Sonic the Hedgehog (MD, 1991)
Graphics-8 Sound-8.5 Control-7.5/6.5* Challenge-7.5
Level Design-8 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7.5/8**
*Bonus stage
**Luv da Flo hack or later widescreen+spindash hacks
+
Quite fast paced overall
Varied levels (also features more than one path through most levels with the highest one generally being harder to get to)
Introduces the ring system (stay alive as long as you can hold on to one or more rings)
Memorable presentation and good art direction (art deco style)
Fun to hunt for the chaos emeralds (collect 50+ rings in a sub level/act and get to the end, then beat the bonus level)
Curved slopes and pretty advanced ball form physics
Interesting bonus levels (similar to a ball labyrinth game except it also rotates, trippy backgrounds)
Hidden items
Breakable walls (and some floors)
+/-
No spin dash leads to having to backtrack to gain momentum for some parts (breakable walls) - added in various hacks and some later versions
Limited continues but fairly easy to gain more
Only six emeralds
-
Somewhat odd jump mechanics (you need some momentum or Sonic jumps with a vertical focus like in Contra or Psycho Fox)
Can't duck into a rolling ball when moving off a ledge or bouncing off springs (leads to cheap hits at times)
Somewhat slow acceleration when starting to move
Some tedious level design that slows down gameplay (elevators, pushable blocks, slow boat rides in lava, underwater spike traps, marble zone 3 and labyrinth zone are very long and slow paced) - fixed in my Luv da Flo hack
Mostly simple bosses
Frustrating bonus levels (you can't pause and the controls aren't very responsive; the difficulty is uneven)
Some trial & error (a few leaps of faith, some bosses)
No difficulty options
You can miss the bonus stage if you run past the big ring at the end of a level
Minor bugs (get temporarily stuck in walls, drop off small ledges, spike bug in first revision of the MD game where invincibility time doesn't count for spikes)
Level Design-8 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7.5/8**
*Bonus stage
**Luv da Flo hack or later widescreen+spindash hacks
+
Quite fast paced overall
Varied levels (also features more than one path through most levels with the highest one generally being harder to get to)
Introduces the ring system (stay alive as long as you can hold on to one or more rings)
Memorable presentation and good art direction (art deco style)
Fun to hunt for the chaos emeralds (collect 50+ rings in a sub level/act and get to the end, then beat the bonus level)
Curved slopes and pretty advanced ball form physics
Interesting bonus levels (similar to a ball labyrinth game except it also rotates, trippy backgrounds)
Hidden items
Breakable walls (and some floors)
+/-
No spin dash leads to having to backtrack to gain momentum for some parts (breakable walls) - added in various hacks and some later versions
Limited continues but fairly easy to gain more
Only six emeralds
-
Somewhat odd jump mechanics (you need some momentum or Sonic jumps with a vertical focus like in Contra or Psycho Fox)
Can't duck into a rolling ball when moving off a ledge or bouncing off springs (leads to cheap hits at times)
Somewhat slow acceleration when starting to move
Some tedious level design that slows down gameplay (elevators, pushable blocks, slow boat rides in lava, underwater spike traps, marble zone 3 and labyrinth zone are very long and slow paced) - fixed in my Luv da Flo hack
Mostly simple bosses
Frustrating bonus levels (you can't pause and the controls aren't very responsive; the difficulty is uneven)
Some trial & error (a few leaps of faith, some bosses)
No difficulty options
You can miss the bonus stage if you run past the big ring at the end of a level
Minor bugs (get temporarily stuck in walls, drop off small ledges, spike bug in first revision of the MD game where invincibility time doesn't count for spikes)