You gotta have some respect to the game that started it all.
I hate water levels
Embora eu já tenha sim tido contato com a franquia Sonic, inclusive com esse jogo, nunca cheguei a de fato finalizá-lo, até que senti uma enorme necessidade de jogar os títulos clássicos do ouriço, e como um apoiador do senso comum, comecei pelo primeiro.
Já adianto que não tenho tanta propriedade para comentar ou fazer grandes julgamentos sobre a franquia, o que é perceptível, visto que estou finalizando o primeiro título dela apenas em 2023, portanto vou tentar fazer o mínimo possível de comparações com os outros jogos do sonic que já joguei.
Dando procedência para a review de fato, vou comentar sobre algo que logo de cara, já achei que faltou um polimento, que é o level design no geral. Não me entendam mal, eu acho o level design desse título do ouriço genuinamente interessante, porém certos detalhes me incomodaram um pouco, vou comentá-los um por um.
O primeiro detalhe que me incomodou na verdade é algo mais "macro" do que detalhe em si, chegando a ser chato pra valer, que é o posicionamento de alguns inimigos em certas fases. Puta que pariu, embora o level design seja sim bom, que coisa mais traiçoeira, chega até a ser punitivo, e olha que eu realmente aprecio jogos que desafiem o jogador, mas na minha ótica precisa ser algo que faça o jogador evoluir gradativamente, em que ele visualize e monte em sua cabeça, formas de passar de um trecho difícil. Isso está SIM presente em sonic, porém, alguém passando por esses níveis pela primeira vez e não conhece os macetes deles, será muito trollado por espinhos surgindo do chão, obstáculos repentinos e principalmente por inimigos com posicionamento traiçoeiro e inconveniente.
O segundo detalhe é a primordial consequência do primeiro, que seria a alta dificuldade do game, principalmente no final. Não achei os bosses difíceis muito menos ruins, muito pelo contrário, eles são bastante legais, balanceados e com mecânicas interessantes para a época, mas poxa, nem para ter uns rings próximos a eles, qualquer mísero dano irá te tirar uma vida, acarretando em muita frustração, e até mesmo encher tanto o saco do player a ponto dele nem apreciar o boss devidamente (O que por sorte não ocorreu comigo).
A próxima crítica não tem nada a ver com level design de fato, mas gostaria de comentar brevemente sobre os bônus também, e fazer a primeira comparação da review. Eu simplesmente odeio as fases bônus desse primeiro sonic, meu deus. Pode ser sim falta de prática, mas acho além de difícil de controlar, um saco, prefiro muito mais o minigame das bolinhas do sonic 3, que não é tão difícil assim, porém pode ser sim desafiador para certas pessoas, e é bastante divertido.
Agora o último tópico em relação à criticas negativas, que também carregará a última comparação da review, seria a pouca inventividade dos act 2, e mesmo os act 3 das fases. Ok, eu entendo que eles são literalmente feitos para ser a extensão de uma mesma fase, mas na minha sincera opinião seria muito mais legal se eles fossem diferentes uns dos outros, tanto na arquitetura, quanto na estética. Isso é muitíssimo bem retratado em sonic 3 e sonic mania, em que consigo diferir muito mais claramente os atos de cada nível. O game até tentou fazer isso na Scrap Brain Zone act.3, porém na minha opinião, virou mais uma Labyrinth Zone act.4, que não ironicamente, para mim é o nível mais chato do game.
Pouco comentei sobre as qualidades do game, pois já é de conhecimento geral que sonic é cheio de identidade e tem uma gameplay única e renomada, daquelas que se algum jogo tentar copiar, certamente deixará a inspiração clara como o dia. E a trilha sonora... que coisa maravilhosa. Eu disse no início que nunca havia finalizado esse sonic, mas as músicas eu já conhecia, por serem clássicas e muito, mas muito boas mesmo.
Foi bacana demais zerar pra valer o primeiro sonic, até porque nunca fui de jogar os jogos do ouriço. Seus defeitos ficaram sim bastante evidentes para mim, mas eu o considero um game bacana.
