System: Sega CD
Released: 1993
Once Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released, it became a huge hit. Sega and it's little blue buddy were here to stay. So what was next for the blue one? An official sequel wouldn't be released until 94, and all the Genesis owners had to look forward to was a pinball simulator and a Tetris inspired puzzler... But what about the Sega CD? Ah, yes. The next step in gaming evolution, a CD drive add on for the Genesis which allowed gamers to experience games like never before... Well, that's what we were promised. Anyway, it just so happened a Sonic title was coming to the system to make up for the wait for the next Geneses title.
Sonic CD, Sonic's third outing has become a fan favorite in the fan community, and is considered to be one of the best the series has to offer. Let's see if it's as incredible as they say...
Story:
At the time, story telling wasn't really the strongest point of the series. Outside of stopping a moustached fat man from stuffing animals into machines, the games never really relied on the plot to move things along... But Sonic CD changed that. This time around, the story centers on a little world named Little Planet that one day appears out of nowhere, and catches Robotnik's attention. He finds out the planet holds a new set of magical doodads called the Time Stones which have the power to control time. Planning to steal them for global conquest, he chains the planet to his mountain themed lair and sends his robots to tear it apart in their search. Of course, Sonic get's involved and races to the planet so he can get his hands on the stones and save the planet as he travels from the past to the future in order to set everything back on track. And if that's not enough, let throw in Amy Rose, Sonic's #1 fan who has been captured by Robotnik's newest creation, Metal Sonic.
Time travel, an evil scientist, a kidnapped fan girl and even an evil robot clone. Sonic really has a hand full this time around. An epic story squeezed into a side scrolling adventure. What's not to love about it?
Score:
out of Design:
Throughout the course of the game, the player will tackle seven new worlds with three stages and a boss battle waiting them... and if that wasn't enough, each level has a past, present and future design that the player can visit and explore. Above and beyond, most impressive. Of course, the player has to play the special stages to get their hands on the Chao- Time stones. This time around, they took advantage of the Sega CD's power to create a full 3D stage grid. Whenever you enter a special stage, Sonic will have to run around smashing into UFO ships in order to get the stone. A little weird, but whatever. Personally, I thought the special stages needed some work (I hate those ships), but everything else is fine.
Score:
out of Gameplay:
Sonic is pretty much the same here, with the addition of a figure eight dash (hold up instead of down when doing the spindash). The newest addition is the time traveling aspect of the game. Throughout the stages, the player will find signs labeled past and future. Once you pass one sign and reach 88 miles per hour, a bright light will surround you and after nearly a ten second wait, you'll find yourself in the time frame of the sign. Once you go back in time, you have the option to search for and destroy a certain machine in the level which will change the future for the better, such as eliminating Robotnik's minions and changing the design of the future from a dark and gloomy look into a more bright and cheerful environment. Neglecting to do so leaves the robots to run wild and the state of the future is a mess, which provides more obstacles for the player over come.
Normally I don't like having to switch from past to present because of how long it takes, so I just plow through the stage as fast as possible, but the idea is pretty impressive. This gives completests another challenge to tackle.
If I had one problem with the gameplay, it's controlling the spindash. It's a small nitpick, but the move seems to be delayed due to the fact it takes a second longer to charge, and if you execute it pre-maturely, you just stop dead in your tracks. A small gripe, but it just bugs me.
Score:
out of Presentation:
The moment you boot up the game, you're treated to a cutscene of Sonic tearing across the globe. Sure, Sega CD owners had to suffer from the low-quality version while PC gamers got a more fast paced version, it was still a fun introduction to the game that gave the gamer a taste of what they were in for. Once the actual game started up, greeted with a nice level design, but what steals your attention is the music. Crisp, clear, and catchy. Some I've heard from the series. Not only does each world have it's own theme, and not only does the music change depending on the time period, there are two separate soundtracks of the game. The Japanese track was created by Naofumi Hataya, and the American track was created by Spencer Nilsen. I think both tracks are great. Along with some great music and countless level designs thanks to time travel, there's plenty to offer here.
Score:
out of Overall:
While some things could be tweaked here and there, this is still an impressive and unique title. The level designs were epic and the music was some of the best from the series, Japanese or American. It's easy to see why it's considered one of the best.
Score:
out of 
(Something I wanted to try out. I plan to make a doodle for the games I review...Sorry, but this was last minute.)
