Sonic's 2D classics re-reviewed

Features
By published

Nine vintage side-scrollers. Ten definitive verdicts. Yes, we can count

This was the last Sonic game to use the original Sonic sprite and he looks great. There are new animation frames too, including a figure-8 'running legs' animation for when he's going really, really fast. Of course, feet don't actually move like that, but never mind.

The gameplay was different to any Sonic game before or since, as it featured time travel in every zone. If you travelled to the past and erased all evidence of Robotnik's tinkering, you could make a 'good' future. Screw up and you got a 'bad' version of the future, where Robotnik controls everything. It works really well.

The original CDversion of the game isn't quite as smooth-running as other Sonic games – we don't know why – and the American soundtrack is nowhere near as good as the European/Japanese one. The UK/Jap game is worth buying just for the first ten seconds. The music starts with a 'ba da da – ba ba na baow! Whoo… yay!' which, coupled with the uber-cool graphical style, leaves you feeling like this is the best game ever. And then you hit that pseudo 3D bit and it's even better.


Above: Look -It's Amy. With little hearts and everything. Run, Sonic - run!

Of course, the game can't be that great all the way through and the rest is pretty standard Sonic fare, but it's old-school Sonic fare so it plays perfectly well. In fact, unless the off-the-wall style and incredibly busy levels grate with you, the only bitter taste here is that Amy was introduced to the world with this game. But she's just a pink hedgehog here and not a whiny, annoying brat like in Sonic Adventure. Not that we're bitter…

Justin Towell
Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.