Já adianto que não tenho tanta propriedade para comentar ou fazer grandes julgamentos sobre a franquia, o que é perceptível, visto que estou finalizando o primeiro título dela apenas em 2023, portanto vou tentar fazer o mínimo possível de comparações com os outros jogos do sonic que já joguei.
Dando procedência para a review de fato, vou comentar sobre algo que logo de cara, já achei que faltou um polimento, que é o level design no geral. Não me entendam mal, eu acho o level design desse título do ouriço genuinamente interessante, porém certos detalhes me incomodaram um pouco, vou comentá-los um por um.
O primeiro detalhe que me incomodou na verdade é algo mais "macro" do que detalhe em si, chegando a ser chato pra valer, que é o posicionamento de alguns inimigos em certas fases. Puta que pariu, embora o level design seja sim bom, que coisa mais traiçoeira, chega até a ser punitivo, e olha que eu realmente aprecio jogos que desafiem o jogador, mas na minha ótica precisa ser algo que faça o jogador evoluir gradativamente, em que ele visualize e monte em sua cabeça, formas de passar de um trecho difícil. Isso está SIM presente em sonic, porém, alguém passando por esses níveis pela primeira vez e não conhece os macetes deles, será muito trollado por espinhos surgindo do chão, obstáculos repentinos e principalmente por inimigos com posicionamento traiçoeiro e inconveniente.
O segundo detalhe é a primordial consequência do primeiro, que seria a alta dificuldade do game, principalmente no final. Não achei os bosses difíceis muito menos ruins, muito pelo contrário, eles são bastante legais, balanceados e com mecânicas interessantes para a época, mas poxa, nem para ter uns rings próximos a eles, qualquer mísero dano irá te tirar uma vida, acarretando em muita frustração, e até mesmo encher tanto o saco do player a ponto dele nem apreciar o boss devidamente (O que por sorte não ocorreu comigo).
A próxima crítica não tem nada a ver com level design de fato, mas gostaria de comentar brevemente sobre os bônus também, e fazer a primeira comparação da review. Eu simplesmente odeio as fases bônus desse primeiro sonic, meu deus. Pode ser sim falta de prática, mas acho além de difícil de controlar, um saco, prefiro muito mais o minigame das bolinhas do sonic 3, que não é tão difícil assim, porém pode ser sim desafiador para certas pessoas, e é bastante divertido.
Agora o último tópico em relação à criticas negativas, que também carregará a última comparação da review, seria a pouca inventividade dos act 2, e mesmo os act 3 das fases. Ok, eu entendo que eles são literalmente feitos para ser a extensão de uma mesma fase, mas na minha sincera opinião seria muito mais legal se eles fossem diferentes uns dos outros, tanto na arquitetura, quanto na estética. Isso é muitíssimo bem retratado em sonic 3 e sonic mania, em que consigo diferir muito mais claramente os atos de cada nível. O game até tentou fazer isso na Scrap Brain Zone act.3, porém na minha opinião, virou mais uma Labyrinth Zone act.4, que não ironicamente, para mim é o nível mais chato do game.
Pouco comentei sobre as qualidades do game, pois já é de conhecimento geral que sonic é cheio de identidade e tem uma gameplay única e renomada, daquelas que se algum jogo tentar copiar, certamente deixará a inspiração clara como o dia. E a trilha sonora... que coisa maravilhosa. Eu disse no início que nunca havia finalizado esse sonic, mas as músicas eu já conhecia, por serem clássicas e muito, mas muito boas mesmo.
Foi bacana demais zerar pra valer o primeiro sonic, até porque nunca fui de jogar os jogos do ouriço. Seus defeitos ficaram sim bastante evidentes para mim, mas eu o considero um game bacana.
This was one of my first games as a kid and the first game I beat (only thanks to level select, shhh), so I decided to go back and try to beat it legitimately this time. Did it hold up to my childhood memories? Kinda.
The graphics were fantastic for their time, and the art style/aesthetics of each level were great. If I put myself back in the shoes of my kid self in 1991, the game was quite the spectacle to play through.
