Sonic the Hedgehog (SMS, 1991)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-8
Level Design-7 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
+
Good variety
Quite fast paced (for the system)
Decent bonus levels (bounce around in a big room full of springs)
Hidden emeralds in the levels (as opposed to collecting rings, entering bonus stage and getting them there)
Some good bosses (jungle zone)
Decent length
Good art direction and use of colour
Different levels and (some) music from the MD version (most are very good but most later ones don't flow quite as well
Some alternate paths through levels and some hidden 1-ups
PC fan remake (2022): widescreen, no slowdown, spin dash and drop dash, super sonic, improved colors and FM sound option, somewhat expanded levels (you get chaos emeralds via the bonus levels here which are triggered by collecting 50+ rings in a level), more playable chars (tails, knuckles, more), optional super sonic music (midi)
+/-
No destructible scenery
No rings when meeting bosses
Shorter levels and act 3 of each zone is generally just a boss fight here
Lose all rings after getting hit - you don't drop some that can be picked up here (added in Sonic 2 SMS)
-
Far from the speed and smoothness of the 16-bit version (slowdown) and there are no loop de loops
Weird how if you just tap the button when breaking you don't actually break (keep going just at a lower speed) - fixed in PC fan remake
Camera follows you very strictly when jumping making it hard to see where you’ll land
Somewhat loose scrolling otherwise (the camera lets Sonic run too close to the edge of the screen making it hard to see obstacles ahead) - fixed in the PC fan remake
Cheap deaths (leaps of faith, somewhat sloppy hit detection in boss fights, how the lower edge of the screen kills you in jungle zone act 2+how it scrolls upwards as soon as you stand on a platform some ways into the screen)
The spike bug is present in some levels (no invincibility time from spikes after losing rings) - fixed in PC fan remake
Some trial & error (the vertical jungle zone doesn't scroll downwards (see Kid Icarus)
You have to jump on the checkpoint box again after respawning or you'll end up at the beginning of the level the next time you die) Lame bonus round
Labyrinth zone is even more tedious here (second act is basically all under water) but it is shorter
Kinda slow autoscrolling levels
Mostly simple bosses (most are only made hard by the fact you don't have any rings when meeting them)
No difficulty options
Level Design-7 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
+
Good variety
Quite fast paced (for the system)
Decent bonus levels (bounce around in a big room full of springs)
Hidden emeralds in the levels (as opposed to collecting rings, entering bonus stage and getting them there)
Some good bosses (jungle zone)
Decent length
Good art direction and use of colour
Different levels and (some) music from the MD version (most are very good but most later ones don't flow quite as well
Some alternate paths through levels and some hidden 1-ups
PC fan remake (2022): widescreen, no slowdown, spin dash and drop dash, super sonic, improved colors and FM sound option, somewhat expanded levels (you get chaos emeralds via the bonus levels here which are triggered by collecting 50+ rings in a level), more playable chars (tails, knuckles, more), optional super sonic music (midi)
+/-
No destructible scenery
No rings when meeting bosses
Shorter levels and act 3 of each zone is generally just a boss fight here
Lose all rings after getting hit - you don't drop some that can be picked up here (added in Sonic 2 SMS)
-
Far from the speed and smoothness of the 16-bit version (slowdown) and there are no loop de loops
Weird how if you just tap the button when breaking you don't actually break (keep going just at a lower speed) - fixed in PC fan remake
Camera follows you very strictly when jumping making it hard to see where you’ll land
Somewhat loose scrolling otherwise (the camera lets Sonic run too close to the edge of the screen making it hard to see obstacles ahead) - fixed in the PC fan remake
Cheap deaths (leaps of faith, somewhat sloppy hit detection in boss fights, how the lower edge of the screen kills you in jungle zone act 2+how it scrolls upwards as soon as you stand on a platform some ways into the screen)
The spike bug is present in some levels (no invincibility time from spikes after losing rings) - fixed in PC fan remake
Some trial & error (the vertical jungle zone doesn't scroll downwards (see Kid Icarus)
You have to jump on the checkpoint box again after respawning or you'll end up at the beginning of the level the next time you die) Lame bonus round
Labyrinth zone is even more tedious here (second act is basically all under water) but it is shorter
Kinda slow autoscrolling levels
Mostly simple bosses (most are only made hard by the fact you don't have any rings when meeting them)
No difficulty options