Sonic 3D Blast
Release: 1996
System: Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, PC
Release: 1996
System: Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, PC
3D... this was the next big step for gaming in the 90's. The more bits we got, the more powerful the games were. While Mario was busy throwing Bowser by the tail, and Sony was giving us Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot, Sega was busy with their own 3D title staring the blue one himself... it would be a game like no other. With level designs that blow away the competition, a story that would leave Spielberg in awe and visuals that would put the system to the test!
Unfortunately, the Sega Dreamcast wouldn't be out for another few years, and instead we got this. Well, let’s just see how Sega did with Sonic on a first 3D outing.
STORY
Robotnik invades island. He turns animals into machines. Sonic comes to stop him. How original. It's pretty much the same old same old. The only difference is that we are introduced to Flickie island which ss inhabited by Flickies (... a bunch of multi colored birds), who actually had their own game back in the 80’s… random bit of trivia, back to the score.
SCORE: 
out of
out of DESIGN
Sonic runs, Sonic jumps, Sonic spins... but all in 3D! ... Well, it looks 3D. It's more of a blend of 3D sprites on a 2D world... 2.5D? Whatever. The game is made up of 7 zones, each with 3 acts, the third acting as a boss battle. Now you would think this would be like a proto-type of Sonic Adventure, you know, just going around and trashing robots in this sort of 3D layout. Unfortunately, no it is not. The point of this little adventure is to destroy the robots in each level, collect the Flickies inside them and spend the rest of the level escorting them to the goal ring. Sonic the Hedgehog is babysitting a bunch of birds. I'm on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Oh, and the special stages are just dumbed down versions of the Sonic 2 special stage.
I'll admit the idea with the Flickies seems interesting and could actually make up a unique Sonic title.
SCORE: out of
out of GAMEPLAY
... Then you realize how tedious and frustrating it is. First, we have the controls. While they feel a little loose, and the fact you have to stop dead in your tracks to perform a spindash, controlling Sonic isn't that bad... it's the 3D that makes it a nightmare. The camera is locked in one place the whole time through, and it really messes with your sense of judgment and makes killing enemies and navigating platforms a real pain.
Then there's the core gameplay, collecting the Flickies. At first it seems like a cool little idea, hunt down a badnik, trash them, collect the Flicky, rinse and repeat... Now keep doing this for fourteen more worlds, still having fun? Well, you can't hold on to your Flickies at all time. If you get hit by anything, an enemy or a stage hazard, they will scatter all over and you'll have to look all over for those tiny little good for nothings. Not boring enough? Well, every time you defeat a robot and get a Flicky, the robots never respawn! So now here you are, backtracking through this huge stage, fighting with the lousy camera angle, looking for a tiny lost bird with nothing to stop you.
What a load.
SCORE: out of
out of PRESENTATION
I'll admit, I really like the character models for this game. Sonic, Robotnik, his many machines, and yes, even those annoying Flickies. Though, I was never impressed with the level designs or special stages. Unlike the character designs, they just didn't impress me that much... Well, that's where the Saturn version of the game comes in. The level designs look a bit more refined than the Genesis title, and the lousy special stages we got in the 16 bit version have been altered in the 32 bit version in the form of the Sonic 2 special stages. Even the music has been enhanced and sound better this time around!
To bad I'm reviewing the Genesis version.
SCORE: out of
out of OVERALL
This... just isn't my kind of game. It's repetitive. It's tedious. It's annoying. It just... isn't that good. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to play the Saturn version; I'm just going by what I've seen. It looks and sounds better, I'll give it that, but if the gameplay is still the same, then it would be pointless to check it out.
SCORE: out of
out of 