The core of the gameplay, though, was rather flawed. Every great action game has a certain core mechanic that it builds the game around (as a quick example, Bionic Commando and the character's inability to jump). Sonic's core mechanic is ostensibly its blazing speed, but 'speed' alone is very difficult to build a game around. The issue lies in the challenge. Green Hill Zone is rightly considered one of the most iconic levels in gaming, because of its wide open spaces, multiple paths, loop-de-loops and terrain that allows you to build up speed easily. But of course, if the entire game was Green Hill Zone eight times over it would be braindead easy! So of course some challenge has to be added to the game...but if the challenge isn't implemented just right, then gamers will move slowly and tentatively and the game's core mechanic is no more.
I didn't quite like the implementation of the difficulty; much of the later stages feel like a prototype of a Cat Mario level in which traps are placed exactly where you will jump. Many of the hazards (for example, fans in Starlight Zone that blow you directly into an enemy or torrents in Labyrinth Zone that wash you away while you're waiting for air bubbles) are placed just offscreen so you have no way to react to them, or are plain difficult to see (grey spiked balls swinging against grey backgrounds) so that getting hit by them feels like the game is cheap rather than it being your fault. Hindsight is 20/20 but if could make a change to the game without altering the difficulty I would either make the camera more zoomed out so I would have more time to see and react to hazards, or would make Sonic's controls tighter and less slippery.
Another way the game literally hamstrings itself is by making you wait. Outside of the Green Hill Zone, every stage has a hazard that necessitates waiting - the crushers in the Marble Zone, the slow-moving spiked balls in Scrap Yard, etc. The Labyrinth Zone drops all pretense and just sticks you underwater for half of it slowing down your movements. These wouldn't be out of place in a more deliberate platformer, but not in Sonic.
I enjoyed going on the grand tour of all the different stages, seeing how differently they were designed and experiencing the different gimmicks they had to offer. But rather ironically, the further I got and the more interesting the designs and gimmicks became, the slower I was forced to play and the less it felt like a Sonic game.
The graphics were fantastic for their time, and the art style/aesthetics of each level were great. If I put myself back in the shoes of my kid self in 1991, the game was quite the spectacle to play through.
The core of the gameplay, though, was rather flawed. Every great action game has a certain core mechanic that it builds the game around (as a quick example, Bionic Commando and the character's inability to jump). Sonic's core mechanic is ostensibly its blazing speed, but 'speed' alone is very difficult to build a game around. The issue lies in the challenge. Green Hill Zone is rightly considered one of the most iconic levels in gaming, because of its wide open spaces, multiple paths, loop-de-loops and terrain that allows you to build up speed easily. But of course, if the entire game was Green Hill Zone eight times over it would be braindead easy! So of course some challenge has to be added to the game...but if the challenge isn't implemented just right, then gamers will move slowly and tentatively and the game's core mechanic is no more.
I didn't quite like the implementation of the difficulty; much of the later stages feel like a prototype of a Cat Mario level in which traps are placed exactly where you will jump. Many of the hazards (for example, fans in Starlight Zone that blow you directly into an enemy or torrents in Labyrinth Zone that wash you away while you're waiting for air bubbles) are placed just offscreen so you have no way to react to them, or are plain difficult to see (grey spiked balls swinging against grey backgrounds) so that getting hit by them feels like the game is cheap rather than it being your fault. Hindsight is 20/20 but if could make a change to the game without altering the difficulty I would either make the camera more zoomed out so I would have more time to see and react to hazards, or would make Sonic's controls tighter and less slippery.
Another way the game literally hamstrings itself is by making you wait. Outside of the Green Hill Zone, every stage has a hazard that necessitates waiting - the crushers in the Marble Zone, the slow-moving spiked balls in Scrap Yard, etc. The Labyrinth Zone drops all pretense and just sticks you underwater for half of it slowing down your movements. These wouldn't be out of place in a more deliberate platformer, but not in Sonic.
