamond-shaped gem. After taking the last Chaos Emerald, the ball uncurls and Knuckles stands, laughing following his triumph. He quickly leaps into the air and assumes a gliding position as Sonic appears, running after the flying Knuckles. The darkness fades as a background of a tree-lined shore slowly appears. Sonic pursues Knuckles, followed by Tails flying in the air. Dr Robotnik appears, using a rocket powered vehicle to hover above the ground, smiling as he extends his arm to reveal his possession of a golden Chaos Emerald. He quickly accelerates upwards.

Sonic travels through some levels, before reaching Knuckles, who uses a machine to attack Sonic. Sonic defeats Knuckles and reaches the Atomic Destroyer. Inside the Atomic Destroyer, Sonic fights Mechanix and finds Nack. After Nack wakes up and taunts Sonic, the ground shakes, causing Nack to run away (suddenly losing his desire to annoy Sonic)and Dr Robotnik to appear. Dr Robotnik then uses two machines to attack Sonic. After his machines are destroyed, Dr Robotnik flees,  closely pursued by Sonic, until he attempts to escape using a floating platform. While Dr Robotnik stands laughing, Sonic hits him, causing him to lose the golden chaos emerald and the platform to explode, leading to the device and Dr Robotnik to fall down a pit. Sonic runs along a platform and finds Knuckles, locked in a flashing cage (how and why are not explained). Sonic destroys the prison and the two shake hands, before escaping the Atomic Destroyer.

The game ends with Sonic sitting on the top wing Tails’ biplane as Tails flies the plane towards a distant island while the sun sets over a restless sea.

Are there plots that are more difficult to follow?

The Review

This game is a review of the version of the game available in the Sonic Adventure DX game, rather than the one released on the Game Gear.

The story for the game, while quite simple, is actually more developed than other Sonic games released at the time. There are a few animated sequences to show the story and demonstrate the personalities of the characters, outside of exploring a number of different levels with no link to each other. The number of characters has also increased.

This game takes place during an interesting time in the Sonic series due to the introduction of Knuckles the Echidna. In previous Sonic games, the characters had very simple personalities. Dr Robotnik was a villain interested in mechanising the world, Sonic was the laid-back hero and Tails was Sonic’s sidekick, a slower hero who seemed to worship the main character. These characteristics did not really affect the story of the game.

Knuckles, however, made the games more complex. During the early games to feature Knuckles, he was initially portrayed as a villain, interested in collecting the Chaos Emeralds, obstructing Sonic and working with Dr Robotnik. At some point during the games, he would be betrayed by the villain and would be shown to be a misguided hero who had been tricked by Dr Robotnik into believing Sonic wished to misuse the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Games featuring Knuckles would start to incorporate more storytelling devices to explain this characteristic and would develop the story of the game. In this game, he appears at the end of each level, laughs and activates a switch which causes a cascade of either snow or fire to fall down, followed by the beginning of the next level. In later games, Knuckles seem to become a more straightforward hero, who focussed on using strength rather than speed.

Interestingly, this game features the Nack character. I have not encountered this character in a game before and the only time I have seen this character was in the Sonic Comics. In the comics, Sonic is transported to a strange dimension where he encounters Team Chaotix. The team (consisting of Vector the Crocodile, Charmy the Bee, Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo and Nack the Wolf) become regular characters and have their own game (some people might consider the two events to be a cynical marketing ploy). In the stories, Nack becomes a traitor and aligns with Dr Robotnik. In this game, Nack is basically a villain, although his exact role in the story is a little mysterious. He mostly appears in the special stages and prevents Sonic retrieving the Chaos Emeralds. This makes him seem like a guardian of the Chaos Emeralds, but he appears later in the Atomic Destroyer level, suggesting he is a henchman of Dr Robotnik. His function is never explained in the story, giving him a strange place in the story.

I have noticed that many of the Sonic games released on the Game Gear seem to use a mixture of strange ideas and unnecessarily difficult gameplay. This game is not as difficult as previous games in the series though.

