Originally released for the Mega CD and PC, for the first decade of it's existence Sonic CD had an air of mystery about it. It was considered something of a 'lost' Sonic game because so few fans had played it. I first got the chance to boot up the game when Sonic Gems Collection released in 2005.

Artistically, Sonic CD blew me away when I played it for the first time. It has, arguably, the best soundtrack in Sonic's illustrious history (the Japanese variant specifically, though the American soundtrack is also excellent) and beautifully realised levels that bring back the weird, slightly abstract visual design of the first game. The levels all look and sound great and that's all the more impressive considering Sonic CD's central time travel gimmick. You can visit a Past, Present, Good Future and Bad Future version of every level and it's truly wonderful to see each level's evolution (or devolution).

To get the game's best ending you're encouraged to travel to the past in each act of each zone, find a Robotnik device and destroy it. Doing so creates a 'good future' for the zone while failing to do so creates a 'bad future'. On paper, it's a pretty cool concept that adds an extra layer of agency to Sonic and the player but the time travel conceit completely changes how Sonic CD's levels are designed for the worse. The levels are all more maze-like and sprawling than previous instalments. They're built this way to encourage you to explore and find the devices but it doesn't make for a particularly fun experience. The central issue with this is that if you're playing casually and ignoring the exploration aspect of the game, the levels feel somewhat short and underwhelming. But even if you invest the time to scour each level for the Robotnik doohickeys, the level design is kind of frustrating and confusing. Wacky Workbench is probably the best example of what I mean. It's a slog and has no memorable set pieces or routes, it's just a spiderweb of obstacles and is a pain to get through.

Over time I have grown to appreciate the direction the game takes classic Sonic gameplay but I still feel the attempt to innovate here was somewhat botched. I enjoy playing Sonic CD casually but I've never taken the time to 100% the game. For me it's the weakest of the classic Sonic quadrilogy.

Nope. This one is too hard for me.

I enjoy difficult games but everyone has their limit and Ghosts 'n Goblins is mine. Arthur's static jump arc makes everything so difficult but my main gripe with the game is the cruel randomness of it all. As early as the first few seconds of the game you'll notice the red-haired zombies seem to spawn in random locations, making even the first level impossible to brute force via memorisation (à la Castlevania). The flying demon enemies are the worst offenders though; they have such a shockingly devilish attack pattern and feel like a gigantic, undodgeable homing missile . Playing Ghosts 'n Goblins feels like digital torture and I'm not much of a sadomasochist, so I'll pass.

On the plus side, the music is iconic, elevating the game up a half-star in my estimation.

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is an 'Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'-themed reskin of Japanese falling block puzzle game Puyo Puyo.

The premise of Puyo Puyo is simple but addictive. The aim of the game is to clear your board by joining together quads of beans and popping them off your board. When you pop a foursome, it makes a rock appear on your opponents board so by clearing your own board you're simultaneously disrupting your opponents'. Crucially, when you chain a combo of bean pops together, it creates an avalanche of rocks on your opponents board.

This is the central risk reward matrix at the heart of Puyo Puyo's gameplay and adds a delectable layer of tension. Do you build up a monstrous combo and leave yourself vulnerable to enemy rocks or do you try to overwhelm your opponent with a continual string of smaller combos?

It's a formula that's easy to grasp but takes time to master. I always found Mean Bean's story mode hit a sweet-spot with it's difficulty curve. Every robotic opponent has a distinct playstyle but they get progressively tougher to beat, pushing you to continually blast through your own perceived skill ceiling in an effort to get further. Overall it's the type of game I find endlessly replayable and satisfying to best.

For what it's worth, I enjoy Mean Bean over the original Puyo Puyo because of it's AOSTH inspiration. It's so much fun to see the goofy enemy portraits change from smug grins to desperate, sweating faces when you turn the tide in your favour. The tense Kraftwerk-inspired music and excellent used of well-placed sound effects (an exuberant YIPEE sounds off whenever you pop a quad of beans) only add to the satisfaction when you've got Dr. Robotnik on the ropes.