I enjoyed going on the grand tour of all the different stages, seeing how differently they were designed and experiencing the different gimmicks they had to offer. But rather ironically, the further I got and the more interesting the designs and gimmicks became, the slower I was forced to play and the less it felt like a Sonic game.
Somehow worse than I remember it being. The stages are shit, the special stage is extremely shit, you having no control over Sonic, at least it feels like it, the only thing redeemable about this game is the music.
Problems aside, this goes a long way on its look, sound, and vibe alone, which are so good they basically defined a legendary company for a generation. It might be the least of the Genesis Sonics, but that aforementioned non-gameplay stuff is already locked in, and it's truly wonderful. Green Hill Zone in particular feels like a turning point, and it remains one of the most memorable and comfy platformer environments to this day.
The rest of the Sonic experience, though, is still very much in-development. Most importantly, they hadn't quite figured out what a Sonic level should be yet. You get whole zones that demand a more careful and deliberate pace devoid of the famous momentum, and, in short, they suck. If you've played the sequels, you'll be dying for moves, power-ups, level design, and characters from them pretty quickly (not to mention extra lives and continues, goddamn), but honestly, that's okay. This was a necessary step. It's perfectly playable, and worth doing so just to absorb that Sonic feel in its earliest and purest form.
The rest of the Sonic experience, though, is still very much in-development. Most importantly, they hadn't quite figured out what a Sonic level should be yet. You get whole zones that demand a more careful and deliberate pace devoid of the famous momentum, and, in short, they suck. If you've played the sequels, you'll be dying for moves, power-ups, level design, and characters from them pretty quickly (not to mention extra lives and continues, goddamn), but honestly, that's okay. This was a necessary step. It's perfectly playable, and worth doing so just to absorb that Sonic feel in its earliest and purest form.
always fun to replay sonic 1. people moan about the slower paced stages but I enjoy them
Could not get through this game. Sonic 2 is so much better it's not even funny
One of my favorite games of all time. The level design and music are top-notch. Fluid motion is Sonic's strongpoint.
I hate Labyrinth Zone
the worst out of the original trilogy
1991. My 9th Birthday. After begging dad for months and months he surprises me with a shiny new Megadrive with Sonic included. One of the best days of my life.
É engraçado o fato de que o primeiro jogo do Sonic não é um jogo que se sente a velocidade do personagem, só na primeira zona. Nas seguintes é ter muita paciência e tentativas que, a princípio são MUITO frustrantes. Mas assim é um bom jogo se não se apegar quando der game over já estando quase no final porque é só tentar de novo. Passa bem rápido, é o jogo pra tentar diversas vezes, terminar numa sentada depois que estiver mais experiente e valeu. E tentar pegar as 6 esmeraldas (engraçado que eram 6 kkkk) e zerar o jogo assim é uma boa. Parabéns pra quem conseguiu, eu terminei faltando uma ;-; e nem tem uma recompensa pra isso no fim inclusive, só nos próximos que eles vão fazer isso melhor e de fato ter um final pras esmeraldas. Ah e sobre isso VAI TOMAR NO CU ESSE MINI GAME PRA ESMERALDA, EU CONSEGUI 6, MAS NÃO SEI COMO, BAGULHO ESCROTO.
I remember playing Sonic when I was little and never beating it. When I started playing this again, I remembered why, Sonic is hard! I am more of a fan of the 3D titles, but this was a challenge I am happy to have finished.
The Fun Ends When you Reach The Labyrinth Zone.
not without its dud levels (and i'm talking individual acts) but most popular criticisms of it are predicated on the stupidly pervasive belief it shouldn't be a genuine platformer with obstacles to overcome in order to complete levels
An ambitious platformer that gave Nintendo a run for its money back in the early 90s! Sonic the Hedgehog is an interesting 2D platformer that gives you the ability to go really fast, but what it really calls for is careful platforming. Not that there ever isn't a need for speed, as it can be awesome once you learn and understand the stage designs!