The level designs are interesting, but the names of each level are very strange. Firstly, the levels in this game are not called zones, which is different to most other Sonic games. Unlike other Sonic games released at the same time, the first level is not named as a hill (such as Emerald Hill Zone and Green Hill Zone). The game begins in the Great Turquoise, which resembles an idyllic countryside, with clear skies, a lake in the background and waterfalls, except with the bizarre addition of trees topped with springboards. The second level is called Sunset Park, however, the level does not resemble a leafy park. The level looks like an industrial area with carts, tracks and trains, with a background coloured a bright orange to mimic a sunset (which I like, but suspect others describe as sickly). This level is followed by Meta Junglira (I have no idea what this name means). The level itself has a jungle theme (with dark greens and use of sinking mud), with the surface covered in springboards and baskets (which propel Sonic upwards at a fast speed) and circular objects, which behave like obstacles in a pinball machine, suspended in the air. The next level is called Robotnik Winter, which is a wintry level with no Robotnik. The level itself consists of structures, made of dark blue tiles, covered in snow and large pillars, with blue fire at the top. The background consists of a dark pink sky and a frozen sea, with icebergs visible. The foreground also uses falling snow and Sonic can fall through piles of snow to reach lower levels. I found the use of colours actually has a soothing effect. The following level is called Tidal Plant and is the game’s water-filled level. Strangely, unlike how I imagined tidal plants to look, this level is filled unusual shapes and items that are coloured using bright, garish colours, which become subdued greens and blues when Sonic is underwater. Like many water-filled levels in Sonic games, this level features the player travelling up and down as the game allows the player to reach the surface, before exploring underwater areas which rely on the use of bubbles to provide Sonic with oxygen. The final level is called Atomic Destroyer, which sounds like the developers were not allowed to use the name Death Egg and had to invent their own base for Dr Robotnik. The level uses a mechanical design and has a black ground (with flashing lights) and dark blue foreground, which seems quite calming. The level itself uses switches to release enemies and fire lasers, along with tubes to transport Sonic through the level.

Weirdly, each level begins with the name of the level in capital letters with an animation of Sonic running to the right. The first letter of each part of the level title has a colour unique to that level.

The game also has an interesting use of Special Stages. To enter the Special Stage, the player has to collect fifty rings and smash a monitor showing an image of a Chaos Emerald. This causes a ring of stars to hover over the remains of the machine, which, if entered, transport Sonic to the Special Stage. The Special Stages alternate between two forms. One form of the Special Stage takes place in a strange location with a futuristic-classical design (with metal columns and a background consisting of purple walls and a strange melting metal effect) and requires the player to reach a point in the location within a set amount of time. The second form of the Special Stage consists of Sonic flying through the sky in a biplane, with the player collecting a set number of rings. Both types of Special Stage end with Sonic fighting a machine piloted by Nack. Defeating Nack leads to the machine exploding and Nack running away, with a fall to prove his cowardice. The player would then find the Chaos Emerald placed on a weird altar.

The bosses in the game consist of large robots, with the final two levels using Knuckles and Dr Robotnik inside large machines. Each boss uses an unique gameplay to defeat it. The first boss requires the use of springboards to attack it, the second takes place on a high speed train with the player needing to build up speed, the third can only be hit on a dynamic part of the machine with the player needing to avoid falling debris afterwards and the player needs to negotiate steep slopes, while avoiding enemies, just before reaching the forth boss. The fifth boss consists of chasing Knuckles, piloting an underwater craft, while replenishing Sonic’s oxygen. The final level uses a series of bosses: a robotic Sonic, Dr Robotnik  inside a bouncing machine and Dr Robotnik quickly passing through tubes at either side of a platform, with electric bolts falling onto the platform to harm Sonic (which seems to be a staple of Sonic games during this time). Weirdly, the mini-bosses at end of the Special Stages resemble more traditional bosses from Sonic games (the player dodging a specific attack while hitting the enemy).

Much of the game uses similar gameplay to other Sonic games released at the time. Most of the game consists of Sonic running along landscapes and attacking robotic enemies. The player can also play as Tails, with that Tails can fly, while Sonic has the weird Dash manoeuvre. There are, however, parts of the game which rely on the player using different actions to progress. Some of the Special Stages feature Sonic flying through the air in a plane and the player needs to control Sonic in a range of directions. Each level also seems to use an individual characteristic which uses an unique gameplay, for example, the third act of the Sunset Park stage consists of Sonic running along the top of a speeding train (with the player having to battle wind resistance). Some of the power-ups in the game also introduces changes to the gameplay. The springboards attached to Sonic’s feet and rocket sneakers are used in the game, along with a new power-up that produces a snowboard to allow the player to slide across the Robotnik Winter level at a high speed. The game also uses a strange skimming action. If Sonic rolls towards the surface of a body of water at high speed, he will skim across it.

