8-Bit System Sonic Games

Sonic the Hedgehog

• Released: 1991 || Players: 1 || Developer: Sega || Publisher: Sega

The very first Sonic game of all time, converted to an even older format then it was first released on? Doesn’t sound very likely nowadays, but that’s exactly what happen in 1991 although the title wasn’t a straight port as it also included a host of new levels and music. The premise is still simple: run through levels really quickly in order to save the world from an evil tyrant named Dr. Robotnik (Eggman nowadays). During this process the blue hedgehog will collect innumerable amounts of rings which essentially enlisted invulnerability as long as at least one was held onto.

Graphically the game has a lower resolution then its Mega Drive counterpart but a larger colour palette. Even during the most hectic scenes, there is never a hint of slow-down, allowing for flawless smooth gameplay that has become the key to Sonic’s success. There are also some other small differences such as emerald collecting which is no longer accomplished by accessing the special zone. Rather the emeralds themselves are spread around certain levels throughout the game, meaning it is possible to miss them completely. Some bosses have also been changed around, but apart from those details the game works in much the same way as the original game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

• Released: 1992 || Players: 2 || Developer: Sega || Publisher: Sega

Unlike the first game, this was in fact a completely unique title that was actually released before its Mega Drive counterpart of the same name. Thus, for the sake of being pedantically accurate, this is the game that first introduced Sonic’s pal Tails Miles Prower who would later go on to feature in many of later titles. A number of elements separate this title from other incarnations in the series, namely the on-rails sections (which may well have provided inspiration for such elements in the 3D titles to be released later on). In these the blue speedster would hop into a mine cart and be whisked along a set-path, able to jump out whenever he (i.e., you) desired.

The difficulty of boss levels is bumped up a notch given that players are provided with no rings whatsoever, meaning one false move will restart the stage. Similar to its prequel, Sonic 2 has hidden all its Chaos Emeralds in subtle places across the seven stages rather than placing them in the Special Zone. Players that are able to collect all emeralds up until the final stage are awarded with a final zone (Crystal Egg) that, if completed successfully, unlocks a special ending to the game. Those that are not up to this task skip this whole stage and are given credits earlier that are less euphoric.

Sonic Chaos

• Released: 1993 || Players: 1 || Developer: Sega || Publisher: Sega

A completely new 8-bit adventure designed specifically for the Master System and Game Gear. Featuring Sonic’s stationary spin attack as well as Tails as a playable character in his own right, Chaos is one of the least well know titles in the series. A new move is also included known as the Strike Dash: it is similar to an inverted Spin Attack. Holding up rather than down and charging Sonic up as he runs on the spot causes him to run off at great speeds, although with continue button interaction, he will slow down significantly quicker then when he’s in a ball.

Tails plays rather differently, although his attacks are accessed via the same button combinations. As opposed to Sonic’s Strike Dash, Tails is endowed with the ability to fly (Chaos is the first game that players are given control over this ability). Despite being released on 8-bit systems, the game looks absolutely fantastic as the developers have really got making games for the systems down to a ‘T’ by now. The game follows a similar format as that of its counterparts, with six zones complete with a boss at the end of each. The title was later followed up with a sequel titled Sonic Triple Trouble, considered by many to be the greatest of the 8-bit releases in the series.

Sonic Spinball

• Released: 1993 || Players: 2 || Developer: Sega Technical Institute || Publisher: Sega

Following the massive success of the titles before it, Sega decided it was time for a spin-off title (a trend that would continue for many years to come). Ported directly to the Master System and Game Gear (albeit with graphical dis-enchantments), Sonic Spinball does exactly what it says on the tin: Sonic Pinball – with a spin! The plot (yes you heard correctly, a pinball game with a plot) is simply thus: Dr. Robotnik has finally succeeded in collecting the chaos emeralds and is now using them to fuel a massive volcano-operated, robot-creation machine! To stop this monstrosity from helping Eggman achieve his ultimate goal of world domination you must get the emeralds back and escape before the immense explosion that will undoubtedly ensue.

Unlike classic pinball games, given that here the ‘ball’ is alive, players could control movement mid-flight allowing for slight directional changes to avoid irritating disasters. Despite this feature, the game is still considered to be one of the most difficult of all Sonic games available, even today. At the end of each zone, a bonus level is initiated. These consisted of dramatically smaller pinball arenas where players are assigned a specific task like destroying all the enemy robots on screen or knocking out Robotnik's mechanical teeth. Unfortunately, without the flowing gameplay present in traditional games from the series, Spinball never had quite the same effect as the other titles.

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

• Released: 1993 || Players: 2 || Developer: Compile || Publisher: Sega

Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine was also ported to both the Game Gear and Master System with downgraded visuals. In fact, other than the presence of our arch nemesis (and an onslaught of other foes to boot), this need not be a hedgehog related game at all. Although you are told to be playing as the blue blur himself, he never actually appears on screen. This is to be expected in a way given that the whole game is in fact just an edited version of a pre-existing title named Puyo Pop developed by Compile. Despite the lack of relation to Sonic himself, the game became massively popular in Europe and the US, however a Japanese release never saw the light of day (more than likely because a sequel to the original Puyo Pop was already being launched there at around the same time).

Gameplay consists of a Tetris-esque puzzle format where players must match correspondingly coloured ‘beans’ that drop from the top of the screen in order to remove them from the screen. Combinations are the key to success on the harder stages as is common amongst similar titles. Due to the immense popularity of the title (and indeed the Puyo Pop series as a whole), Mean Bean Machine has been launched on a multitude of other formats since its debut on the MegaDrive (including an 8-bit Game Gear and Master System port and an inclusion in the recent Sonic Mega Collection title for GameCube, PS2 and Xbox).

Sonic Blast

• Released: 1996 || Players: 1 || Developer: Sega || Publisher: Sega

Thanks to rendered graphics, Sonic Blast looks far more impressive than many other 8-bit games on both Sega's handheld and home system. One of the final 8-bit Sonic titles to be released by Sega, Blast featured the blue blur and Knuckles as playable characters as they battled to collect 5 Chaos Emeralds. To do this, characters were whisked away to bonus stages akin to those featured in the Mega Drive title: Sonic 3. Perhaps the least popular title to date due to its late release and lack of publication, many passed it by unaware.

However to reconcile this, Sega has more recently re-released this game in a compilation, as well as including it as an unlockable extra in Adventure DX and Gems Collection. Despite the similarity in name with Sonic 3D Blast, the two titles have next to nothing in common.