It's not the most graceful platformer, and its successor would end up blowing this game out of the water, but the visuals, music, and satisfaction that comes from clearing the stages make it a genuine classic!
It's not the most graceful platformer, and its successor would end up blowing this game out of the water, but the visuals, music, and satisfaction that comes from clearing the stages make it a genuine classic!
"There's just one legitimately good stage"
No, there's just one legitimately bad stage, Scrap Brain Act 2, the other "bad" ones are just you whining because this platform game is being a platform game and doesn't let you just hold right and occasionally jump to win. It's fine, there are other Sonic games that don't require you to be actually good at video games in order to play them. How about trying Sonic Advance 2 or Rush instead? They seem to be more up your alley with their lack of substance in gameplay.
Alright, I'll admit Labyrinth Zone kinda sucks as well, but still, Sonic 1 is a perfectly fine game and I doubt anyone can actually make a convincing argument that it has overall poor level design aside from those stages I mentioned.
No, there's just one legitimately bad stage, Scrap Brain Act 2, the other "bad" ones are just you whining because this platform game is being a platform game and doesn't let you just hold right and occasionally jump to win. It's fine, there are other Sonic games that don't require you to be actually good at video games in order to play them. How about trying Sonic Advance 2 or Rush instead? They seem to be more up your alley with their lack of substance in gameplay.
Alright, I'll admit Labyrinth Zone kinda sucks as well, but still, Sonic 1 is a perfectly fine game and I doubt anyone can actually make a convincing argument that it has overall poor level design aside from those stages I mentioned.
Sonic the Hedgehog is the weakest of the Classic era main titles, but that should not be a damper in what is otherwise a really solid debut title for SEGA's mascot.
First of all, the graphics and overall design of the stages are great and impressively detailed, with Green Hill Zone in particular having a distinctive charm not seen in most games at the time. I do believe the color palette used for Sonic 1 is a bit dull, though. Marble, Spring Yard and Star Light could've been more vibrant, but they instead went with dull purple, boring brown and dull dark green. In their defense it does increase the realism of the stages you traverse through so that's fine I guess. Sonic himself looks sharp and charismatic, at least, effortlessly displaying that cool edge that made him such an iconic figure of the 90s with his cocky and impatient attitude.
The soundtrack is rather mid for Sonic standards tbh. Pales in comparison to its Master System counterpart, Spring Yard sounds shit (not sorry), Marble and Labyrinth both sound pretty generic but they're at least alright. Scrap Brain and Green Hill both have good themes though. Shame Sonic 2's soundtrack absolutely dumps this one's in the mud.
Alright now for the meat and potatoes of this review: Sonic's control and the levels in general.
What more is there to say about Sonic's movement that hasn't been said already? It's fluent, natural and easy to grasp, he slows down uphill and speeds up on downward inclines, he gains increased vertical height from bouncing on enemies at certain angles; the physics in this game feel realistic and simple. A really good foundation for the franchise's future games.
Green Hill Zone
See, when I think of Green Hill Zone, my mind immediately comes to speedrunning. Most people argue for the necessity for more difficult, riskier high routes, but this zone proves otherwise. This zone has many branching pathways that can all be traversed through quickly as long as the player has the skill. But in speedruns, you don't see speedrunners rushing through Ring Heaven, you see them jump after the slope, knowing that the lower route is the fastest option available when finishing the stage. Similarly, GHZ act 3 has not one, but TWO optimal routes available for speedrunners to tackle: the standard lower route that's easier to execute but difficult nonetheless, and the insane high route that requires insane precision from the player to bounce onto strategically placed enemies in order to reach the boss from astronomical heights. Quite literally the peak of the game, a fantastic tutorial for newcomers as well as playground for those who keep coming back for more.
Marble Zone
This zone is mediocre, but it isn't the worst. Yes, you heard me right: stop calling Marble Zone garbage. Sure, there are obligatory waiting times on some of the lava segments, but skilled players know to use their momentum to leap onto the platforms in Act 1, or navigate through the shortcut in Act 3 that skips another lava segment. Yes, the level is quite linear and some of the waiting could've been cut from it, but this is a good level to explore, with a lot of secrets and at least one extra life per act. A checkpoint in Act 3 would've been helpful, though.