This game seems to be less difficult than other games released on the Game Gear. Most of the times Sonic is harmed, the player will only lose a maximum of 30 rings (for example, if the player has collected 100 rings before colliding with an enemy, they will still have 70 rings). If Sonic comes into contact with spikes,  he will lose 50 rings (I am not sure why there is this weird differing scale of damage). The spread of the lost rings following damage is less irritating than other games. While the game keeps the strange scale of the lost rings (so if Sonic has 10 rings, 1 ring will appear, etc.), the rings are easier to collect as they do not spread out widely or at a fast pace. The player can also collect rings before a boss to allow themselves to survive more than one hit.

The graphics are fairly good. The graphics in the game use vivid colours and are attractive looking. Some of the larger pictures are quite pixelated, which seems to have an artistic quality.

In conclusion, I, personally, found this to be one of the most enjoyable Sonic games available on the Game Gear. I enjoyed the level designs and the way the game changed the  gameplay to challenge the player and make the game less monotonous. The Special Stages were easier to access and were more interesting to play (due to the different gameplays). The bosses were also unique and interesting. I also enjoyed the little animated sequences to create a small story.

“Liebster Award” Nomination

I have recently been nominated for the Liebster Award a number of times. I have decided to produce blogs to respond to the nominations and answer the questions asked.

Thanks to The Well-Red Mage for nominating me, the following questions were asked by this blogger and I have provided my answers.

  1. D.C. or Marvel?

I prefer Marvel. Unfortunately, this is based on my knowledge of the films based on the characters, rather than the comics themselves and I know more Marvel characters than D.C. stories.

2. Favourite console?

I like the Wii, the console allows for unique gameplay and I enjoy the games released on it. It also caters for people who want to  play for fun at parties or to keep fit.

3. Favourite video game?

I enjoy Metal Gear Solid 3. I liked the epic nature of the story, the detailed plot, the well developed characters, the twists were interesting, a range of environments were used and it was clever to use the theme song in the game. It was also an interesting idea to feature the villain of the series as a hero in the game and to allow his personality to develop.

4. Favourite character or franchise that needs a comeback?

Ecco the Dolphin. I played the first two games in the series and was impressed by their difficulty. The exploration nature of the game would be interesting in 3D and the series should maintain their high difficulty level.

5. Favourite film?

I like Dark Knight. I enjoyed the thriller nature of the plot, seeing people making hard decisions and the film used familiar characters  from the series and developed them. For example, Commissioner Gordon isn’t just someone who calls Batman when situations are too difficult, but actually works with Batman and becomes haunted by his inability to save his friend. Making the Joker a mysterious character increased his sinister nature and makes him very threatening. It also involves the viewer more as they wonder what they would do in the film, not as an unrealistic action hero, but as an ordinary citizen of Gotham confronted with the frightening events.

6. Favourite Book?

I like The Shining. I originally read the book because I watched the film and thought the book would explain some of the strange aspects of the film. The way the book was written made it enjoyable to read and some of the eerie and created an idea of fear, rather than a straight-forward description. I like the way the history of the hotel was explained and used to build up the idea of the building keeping people within. I was also fascinated by the Horace Derwent character.

7. Favourite non-gaming pastime?

I play a sport. I enjoy the exercise and using my skill to win games.

8. Favourite thing about blogging and your blogging goals?

I enjoy describing computer games, books and films and explaining my opinions about the things I review. I have always enjoyed reading discussions about stories, how characters develop, how the plot progresses and what ideas feature, and I would like to use this mentality when reviewing things. I hope to develop my reviews and review games which are not normally reviewed by other bloggers.

9. Favourite thing you find most inspiring in life?

I find discovering people’s personal experiences and how events have helped them develop inspiring.

10. What can The Well-Red Mage blog do to improve?

I actually enjoy this blog, especially the detailed discussions about aspects of the game and the quotes that are relevant to the game. I would like more analysis of the plot in the game, such as the use of characters and what interesting plot points are used. I also like the range of games examined (from well-known classics to obscure games) and would like this aspect to expand.

