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| Sonic Mega Collection by Pirate Yoshi Over-view: Sonic the Hedgehog: legendary speed, don't-care attitude, and honor of being Sega's official mascot. For over a decade, he's battled Mario in game sales, the attention of the media, and in ratings and reviews. His games, always featuring blazing speed unmatched by any other video game to date (other than F-Zero....but, hey, that's not really fair...), have managed to retain the feeling of out-of-control madness, even in the leap to 3D. Upon Sega's collapse from the console industry, he found a new home on Nintendo's consoles, and can (for the first time) perhaps consider seeing Mario as something other than an arch-enemy. Gamers' dream duels between the two will have to wait still, though--so far we've gotten Sonic Heroes, and a bunch of ports of the hedgehog's past blasts. No GCN Sonic thus far, however, can touch the amount of Sonic we can play with Mega Collection. Graphics: 8.3/10 A hard catagory to rate because of the change in times. Obviously, since Sonic Mega Collection is essentially a bunch of Sega Genesis games on a single disc, the quality of the graphics is about ten years behind. The way I'm grading here is about 3/4 of the points based on how good the graphics were at the time of Sonic's first round in each adventure, and then 1/4 for how they size up considering now that they're on GameCube. While the graphics are generally distinctive, colorful, and include smooth animation (even moving at top speeds!), some of the characters and environments are fuzzy and blend together on some occaisions (particularly, at the times where you most need them NOT to...) Of course, we're talking graphics WAY inferior to anything the GameCube is capable of, but take them for what they're worth: a bunch of classic Sega Genesis games, now available to even the most faithful Nintendo fans who would refuse to buy them on anything but a Nintendo console (that'd be a-me) Sound: 4.4/10 Personally, I was pretty disappointed by "Sonic music". I'm aware there's a huge fan base out there for the groovy licks and upbeat tunes contained in each adventure, but to me, it was a rude awakening: one that said that Sonic might not be all that it was cracked up to be, especially after all the great things I'd always heard about the series. Sonic music is DEFINATELY not Mario music, people; whereas Mario's scores are always very light, incredibly cheerful (and, if I can use that horrible word--goofy), and cleverly slipped together into droll patterns and arrangements, Sonic's licks are more moody, less "bouncy", and tend to contain at least one refrain or piece that kind of irks the ear. In truth, some of the music was out-and-out annoying, to the point where I wished it'd stop playing. THAT BEING SAID....don't listen to me ramble on about its errors and mistakes, because there are OBVIOUSLY tons of people out there who are really into Sonic's grooves--in some ways, it's best compared to Kirby music, actually, but a bit less cheerful. Controls: 9.9/10 Even when the game is taken from a flat control pad and converted to control-stick abilities, the controls for Sonic Mega Collection work seamlessly. There's narry a flaw to be seen to the untrained eye, and the movement is smartly paired to the presses of every button. Every twitch of the thumb responds beautifully. The only minor taint that I could come up with is some spotty close-maneuvering (as in, it's hard sometimes to line Sonic up exactly as you'd like), and jumping and distance gauging (particularly in Sonic 3D) can be a burden at times. Minus these miniscule little errors, you won't have much of a problem controlling your hedgehog. Challenge: 10/10 Sonic the Hedgehog? We'll say 6.4. Sonic 2? About the same. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine? IMPOSSIBLE. Out of the entire disc, most of the challenge is consistant...until you reach Mean Bean Machine, which is an absolute nightmare, and is pretty darn-near impossible to beat, no matter how badly you cheat ahead. And there's three difficulties: Normal, Hard, and Hardest. Beating the game on Normal is impossible enough--how is it possible on HARDEST setting?! The other games are fair in difficulty, but this particular title might just be the hardest game I've played in my entire life. Replay: 7.6/10 The majority of replay in the Sonic Mega Collection is forced, not voluntary--to unlock new games, you'll have to replay several games a set number of times. That being said, however, repeatedly playing Sonic the Hedgehog could be a lot more torturous than it actually is--Sonic is just one of those games that are fun for the memorable parts. Of course, there's a backside to that coin: the parts that everyone hates will stick with you, too; namely, the hardest sections of the hardest levels, which may have taken years of practice to master. Knowing that you'll eventually have to face a particular boss or level a second time is never appealing, and Sonic is guilty of having a few such sections....although, very few games come without that particular "string" attached, eh? I would like to point out, however, that the Sonic series did not evolve especially gracefully (particularly with Hedgehog 1-3 and then Sonic & Knuckles). Most are exactly the same as the last, picking up where the previous title left off. In Super Mario Bros. 2, a totally different style of play was adapted, and in SMB3, Mario returned to "his" genre, but added insane power-ups and enemies that could only be imagined before in SMB. In the Donkey Kong Country series, the differences in landscapes focused on particular aspects and abilities: DKC boasted run-and-jump, DKC2 focused on climbing more, and DKC3 put a major emphasis on swimming and transportation-use (animals, rockets, and barrels). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disappointed that each Sonic game appears to be a continuation of the last, with nothing new or revolutionary about it over the last. Gameplay: 9.2/10 The wide selection of different gameplay abilities (from classic platform action to pinball to Marble Madness-style play) gives Sonic Mega Collection a healthy booster upwards in the Gameplay catagory. For the most part, every game is fairly amusing and worth playing repeatedly, and the extra material available on the disc (movies, illustrations, comics, and--of course--new games) add a lot more fun to an already-juiced experience. Sonic is a likeable character (for those of you who have lived under a stone somewhere for the previous twelve years), and his sidekicks (Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles) are both cool and unique in their own talents...although Tails is still the best of the three. ^_^ The lightning-quick gameplay really gives you the sensation that you're out of control, and that it's a good thing. Taking loops like a cyclone and flinging your hedgehog across huge gaps via springs feels very rewarding, but nothing is nicer than the pleasant plink-plink-kaplink-ing of Sonic snatching those gold rings like a madman as he races down steep slopes, flies through the air, or drops down a cliff from above. The traps are well-designed and have great placement, while the enemies are generally novel in appearance and behavior (unfortunately, they've never achieved a personality and fame like most of the creatures from the Mario series....) As I mentioned in the Replay catagory, however, this collection suffers from a feeling of repetitiveness: the Sonic the Hedgehog games feel very identical to the last, with minor additions (okay, Tails is a rather significant addition to Sonic 2; I don't mean to belittle him and his flying prowess) to the gameplay. The games would have been much better, I believe, had more drastic changes been taken in each (such as new power-ups and abilities for Sonic, new gameplay elements, and perhaps a better storyline and/or villain assortment. Over-all, a lot of fun for those rainy days, but that extra hint of potential could've been utilized for a much more powerful experience in the end. **Story: 1/1 While the stories to almost every Sonic game on this disc are relatively weak (saving the woodland creatures from harm and Dr. Robotnik's too-fat-to-be-healthy hindquarters), there are plenty of them, and they vary somewhat in exactly whatalls Sonic is doing to save the world this time around. I think the anime-zation of the Sonic series has possibly helped in this catagory (even if I don't personally like anime myself, and know some other people who believed it may have ruined the Sonic series). **Multiplayer: .3/1 Unfortunately, there's a fairly skimpy amount of multiplayer gaming available in Sonic Mega Collection. What's there, however, is generally entertaining and can make for a fun experience. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3, as well as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, offer 2-player gaming, but the other (defaultly available) games do not. One recommendation to make, besides adding multiplayer to other games and adding other multiplayer modes, would be to throw in the ability for up to four to join play as well. Still, what's there (even as skimpy as it is) can be a lot of fun, so it adds a small sidedish to the mix. Graphics: 8.3/10 Sound: 4.4/10 Controls: 9.9/10 Challenge: 9.5/10 Replay: 7.6/10 Gameplay: 9.2/10 **Story: 1/1 **Multiplayer: .3/1 Total Raw Score: 50.2 ~ Bronze Total Score: 8.4 Score Explanation: Sonic might've been the best bells and whistles in town ten years ago, but some of his games seem to pale a bit today, in comparison to the hightening (perhaps?) quality of games today. Those who REALLY LOVE the first Sonic the Hedgehog will have good reason to buy this game: it has three more games on it just like the first! If you really aren't a huge fan, however, then you might be better of skipping this one; much of the gameplay is repetitive, perhaps Sonic's biggest flaw. Fans of old-school gaming will find reason to replay some classics, and the price is right, but the best advice for me to give is to remind yourself before buying this title that every game on it is somewhere around ten years old now. If you can remember that, and still enjoy the game...then you've found yourself a title you should never have been without. I did. ^_^ |