Spring Yard Zone
Hot take: I really dislike Spring Yard. The music sucks, the badniks are quite annoying, the bumpers ARE annoying, and if you thought waiting was annoying in Marble, just wait until you reach the moving blocks. I like how there are multiple signposts at the end of Acts 1 and 2, also the times where you can gradually increase your momentum by rolling down half pipes, but that's about it. Moving on.
Labyrinth Zone
Yeah this zone is shit. But it's not the worst, really, experts at the game know of the massive shortcut in Act 1 and the other shortcut in Act 3. The problem is Sonic 1's water physics are exemplified by your extended stay in the water, with a lot more linearity and waiting than even Marble Zone. The badniks here are also incredibly annoying (the ball guy and Grounder), as well as those fucking extendable spears. A difficult level, but not in the fun way. Don't even get me started on that boss fight where you only have a shield to work with if you die on your first try. Platforming on that level is tedious and I fucking hate it. But again, not complete garbage, learn the shortcuts and you actually halve your time spent in Acts 1 and 3.
Star Light Zone
Boring. Yes, there are loops but honestly this zone is super forgettable, the color palette is at its dullest in this level and the music makes me want to go to sleep. Does have the most inventive boss fight in the game, though, so credit for that.
Scrap Brain
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. This is Eggman's main turf on South Island, so obviously he would have it heavily guarded with buzzsaws, flamethrowers, electrical circuits and pitfalls. That doesn't mean it's fun though. Act 3 also has the guts of making Labyrinth Zone harder, but it also does have a massive shortcut that rewards players who are able to clear the gap fast enough. Then you reach the final boss, it's relatively easy, you take out Eggman, day saved, end of game.
Oh wait the Chaos Emeralds-
Special Stages aka Please Don't Ever Play the Original Release
First off: There are only TEN opportunities for you to get SIX Chaos Emeralds. And zones like Labyrinth, Spring Yard and Star Light all have certain unfair elements that'll scupper your chances of entering a Special Stage ring at the end of a level. Second of all, these special stages aren't even that hard. But they're ANNOYING. The music is garbage, the controls are mostly out of your hands, and whether or not you get the Chaos Emerald at the end depends on luck, rather than the player's skill!
AND YOU ONLY HAVE TEN CHANCES AT THIS SHIT
Let's not forget the Spike Bug! The lack of continues! The Labyrinth Act 2 crash! There's a lot of things wrong with the original game. So, if you want to try the original experience for yourself, I would recommend just flat out playing the 2011 port by Christian Whitehead. It has a better framerate, free of most game-breaking bugs, save files, and just to slap on more good shit they added widescreen, more playable characters (Tails and Knuckles) and the Spin Dash. Taxman doing the heavy lifting for this community I swear to god.
6/10 I don't actually hate this game despite most of my negativity in this review but it's definitely the weakest of the Genesis saga.
First of all, the graphics and overall design of the stages are great and impressively detailed, with Green Hill Zone in particular having a distinctive charm not seen in most games at the time. I do believe the color palette used for Sonic 1 is a bit dull, though. Marble, Spring Yard and Star Light could've been more vibrant, but they instead went with dull purple, boring brown and dull dark green. In their defense it does increase the realism of the stages you traverse through so that's fine I guess. Sonic himself looks sharp and charismatic, at least, effortlessly displaying that cool edge that made him such an iconic figure of the 90s with his cocky and impatient attitude.
The soundtrack is rather mid for Sonic standards tbh. Pales in comparison to its Master System counterpart, Spring Yard sounds shit (not sorry), Marble and Labyrinth both sound pretty generic but they're at least alright. Scrap Brain and Green Hill both have good themes though. Shame Sonic 2's soundtrack absolutely dumps this one's in the mud.
Alright now for the meat and potatoes of this review: Sonic's control and the levels in general.