11. What game should I review?

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter on the PlayStation 2. I have played this game much more than I probably should, considering it is quite simple to play and seems to be designed as an easy way of generating more money from the Star Wars series. The game is simple to play and has a strange story, which seems to resemble a complex thriller, rather than a science-fiction game. It also uses some interesting locations and can be quite scary during certain levels, but the graphics do seem a little lazy and it expands the backstory of less famous characters from the prequel trilogy.

For my nominees, I have decided to nominate many of my followers:

  1. veryverygaming,
  2. pine717,
  3. Particlebit,
  4. The Well-red Mage,
  5. benez256,
  6. Mussaku Laden,
  7. Blow In My Cartridge,
  8. Sven Wohl,
  9. laurensaysitall,
  10. mindset,
  11. Joe Seeber.

By the way, knowing that many of the nominees have already been nominated or are actually defunct, I am not expecting a 100% response rate. If I have nominated a group of bloggers, I do not mind which member of the team responds to the questions. Feel free to either answer in a separate blog post, or in the comments below.

These are my questions:

  1. What is a game/film/book you enjoy, but is unpopular?,
  2. What is a non-horror game/film/book that you find scary? (I will accept a horror story if there isn’t one that is suitable),
  3. What is a memorable place for you? (this can be because of a memorable event or place you associate with a part of your life),
  4. What is the most obscure game/film/book you own?
  5. How much do you think you can tell about a blogger from their writing alone? (such as their gender, ethnicity, nationality, etc.),
  6. What is the most surprising thing you have found out about another blogger?
  7. What is the biggest risk you have taken?
  8. What is the most surprising thing you have found in a game/film/book?
  9. Do you ever listen to “Driving Music”?
  10. What is your favourite post you have written?
  11.  Has anyone ever drunk a carton of “Um Bongo”?

Enjoy answering, I look forward to your responses.

 

A Review of Sonic Chaos (Game Gear)

1993

————————-Spoiler Warning————————————

The Story

Sonic runs along ground covered in grass under a dark blue sky. He passes tall trees, purple flowers and distant mountains as he runs at a high speed along the ground. Dr Robotnik, seated in a small, grey machine, appears flying in the sky ahead of Sonic. Holding a red Chaos Emerald in the machine, Dr Robotnik flies in a strange pattern front of Sonic, taunting his enemy by flying just ahead of him and grinning. Suddenly, Dr Robotnik’s machine accelerates quickly and speeds off. Sonic chases after the villain, followed by Tails, running at a slower pace.

Sonic or Tails finds Dr Robotnik in the Electric Egg Zone. Dr Robotnik attacks the hero using a machine which explodes after they fights back. Dr Robotnik, vulnerable without any technology, is forced to run at high speeds to evade the hero, before leaping onto a platform which flies him upwards to safety. Soon after the villains escape, the red Chaos Emerald falls to the ground. Sonic or Tails picks up the item and escapes.

Such subtle complexity and development of character.

The Review

Unfortunately, I have no experience of playing the Game Gear and this review is based on the version of the game available as an extra feature in the Sonic Adventure DX game.

The story is very similar to the story used in many early Sonic games, explore a number of levels to reach Dr Robotnik’s base and defeat the villain. This game does use a few animated sequences to develop the story. This game also features the red Chaos Emerald as a desired item held by Dr Robotnik, however, the importance of this stone is not expanded and seems to be a device used to create a story.

This game allows the player to play as either Sonic or Tails. Sonic is fast and the player is able to complete the game more as Sonic, while Tails can fly and the game seems easier when playing him. I thought this was quite innovative, as it allows the player to choose their character and have two different experiences of the same levels.

As I have discussed in other reviews, I found many of the Sonic games available on the Game Gear presented with aspects which were bizarre and had an unnecessarily high difficulty.

