Im Alex, im 16 and pretty much bored out of my brains on study leave atm after finishing my GCSE's....
Im Alex, im 16 and pretty much bored out of my brains on study leave atm after finishing my GCSE's. By looking at my reviews you can see what type of stuff im into so feel free to have a look
Member since:24.06.2008
Reviews:9
Sonic was in my mind, the best game of the 90's and even today with the far superior graphics and gameplay of other games, Sonic still stands out as one of the all time greats of video gaming. The simple side scrolling run and jump platformer became popular with pretty much everyone.
Characters
Sonic is the protagonist in this brilliant game, blue from head to toe, with spikes running down his back, and sporting flashy red trainers which saw him break the sound barrier when in full flight, hence the name 'Sonic'. Tearing up the ground beneath him, he speeds through the various levels to eventually come one on one with the evil genius that is Dr. Robotnik, and will forever be known as Robotnik, not Eggman as he seems to be called these days...
Robotnik was actually designed as a Theodore Roosevelt in pyjamas, which is wierd when you hear it, but it makes sense. The evil scientist with a ginger moustache makes appearances on the third stage of each act, bringing with him a new invention each time to try and make your lives counter plummet to 0.
There are countless enemies that Sonic encounters on his travels, including wasps, piranhas, spikey centipides, bats and many others that all tried to kill Sonic in their own unique ways. Take the wasps for example. Hovering above the ground, they seem harmless at first, but as soon as Sonic approaches them, they shoot a flashing ball at Sonic, and he must be allergic
to flashing balls or something as they cause him to drop all his rings on the floor, and they magically disappear into thin air.
Finally, we see why Sonic is the good guy, and why Robotnik is the bad guy. The enemies that stand in Sonics way are actually built by Robotnik, and they are made by trapping harmless rabbits and other furry creatures inside and turning them into robots via a mini factory at the end of each act after you defeat Robotnik. By jumping on the enemies, Sonic releases the cute animals, and after defeating Robotnik at each level, he breaks apart the mini factory and gives many more their freedom.
Items
The world of Sonic is littered with rings and boxes with things inside, these things are:
Rings- The fundamental part of the game, which has two major uses. One being that by holding one or more rings, Sonic can survive altercations with enemies, spikes and even lava, before dropping them everywhere, leaving you with none again. The second use for them is that by collecting 100 rings, Sonic gains an extra life. Maybe the 100 rings emit a combined radiation that mutates Sonic's DNA to reappear whenever he dies...any other suggestions? Message me if you have, i'm never too busy to read them.
Ring Boxes- Simply put, by opening the boxes, you gain 10 rings...hooray!
Shield- The blue haze that surrounds you lets you suffer one blow and still keep your rings. I used to nickname it the 'Womm' after the sound it makes when you get it (ahh the great infant times, how I miss them...).
Invincibility- When a load of random stars appear sparkling around you, it obviously makes you invulnerable to everything (exept being crushed and the spikes in Green Hill Zone, as there was a programming error). As many kids played Sonic, I think he got away with the Homosexual look of sparkly invincibility, but nevertheless, enemies would explode on contact with these stars, and it would also magically change the soundtrack too.
Super Speed- As if he needed it anyway, Sonic can be boosted in speed, making him zip past levels at lightning pace, and can make him jump twice as far as normally. Strangely speeds up the soundtrack too...
Extra Life- These boxes mutate Sonic's DNA even further by storing a big lump of Uranium inside, and gives him an extra life in the process.
Levels
The levels in Sonic were varied and produced different challenges.
Green Hill Zone- The starting point of Sonic's excursion. A pleasant place with lush green grass, palm trees and a few waterfalls. Always sunny. Easy enemies, like wasps, piranhas, and some flying chamealeons (Japan must be different from the rest of the world...).
Marble Zone- A more volcanic place, still with lots of grass, but with an abundance of lava, on the surface and underneath. Undereground caverns with simple puzzles and a few spiked traps. Enemies include bats and my personal nemesis, the spiked centipides.
Spring Yard Zone- Picture Vegas on a steep hillside, and you've got the basic idea. Neon lights everywhere, bumpers and pinball-like objects provide a more difficult challenge than the previous levels. Very steep hills give Sonic an opportunity to really stretch his legs.
Labyrinth Zone- Widely regarded as the worst level on the game, probably due to the huge annoyance factors in the level. It's an underwater maze, which says it all. Large parts of the level is underwater, and to prevent Sonic from drowning, you have to try and grab big air bubbles from vents before the dreaded drowning countdown arrives with the heart racing music that is feared amongst Sonic fans worldwide. Many booby-traps and quite difficult enemies.
Starlight Zone- Much like Spring Yard Zone, with steep slopes and bright lights, set in an urban area. This level is my personal favourite and includes more strategic problems, with fans bowing you in different directions and see saws which are needed to reach higher parts of the level.
Scrap Brain Zone- Robotnik's secret base set in a typical laboratory with every possible obstacle thrown in your way, making it very complicated and easy to see where the name comes from. Also includes 'Final Zone' where you fight Robotnik for the last time.
Bonus Levels- If you collect enough rings during a level, a big ring appears at the end of it, and by jumping into it, Sonic ends up in a bonus level, a maze filled with rings, with fish in the backrground. However, it becomes tricky as it is contantly turning, making it difficult to maneuver , but right in the middle of the maze, protected by blocks that can be worn away, is a Chaos Emerald. There are six in the game, and by collecting all of them, you get the honour of seeing Sonic put his hands out to show all six, which isnt really rewarding at all, but that doesnt matter.
Soundtrack
The famous soundtrack from Sonic is so catchy, it will leave you humming the tunes afterwards. The sounds range from Green Hill Zone, where it is a light, pleasant track providing the iconic sound that is synonymous with the Sonic franchise, to the dreaded drowning music from Labyrinth Zone which gradually gets faster until Sonic drowns. Also, the soundtrack changes whenever Sonic becomes incvincible into an uplifting tune that makes you feel truly invincible.
Conclusion
Sonic may not have HD graphics, or the complicated gameplay of some games these days, but the genius of it comes from its simplicity. It's an easy game to play, the concepts are simple, and makes it one of the gaming world's Hall of Famer's.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Colourful and bright graphics, smooth framerate, and unique sounds/music Disadvantages: No mode to save game, nothing is randomised, and easy bosses
Advantages: It is fast, fun, addictive, and challenging. Beautiful levels and innovative bosses, too! Disadvantages: No save facility, some levels a bit too hard for younger gamers. Last boss is too easy.
Advantages: Colourful and bright graphics, smooth framerate, and unique sounds/music Disadvantages: No mode to save game, nothing is randomised, and easy bosses
Jul 4th, 2008
exceptional by (21%):
very helpful by (79%):