What more is there to say about Sonic's movement that hasn't been said already? It's fluent, natural and easy to grasp, he slows down uphill and speeds up on downward inclines, he gains increased vertical height from bouncing on enemies at certain angles; the physics in this game feel realistic and simple. A really good foundation for the franchise's future games.
Green Hill Zone
See, when I think of Green Hill Zone, my mind immediately comes to speedrunning. Most people argue for the necessity for more difficult, riskier high routes, but this zone proves otherwise. This zone has many branching pathways that can all be traversed through quickly as long as the player has the skill. But in speedruns, you don't see speedrunners rushing through Ring Heaven, you see them jump after the slope, knowing that the lower route is the fastest option available when finishing the stage. Similarly, GHZ act 3 has not one, but TWO optimal routes available for speedrunners to tackle: the standard lower route that's easier to execute but difficult nonetheless, and the insane high route that requires insane precision from the player to bounce onto strategically placed enemies in order to reach the boss from astronomical heights. Quite literally the peak of the game, a fantastic tutorial for newcomers as well as playground for those who keep coming back for more.
Marble Zone
This zone is mediocre, but it isn't the worst. Yes, you heard me right: stop calling Marble Zone garbage. Sure, there are obligatory waiting times on some of the lava segments, but skilled players know to use their momentum to leap onto the platforms in Act 1, or navigate through the shortcut in Act 3 that skips another lava segment. Yes, the level is quite linear and some of the waiting could've been cut from it, but this is a good level to explore, with a lot of secrets and at least one extra life per act. A checkpoint in Act 3 would've been helpful, though.
Spring Yard Zone
Hot take: I really dislike Spring Yard. The music sucks, the badniks are quite annoying, the bumpers ARE annoying, and if you thought waiting was annoying in Marble, just wait until you reach the moving blocks. I like how there are multiple signposts at the end of Acts 1 and 2, also the times where you can gradually increase your momentum by rolling down half pipes, but that's about it. Moving on.
Labyrinth Zone
Yeah this zone is shit. But it's not the worst, really, experts at the game know of the massive shortcut in Act 1 and the other shortcut in Act 3. The problem is Sonic 1's water physics are exemplified by your extended stay in the water, with a lot more linearity and waiting than even Marble Zone. The badniks here are also incredibly annoying (the ball guy and Grounder), as well as those fucking extendable spears. A difficult level, but not in the fun way. Don't even get me started on that boss fight where you only have a shield to work with if you die on your first try. Platforming on that level is tedious and I fucking hate it. But again, not complete garbage, learn the shortcuts and you actually halve your time spent in Acts 1 and 3.
Star Light Zone
Boring. Yes, there are loops but honestly this zone is super forgettable, the color palette is at its dullest in this level and the music makes me want to go to sleep. Does have the most inventive boss fight in the game, though, so credit for that.
Scrap Brain
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. This is Eggman's main turf on South Island, so obviously he would have it heavily guarded with buzzsaws, flamethrowers, electrical circuits and pitfalls. That doesn't mean it's fun though. Act 3 also has the guts of making Labyrinth Zone harder, but it also does have a massive shortcut that rewards players who are able to clear the gap fast enough. Then you reach the final boss, it's relatively easy, you take out Eggman, day saved, end of game.
Oh wait the Chaos Emeralds-
Special Stages aka Please Don't Ever Play the Original Release
First off: There are only TEN opportunities for you to get SIX Chaos Emeralds. And zones like Labyrinth, Spring Yard and Star Light all have certain unfair elements that'll scupper your chances of entering a Special Stage ring at the end of a level. Second of all, these special stages aren't even that hard. But they're ANNOYING. The music is garbage, the controls are mostly out of your hands, and whether or not you get the Chaos Emerald at the end depends on luck, rather than the player's skill!
AND YOU ONLY HAVE TEN CHANCES AT THIS SHIT
Let's not forget the Spike Bug! The lack of continues! The Labyrinth Act 2 crash! There's a lot of things wrong with the original game. So, if you want to try the original experience for yourself, I would recommend just flat out playing the 2011 port by Christian Whitehead. It has a better framerate, free of most game-breaking bugs, save files, and just to slap on more good shit they added widescreen, more playable characters (Tails and Knuckles) and the Spin Dash. Taxman doing the heavy lifting for this community I swear to god.