While the game used some interesting designs for the levels, I found the names of the zones in this game to be quite unusual. The game begins in the “Turquoise Hill Zone”, which greatly resembles the “Emerald Hill Zone” from the Sonic 2 game available on the Mega Drive (with the large palm trees, ground patterned with squares and distant mountains rising out of the sea). The name “Turquoise Hill Zone” does not seem strange, except it seems to use a bluer colour than names for similar levels in other Sonic games. The second level is called “Gigapolis Zone”, which makes it sound like it was intended to resemble the “Metropolis Zone” from the Sonic 2 game available on the Mega Drive.  The level design consists of a city at night, with clouds reflected in glass skyscrapers, glowing stars and what seems to be moonlight reflecting on a ocean, even though the foreground consists of brightly coloured squares, futuristic tunnels and construction equipment. The third level is named “Sleeping Egg Zone”, which suggests it is the location of a dormant Death Egg. Instead, the level consists of purple and green patterned squares with grass on top and a background consisting of a fairly cloudless sky, with an image of Dr Robotnik carved into certain walls. The fourth level is called “Mecha Green Hill Zone”, I am not sure if this level is supposed to represent the first level transformed into a machine environment (with a mistake in the title) or if it just a strange mix of natural and mechanised. The level itself uses steel trees and small robotic plants, with a light orange background and distant pins-like structures disappearing into the horizon.The fifth level is named “Aqua Planet Zone”. Strangely, this level does not seem to have any water, instead the level consists of ruins and tubes, with a dark blue background with purple crystals (which look like oil rigs) and a strange cloud formation at the top of the screen which looks like the surface of a sea. The game ends with the “Electric Egg Zone”, which suggests the developers were not allowed to call the final level “Death Egg” and were forced to create a vaguely mechanical name for the level. The design is similar to similar levels in other Sonic games, with a dark background and light foreground with a science-fiction machine theme. I found the level designs in this game interesting, although the levels use less innovative ideas and changes in gameplay.

The graphics of the game are quite pixelated. I found the pixelated designs added an interesting artistry to the game, although some designs looked like lower quality versions of visuals found on versions of the game available on more powerful devices.

The bosses for this game are also slightly strange as they resemble mini-bosses more than usual bosses. Unlike other Sonic games, which feature Dr Robotnik attacking Sonic with a variety of machines, most of the bosses in this game resemble large machines (some of which look like insects) with Dr Robotnik using a machine the final boss. Weirdly, both the final boss and the boss from the “Aqua Planet Zone” both use an unusual feature. After hitting the bosses a number of times, the bosses will retreat and transform, using a new attack, but, for some reason, they become weaker and only one blow is needed to destroy the machines. I found some of the bosses in this game easier because they had a limited attack ability and were much larger targets then the bosses in other Sonic games.

The power-ups used in this game are also different to other Sonic games. There are no shield power-ups, which makes Sonic more vulnerable. The invincibility power-up is very similar to other games, with Sonic surrounded by stars. The ring and extra life power-ups are also similar to other games. The sneakers power-up has been changed though. Instead of causing Sonic to temporarily run at higher speeds, this power-up turns his shoes into rockets, allowing him to travel in the air. Jumping onto certain springboards causes these springboards to become attached to Sonic’s feet, allowing him to reach higher areas before he jumps off the device.

Other bizarre additions to the game include the Sonic dash. This involves Sonic running on the spot while the player holds certain buttons, releasing the button causes Sonic to surge forward, temporarily invincible. I found this move slightly pointless as it is less effective than the spin dash and seems to be a something the developers added because pressing the same combination of buttons as Tails causes that character to fly through the air. Like in other games in the series, each act of a level ends with a signpost that Sonic runs through to finish the act. In this game, however, the signpost will always land on the picture of Flicky (the blue bird common in Sonic games), the letters “Km/h” and constantly changing numbers will then appear. The changing numbers will stop to show (I presume) the speed Sonic hit the sign. I am not sure how hitting the sign at different speeds benefits the player. This game also removes the capsules usually found after defeating the boss in Sonic games. The end credits also has a small cast and thanks people like “Hitmen”, “The Hase”, “J.S” and “And You”.

I found the game was mostly difficult when collecting the Chaos Emeralds. To reach the Special Stages, the player has to collect 100 rings in the level, causing a bright light to engulf the screen and Sonic being transported to the Special Stage. Although the levels contain large amounts of rings, the fact Sonic getting harmed once severely affects the player’s ability to reach the Special Stage makes the game more difficult (especially considering the game does not provide a shield power-up). The Special Stages themselves are also difficult. Instead of using a similar idea in all stages, the Special Stages in this game are all different and require different skills to progress through and reach the emerald. The stages are also timed (even though power-ups are supplied which increase the time the player can spend). The end of the Special Stage (whether the player succeeded or failed) also ends the level, meaning the player can only attempt a Special Stage once in each act. The player cannot enter the Special Stage if they play the game as Tails (possibly because it is easier to collect rings playing as that character). The designs for the Special Stages use a dark clue background and vivid colours in the foreground, giving the areas a dreamlike feel. I found the Special Stages in this game interesting, as they tested the players problem solving ability, and difficult, because of the timing. The Special Stages were less innovative than other games in the series, as they used the same method of gameplay as the levels.

