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| Mascots are eh...how do you say...fantastiques, oui? Mario, Sonic, Gex, Crash --- well, maybe not Crash --- but the rest of the lot are not only associations with the respective companies which brought them forth, but they are also characters from some of the best videogames ever created. That said, I doubt that there is any need to delve into Sonic’s rich and colorful past in an effort to supply background. In a nutshell, Sonic is (well, he was) Sega’s premiere mascot and came to be known for his "bad attitude" and breakneck speed. Save for the quasi-3D bonus levels which were present in Sonic 2 and 3, the series had been bound by the traditional two dimensions that were commonplace on the Genesis. It seems peculiar, then, that Sega would have Sonic’s first 32-bit appearance in a game that is played from an isometric overhead perspective, which, while not being entirely two-dimensional, is certainly not completely three-dimensional either. As a result of the implementation of this unique point of view, the gameplay is not as immediately intuitive as in the past Sonic games. The control seems a bit sluggish, but the game is not entirely without its trademark Sonic speedy areas, which are present, though not to the extent that they were in the past games. Though a bit deviant from Sonic’s past adventures, the object of the game is fairly simple. As our little blue rodent, you must search the various levels in search of small birds which apparently have little use for their wings and prefer to hop around randomly about the courses. As you find these birds, they trail behind you until you get hit from one of the environmental or organic obstacles which are scattered throughout the levels. Upon successfully locating and leading the birds to the midpoint of the level, you are transported to another section of the course, where a similar task awaits you. The game is divided into worlds, which are subdivided into three levels each: Two stages with the aforementioned goal; And the traditional boss stage involving a showdown between the hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik. Additionally, if you happen to find Tails or Knuckles with fifty or more rings in your possession, you will be warped to a bonus level, which is similar to the half-pipe areas of Sonic 2, but with texture-mapped polygons (of course). The worlds themselves are freshly dissimilar from one another in layout and appearance. Although the differences which exist between the levels are largely superficial, they succeed in offering a different feeling and atmosphere for each course. The graphics are crisp, albeit a bit disappointing for a 32-bit game. Polygons are conspicuously absent, as are any 2-D renditions that we might have hoped for. We are left with pre-rendered sprites and backgrounds similar to those of Super Mario RPG. Although the graphics won’t do much to impress, they are clear and colorful, and place Sonic in a cartoon world glossed over with silicon. The bonus levels of the game utilize some of the Saturn’s polygon pushing abilities, but to no great extent. The graphics, while not offering anything phenomenal by any standards, are at least different, appropriate, and pleasing. The sound effects are the expected mix of old and new, but the music of the game really shines. Few game soundtracks are made with the musical adroitness and care that was put into in the soundtrack of Sonic 3D Blast. Each world had its own style of music to accompany the varied visuals, and the different styles touched upon a great number of distinct musical genres. From the upbeat, Latin-inspired tune of the first area to the fast-paced swing of the bonus levels, Sonic 3D Blast’s soundtrack is truly a masterpiece which stands out in a plethora of mediocre 32-bit CD soundtracks, a phenomena still beyond my comprehension. This is definitely one to pop in the Discman. All things considered, this is a decent title, albeit inappropriate material on which to base a game centered around a character who used to be the trademark of Sega’s quality games. As a game to occupy us until the inevitable release of the truly impressive Sonic Xtreme, the game partially succeeds. This is certainly no substitute for a fully 3-D Sonic adventure, which Sega could definitely use right now. The fact that the game can be completed in one well-focused sitting does little for the replay value also. In all, this is a decent game, but one that I would think unworthy of the "Sonic" title. |
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