30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 2: Sonic 1 (Game Gear/Master System)
MS/GG = 8-bit, MD = 16-bit
Played on Genesis Plus GX Wide with the Game Gear version and an emulator config that expanded the screen size to match the Master System. Crucial if you want to play the superior Game Gear version without dealing with screen crunch.
While I do think its Genesis counterpart is superior now, there is no denying that Sonic 1 on Master System does a lot of things better than it. I still vastly prefer MS/GG's soundtrack over MD's, especially Bridge Zone and Sky Base Act 2. The minimap that logs your progression throughout your adventure is also a pleasant addition to this 8-bit version, something that I think the Genesis version sorely lacks. I also do like the fact that you have to find the Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves, it's a neat little bonus and for me is far better than the special stages. They're also pretty easily accessible (except the one in Sky Base) and aren't too big of a hassle to obtain. If only there was a level select to make missing them less frustrating.
Weirdly enough, I also think Sonic 1 MS/GG does a few things better in terms of movement? For one, the rolljump lock that's present in all 3 Genesis Sonic games is removed, so you can literally dial back your jump in the completely opposite direction ala Forces. Certainly not as natural as the rolljump in Mania/CD, but its definitely not as rigid as the original Genesis releases. There's also the fact that the ground/air speed cap is not present in this game, so you can actually fly offscreen when going fast enough, most notably in Green Hill Act 1. Fucking cool shit.
Green Hill is just about as standard in MS/GG as it is in MD, but I do appreciate Act 2 switching things up by having the majority of the level take place underground, something that Mania eventually took inspiration from for its iteration of this iconic level. Overall, though, Act 2 is a lot more barebones than Act 1 (which is already a level that can be beaten in 30 seconds due to the aforementioned flight), and the boss fight is laughable because you can literally hit Eggman while he hovers helplessly above you.
Bridge Zone is iconic. Mostly for its music but it's iconic. This is where the performance of MS/GG begins to show its wear, because I did experience a good bit of slowdown during some platforming setpieces, which definitely caught me off guard. Obviously there's also the nagging issue of Act 2 being a flat out autoscroller that drags you forcefully past an agonisingly slow level that is otherwise lacking in any difficulty. The boss fight in Act 3 is also a bit of a pushover.
Yeah Jungle Zone as a theme is fairly generic but hey it looks prettier than almost every level in MD so haha yeah take that! This is probably the level with the most platforming and usage of movement so that's to be appreciated, although I definitely could do less with the kill screens in Act 2. Another reason why I recommend you play the way I did is because the Master System version of this boss fight is BULLSHIT.
Labyrinth MS/GG is exactly what people perceive MD Labyrinth to be, only its a trillion times worse. At least both levels are mercifully short. Next.
Scrap Brain is surprisingly absent of the difficulty level that its MD counterpart presented, but what it lacks in that it makes up for with... MAZES!!! Huh? Huh? Don't you like mazes???? :D
I mean at least the music is great. In retrospect though I'd say I prefer MD's version of this level and Labyrinth.
Sky Base, instead, takes over Scrap Brain's role of 'absurdly hard' level. The framerate consistency also takes a nosedive in this level, making the challenge of platforming through this level a lot harder than normally necessary. Act 2 also has an interesting distinction of having literally 0 rings, which adds a whole deal of additional challenge to the level itself which sends a barrage of cannon shots at your ass at all times.
Somehow, though, the GG version of the boss fight disappointed me. While MD's fight required me to cheese the whole fight by standing at the far left corner to avoid Eggman's taser shocks, GG's fight somehow has a single pixel right in front of Eggman's capsule that Sonic can stand on and hammer away against the glass, ending the fight in like 10 seconds. A surprisingly disappointing end to an otherwise alright game.
There are 2 other issues with this game that have yet to be mentioned: the first being that projectiles are larger in MS/GG due to the sprite size and proportions of Badniks relative to the resolution of the Game Gear's screen. This causes Sonic to be more prone to getting hit so as long as a single pixel of a projectile makes contact with him. Which is worse because the SECOND issue is that rings lost are a) condensed to one singular ring that b) immediately falls through the stage with no opportunity for you to recollect them. A minor third issue lays with the fact that MS/GG is fairly stingy with its i-Frames, therefore the time window you get between taking damage and being killed is significantly shorter than in the MD version.
Overall, though, its still a solid game, with alright level design that doesn't quite reach the heights of its MD counterpart, a surprising increase in detail in the littler things, and while having better aesthetics, performance wise is less than adequate. Still definitely worth trying out if you're interested, though.
