Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball

released on Aug 01, 1994

8-bit port of Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball.


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somehow worse than the 16-bit one, wow

The Game Gear/Master Sysyem version is pretty much a worse version of Sonic Spinball, with even clunkier controls, the game feels extremely sluggish and it’s just not a nice experience. The levels have the same names and while the layouts are roughly the same, they’re adapted based on what the Game Gear can do, with different colour schemes and obstacles.

The bosses are also not part of the level itself, instead you warp to a separate area with the boss. Some bosses are similar, but the first and final bosses are completely different to the Mega Drive version.

Another big difference is the special stages, which are now small platforming levels that take place in giant bird cages. You have 90 seconds to collect rings and open up pods, some of which contain continues.

What do you mean there's a game gear version?

Whatever the opposite of rock solid is, that's how I would describe this game. The structure is perfectly fine, and the concept of a Sonic pinball game is a S-tier idea, but the execution is about as clunky as humanly possible.

The controls are near unplayable, jumps are impossible to make with how inconsistent the physics are, as is running for any specific distance. Some situations allow you to move Sonic in one way, but then when you enter a similar situation he behaves entirely differently. The game also performs terribly, at least in the Sonic Origins Plus emulation, which makes the game simultaneously look worse and also play more inconsistently.

Honestly, the only thing saving this game from a status as a complete train wreck is the admittedly impressive visuals for the Game Gear and the passable soundtrack. Just play anything else

You probably don't need me to tell you this, but Sonic Spinball - a game that already plays poorly on the Genesis - is a disaster on the Game Gear.

I know this is the least shocking news ever, but this black brick that sucks down AA batteries like water isn't exactly the best piece of hardware for a video pinball game. The framerate is choppy which makes it irritating to navigate each table, Sonic has a tendency to flicker around all over the place after hitting bumpers, and the hitbox for flippers feels inconsistent. Yet again, this is a Game Gear Sonic game with a Master System equivalent, which I actually did not know until after I beat it. So, the usual asterisk applies here: the Master System version is probably better. Maybe.

Backhanded as this may sound, one thing I think Sonic Spinball for the Game Gear has going for it are its table designs, which are pretty good considering its limitations. Sure, there's some pretty egregious overuse of repeating layouts and gimmicks remain very simplistic throughout, but it's a Game Gear game, and I felt each table was intuitive enough to navigate. The problem is entirely in how good it feels to navigate them, and unfortunately 8-bit Spinball's technical shortcomings just make the whole experience aggravating.

Sonic Spinball was the last Sonic game released on the Master System, which is a pretty sad note to go out on. Unless you count the Brazilian port of Sonic Blast that hit the console in 1997, which is just tragic (it's not even considered a good port.) Kinda irrelevant since I'll have to play both games on the Game Gear anyway, but I just thought that was a neat fact.

this massive Jalapeno infused shit I took after eating copious amounts of Taco Bell was a more pleasant and fun experience than this game,