6/10 I don't actually hate this game despite most of my negativity in this review but it's definitely the weakest of the Genesis saga.
Severe depression running at you.
It's astounding Sonic was marketed as fast when Labyrinth Zone might be the slowest level I've ever played. While it's technically impressive and has some good music, the level design is too woefully inconsistent for Sonic to be heralded as some great game.
Not terrible, but not the flagship title for the Mega Drive like SEGA hoped. The Mega Drive has many, many better games, such as Sonic's own direct sequel.
Not terrible, but not the flagship title for the Mega Drive like SEGA hoped. The Mega Drive has many, many better games, such as Sonic's own direct sequel.
The first Sonic is a classic that I had an absolute blast playing back in the day until I got stuck at Labrynth Zone and never saw past that point upon each replay. Today as an adult replaying the game, I was able to see the whole game through without much trouble. Sonic 1 is one of those games you can replay again and again for years and not get sick of it. Although while Sega found it's stride here, there were still a lot of shortcomings like the spindash not being yet discovered, and the absolutely infuriating level design at some points. Both points would be addressed in it's Sequel. Still, Sonic 1 is always fun to just pick up and play, and nothing is more iconic than zooming through Green Hill Zone over and over again.
enjoa rapidim
Depois de 20 anos eu finalmente zerei o jogo que me fez amar vídeo game, me sinto realizado, eu amo esse personagem, sonic vai me acompanhar pro resto da minha vida.
agora a parte tecnica
Sonic origins melhorou MUITO a gameplay de Sonic 1
drop dash e spin dash fazem TODA A DIFERENÇA, a trilha sonora, é absolutamente fantástica, icônica demais, incrível mesmo, facil top 3 melhores ost de video game EVER.
O design das fases e dos chefes é bom, mas não é perfeito, mas é algo que foi aprimorado nas sequências.
agora a parte tecnica
Sonic origins melhorou MUITO a gameplay de Sonic 1
drop dash e spin dash fazem TODA A DIFERENÇA, a trilha sonora, é absolutamente fantástica, icônica demais, incrível mesmo, facil top 3 melhores ost de video game EVER.
O design das fases e dos chefes é bom, mas não é perfeito, mas é algo que foi aprimorado nas sequências.
Its pacing often feels at odds with the entire point of the game being "Funny hedgehog, he go weeeeee!", but Sonic's debut title still has plenty of that fun charm that keeps me coming back even so many years later. Something about the soundtrack, something about the best level designs, its highs and lows perfectly embody the series as a whole.
that sure is a first game
its alright.. for all the fuzz it gets i expected more of a master piece or something, what i got is a game that wants to sell the idea of going fast but doing so will get you killed by level design made to torture you
Green Hill it's the peak of this game, the very first level. The rest sucks so bad, but if you have the patience of courage. Go for it, champ.
esse jogo é um clássico indiscutível mas é MUITO frustrante. me rendi a mecânica de rewind do emulador pra ter uma experiência melhor e realmente ajudou, o jogo ficou bem divertidinho até
o level design é ok, a soundtrack é maneira e a parte mais memorável do jogo é obviamente Green Hill, o que não é lá uma surpresa. metade das zonas são bem chatas e a que mais se destacou pra mim foi Spring Yard
no geral, ainda é jogável, sem dúvidas, mas não jogar em um emulador pode te trazer problemas psicológicos severos
57% no kybbo meter
o level design é ok, a soundtrack é maneira e a parte mais memorável do jogo é obviamente Green Hill, o que não é lá uma surpresa. metade das zonas são bem chatas e a que mais se destacou pra mim foi Spring Yard
no geral, ainda é jogável, sem dúvidas, mas não jogar em um emulador pode te trazer problemas psicológicos severos
57% no kybbo meter
completionists worst nightmare