Final rating: 6/10
Day 2: Sonic 1 (Game Gear/Master System)
MS/GG = 8-bit, MD = 16-bit
Played on Genesis Plus GX Wide with the Game Gear version and an emulator config that expanded the screen size to match the Master System. Crucial if you want to play the superior Game Gear version without dealing with screen crunch.
While I do think its Genesis counterpart is superior now, there is no denying that Sonic 1 on Master System does a lot of things better than it. I still vastly prefer MS/GG's soundtrack over MD's, especially Bridge Zone and Sky Base Act 2. The minimap that logs your progression throughout your adventure is also a pleasant addition to this 8-bit version, something that I think the Genesis version sorely lacks. I also do like the fact that you have to find the Chaos Emeralds within the levels themselves, it's a neat little bonus and for me is far better than the special stages. They're also pretty easily accessible (except the one in Sky Base) and aren't too big of a hassle to obtain. If only there was a level select to make missing them less frustrating.
Weirdly enough, I also think Sonic 1 MS/GG does a few things better in terms of movement? For one, the rolljump lock that's present in all 3 Genesis Sonic games is removed, so you can literally dial back your jump in the completely opposite direction ala Forces. Certainly not as natural as the rolljump in Mania/CD, but its definitely not as rigid as the original Genesis releases. There's also the fact that the ground/air speed cap is not present in this game, so you can actually fly offscreen when going fast enough, most notably in Green Hill Act 1. Fucking cool shit.
Green Hill is just about as standard in MS/GG as it is in MD, but I do appreciate Act 2 switching things up by having the majority of the level take place underground, something that Mania eventually took inspiration from for its iteration of this iconic level. Overall, though, Act 2 is a lot more barebones than Act 1 (which is already a level that can be beaten in 30 seconds due to the aforementioned flight), and the boss fight is laughable because you can literally hit Eggman while he hovers helplessly above you.
Bridge Zone is iconic. Mostly for its music but it's iconic. This is where the performance of MS/GG begins to show its wear, because I did experience a good bit of slowdown during some platforming setpieces, which definitely caught me off guard. Obviously there's also the nagging issue of Act 2 being a flat out autoscroller that drags you forcefully past an agonisingly slow level that is otherwise lacking in any difficulty. The boss fight in Act 3 is also a bit of a pushover.
Yeah Jungle Zone as a theme is fairly generic but hey it looks prettier than almost every level in MD so haha yeah take that! This is probably the level with the most platforming and usage of movement so that's to be appreciated, although I definitely could do less with the kill screens in Act 2. Another reason why I recommend you play the way I did is because the Master System version of this boss fight is BULLSHIT.
Labyrinth MS/GG is exactly what people perceive MD Labyrinth to be, only its a trillion times worse. At least both levels are mercifully short. Next.
Scrap Brain is surprisingly absent of the difficulty level that its MD counterpart presented, but what it lacks in that it makes up for with... MAZES!!! Huh? Huh? Don't you like mazes???? :D
I mean at least the music is great. In retrospect though I'd say I prefer MD's version of this level and Labyrinth.
Sky Base, instead, takes over Scrap Brain's role of 'absurdly hard' level. The framerate consistency also takes a nosedive in this level, making the challenge of platforming through this level a lot harder than normally necessary. Act 2 also has an interesting distinction of having literally 0 rings, which adds a whole deal of additional challenge to the level itself which sends a barrage of cannon shots at your ass at all times.
Somehow, though, the GG version of the boss fight disappointed me. While MD's fight required me to cheese the whole fight by standing at the far left corner to avoid Eggman's taser shocks, GG's fight somehow has a single pixel right in front of Eggman's capsule that Sonic can stand on and hammer away against the glass, ending the fight in like 10 seconds. A surprisingly disappointing end to an otherwise alright game.
There are 2 other issues with this game that have yet to be mentioned: the first being that projectiles are larger in MS/GG due to the sprite size and proportions of Badniks relative to the resolution of the Game Gear's screen. This causes Sonic to be more prone to getting hit so as long as a single pixel of a projectile makes contact with him. Which is worse because the SECOND issue is that rings lost are a) condensed to one singular ring that b) immediately falls through the stage with no opportunity for you to recollect them. A minor third issue lays with the fact that MS/GG is fairly stingy with its i-Frames, therefore the time window you get between taking damage and being killed is significantly shorter than in the MD version.
Overall, though, its still a solid game, with alright level design that doesn't quite reach the heights of its MD counterpart, a surprising increase in detail in the littler things, and while having better aesthetics, performance wise is less than adequate. Still definitely worth trying out if you're interested, though.
Final rating: 6/10