I also noticed a strange aspect of the game associated with the loss of rings, which also made the game more difficult. The amount of rings possessed by Sonic is an indicator of how vulnerable he is, as the character can only die if he does not have any rings. When Sonic is harmed, his rings, in most Sonic games, spread out and the player has to gather them to ensure they can survive future harm. In this game, if Sonic has between 10 and 20 rings, only two rings will appear. One ring will bounce to the side at a fast pace (making it difficult to retrieve) will the other bounce up and down at the point Sonic was injured. This means the player will only be able to get 1 ring after being harmed. If Sonic has less than 10 rings when he is hurt, a single ring will rise to the top of the screen and disappear. This effect makes the game more difficult, as it is difficult to keep a high ring count after being harmed, and hinders the players ability to reach the Special Stage.

In conclusions, I though the game was good. The gameplay was enjoyable and allowed the player to play as two different characters. The levels were interesting and used good designs. The game was fairly easy, with obtaining the chaos emeralds providing much more difficulty. The Special Stages could be irritatingly hard and some of the methods used to hinder the players ability to reach the Special Stage were annoying.

A Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear)

1991

—————————–Spoiler Alert——————————–

The Story

Dr Robotnik has taken over South Island and Sonic the Hedgehog has to defeat him to save the island and its inhabitants. Following a battle aboard Dr Robotnik’s floating Sky Base, Dr Robotnik flees using a teleporter, followed closely by Sonic. The game ends with Robotnik escaping in the egg-o-matic, before being hit by Sonic and the machine bursting into flames. I hope Shakespeare has learnt a lesson from this game.

The Review

This review is based on the version of the game released as a special feature in the Sonic Adventure DX game available on the PC, rather than the game released on the Game Gear.

I have always wondered about the attitude of the developers who made the Sonic the Hedgehog games released on the Game Gear. I always remembered the Mega Drive was the more popular console and the Sonic the Hedgehog games seem to be more well-known and fondly remembered. I did not have much experience of using the Game Gear, which I always thought was less popular than the Game Boy. I have wondered if the developers were aware of this and were less concerned about the games released on the Game Gear than the more popular games. I believe this mentality possibly affected the production of the games, as I found that the Sonic the Hedgehog games released on the Game Gear were quite difficult, but used some bizarre ideas.

The story for the game is extremely simple, Sonic has to travel through the mountainous South Island to reach a base at the top of the mountain and defeat Robotnik. Collecting all the hidden Chaos Emeralds allows the player to view an extended ending sequence.

There are six levels in the game. Strangely, the levels are either copies of levels from the Sonic the Hedgehog game available on the Mega Drive (Green Hill, Labyrinth and Scrap Brain) or levels made up for the game (Bridge, Jungle and Sky Base). Each level consists of three parts: a first part, a second part and a part which contains the boss of the level. The levels are also not called zones in this game (unlike other games in the series). For some of the levels, the game also changes between the first and second acts, such as forcing the player to climb upwards or using a moving screen. I felt the levels were interesting to play and the different acts prevented the player repeating the same playing method in each level.

The level designs were also interesting. While the graphic capabilities of the Game Gear were less advanced than the Mega Drive, the game did have some interesting visuals. I found the pixelated graphics added an artistic dimension to the designs and didn’t hinder the gameplay. The backgrounds of the levels were also very detailed and looked good. Most of the levels were brightly coloured and created a cheerful atmosphere.

I also enjoyed the music of the levels. The music did not use a tinny sound (like many games at the time) and had a good quality. I particularly enjoyed the jazzy music of the Jungle level.

