God, Knuckles' Chaotix is such a frustrating game to think about because for every part of it that it gets right, there's at least one other thing it gets wrong, and some of those elements weigh against it even more than similarly middling Sonic titles like Heroes or Lost World.
To start with the good, the sprites in this game are fantastic. For all of the characters introduced, the animation gives them incredibly distinct character. Tons of expression, Vector in particular looks great. Knuckles and the four Chaotix members each have some sort of unique quirk to set them apart, and although Charmy breaks the game more than it already is, there's still some thought behind picking teammates. It's got a great amount of color behind it, dazzling more than what was possible on the Genesis, and some of the soundtrack is pretty solid too, particularly Labyrinth and Door to Summer.
Special stages are back to the Sonic 1 method of access, and despite depth perception issues, they're the most interesting part of the game, collecting small spheres over tube layouts and being able to lap if you miss the required amount. There's different pathways to this with associated risk/reward, not seen in a special stage until Mania 22 years later.
The tether mechanic is interesting, in theory. When running whilst pressing the hold button at just the right time, it can give you a great burst of exciting speed. One partner being above and one being below while holding the button and letting go can also lead to exciting whiplash as you zip through the sky.
Leading into the negatives though, the tether can occasionally be untenable, hard to get working in the right position, or not being able to properly build up speed to reach the top of a steep hill. In levels where you need to get vertical and there's no wall to climb, calling this a pain is an understatement. And as if to accommodate the tether, level design is horrifically bland; barely any obstacles, enemies thrown in seemingly at random, and lots of vertical leading to slow climbs.
Most of the levels have obsolete gimmicks and shitty boss fights at the end of their 5 ACTS, but the one level that does have a gimmick, Amazing Arena, is the actual pits. Failing to reach one specific object, which can occasionally be sealed by points of no return, means that a level clear is invalid. GREAT. At least the collecting stuff in games like Heroes was in 3D!
Final boss is OK I guess. A bit basic, but has some scope to it.
Knuckles' Chaotix is debatably "the first bad Sonic game" and its existence alongside the failed 32X sent something of a bad omen in the years to come. It's got a lot of strengths undermined by the level designs they exist for.
To start with the good, the sprites in this game are fantastic. For all of the characters introduced, the animation gives them incredibly distinct character. Tons of expression, Vector in particular looks great. Knuckles and the four Chaotix members each have some sort of unique quirk to set them apart, and although Charmy breaks the game more than it already is, there's still some thought behind picking teammates. It's got a great amount of color behind it, dazzling more than what was possible on the Genesis, and some of the soundtrack is pretty solid too, particularly Labyrinth and Door to Summer.
Special stages are back to the Sonic 1 method of access, and despite depth perception issues, they're the most interesting part of the game, collecting small spheres over tube layouts and being able to lap if you miss the required amount. There's different pathways to this with associated risk/reward, not seen in a special stage until Mania 22 years later.
The tether mechanic is interesting, in theory. When running whilst pressing the hold button at just the right time, it can give you a great burst of exciting speed. One partner being above and one being below while holding the button and letting go can also lead to exciting whiplash as you zip through the sky.
Leading into the negatives though, the tether can occasionally be untenable, hard to get working in the right position, or not being able to properly build up speed to reach the top of a steep hill. In levels where you need to get vertical and there's no wall to climb, calling this a pain is an understatement. And as if to accommodate the tether, level design is horrifically bland; barely any obstacles, enemies thrown in seemingly at random, and lots of vertical leading to slow climbs.
Most of the levels have obsolete gimmicks and shitty boss fights at the end of their 5 ACTS, but the one level that does have a gimmick, Amazing Arena, is the actual pits. Failing to reach one specific object, which can occasionally be sealed by points of no return, means that a level clear is invalid. GREAT. At least the collecting stuff in games like Heroes was in 3D!
Final boss is OK I guess. A bit basic, but has some scope to it.
Knuckles' Chaotix is debatably "the first bad Sonic game" and its existence alongside the failed 32X sent something of a bad omen in the years to come. It's got a lot of strengths undermined by the level designs they exist for.