The game also uses a different method of obtaining Chaos Emeralds. Instead of completing challenges in Special Stages, the Chaos Emeralds are all hidden in the levels (with one in each level) and the player has to pick them up. At the end of each level part, the player is transported to the Special Stage. This Special Stage consists of the player collecting rings, lives and continues and, because Sonic is mostly rolled in a ball and the environment consists of springboards and bouncy obstacles, the player has little control and these parts of the game seem very energetic. The stage is also timed. The Special Stage also uses bright pink blocks and a background consisting of a dark night sky with vibrant moons and stars, which gives it a dreamlike atmosphere. Collecting all the Chaos Emeralds does not allow Sonic to transform into Super Sonic, instead it just allows the player to view the hidden ending. I am not certain if I liked the collection of Chaos Emeralds in this game. While it is enjoyable to explore the different levels, finding the Chaos Emeralds removes the puzzle element of the Special Stage, also the Special Stages are quite creative in other Sonic games and require the player to complete actions other than running through landscapes and attacking enemies. I was happy to find the developers still managed to use Special Stages in this game though.

The game has a high difficulty. The game is also needlessly difficult, with some aspects affecting the gameplay. Collecting 100 rings grants the player an extra life, it also resets the ring count to 0. Because the ring count also functions as a representation of health, it is possible to collect a large amount of rings, obtain an extra life and immediately kill Sonic after colliding with an enemy. Like other Sonic games, Sonic loses all of his rings when he is harmed. In this game, unlike other games in the series, Sonic’s rings does not spread out for the player to collect, instead all the rings are condensed into one ring, which floats upwards and then downwards before disappearing. Collecting the ring also gives Sonic one ring, rather than allowing the player to return to the previous ring count. The player can only obtain an extra life from a monitor once. If the player finds an extra life power-up, they cannot use the same power-up if they have to repeat the level after Sonic dies. When Sonic is harmed while using a shield power-up, he is not also briefly invincible (like other Sonic games and when he has no shield). This means that if a shielded Sonic is harmed while on spikes (for example), if he falls back and comes into contact with more spikes, he will instantly lose his rings with no input from the player. Sonic also spends more distance skidding in this game, which can cause him to touch harmful enemies.

The Bosses used in the game are also unnecessarily difficult. Like in the other early Sonic games, the Bosses consist of Dr Robotnik using machines, each with a different method of attack, to kill Sonic. In the parts of the levels containing the Boss, there are no rings. This forces the player to battle against a difficult enemy without getting hit, otherwise they would have to replay the Boss. However, hidden in each act with a Boss is an extra life power-up, which makes the game slightly easier. After defeating the Boss, their weapon remains harmful (unlike other games where Sonic appears to be able to walk through the leftover weapon), this is especially irritating in the Jungle level where the Boss leaves behind a metal ball which, if Sonic touches, causes the player to repeat the fight with an already defeated Boss.

A part of the game I like is the map. Between ending part of a level and beginning a new one, the game shows a picture of the island where the story takes place. A path is shown to symbolise the journey Sonic takes for the next part of the level, or the location of the Boss. I actually like this feature, I feel it adds context to the story (rather than other games in the series, which use a series of unrelated zones) and makes Sonic seem like a creature defending his home. The paths also appear to be quite accurate and reflect the levels well (for example, a level which involves climbing is shown to have quite a vertical path in the map).

There are a number of bizarre inclusions in this game. In many of the Sonic games released around the same time as this game, the Sega logo is shown at the beginning of the game after Sonic completes an action (such as running past or rolling past). In this game, the Sega logo appears after Sonic frolics back and forth and lands, raising his finger at the player and a hand at his hip. The shield power up in this game is also quite small. When Sonic obtains a shield power-up a small, flashing circle will appear around his chest (instead of surrounding him), which makes the power-up resemble a fashionable coat. Following the final score count, Sonic is shown in front of a light purple screen in front of stationary gold and dark blue stars while a pink block (shown fixed to the background by blue circles) displays the credits. Sonic, holding a microphone, appears to tap his foot and move his left hand while opening and closing his mouth. I cannot work out if this sequence is intended to show Sonic singing the credits and seems like an unusual scene to add to the game (considering other games just show white credits on a black background).

In conclusion, the game is quite enjoyable. It is simple to play and uses a variety of challenges for the player. It is not too long (considering it has to be played in one go). The level designs are interesting and the music is good. It can be annoying because of the difficulty and certain aspects which make the game harder.