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-- Sonic 3D Blast --
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Formats: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, PC, Tiger hand-held
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Rating: K-A
Debut: November, 1996 (USA)
Cast: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Dr. Ivo Robotnik/Dr. Eggman
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Sonic and his pals are off to visit the mysterious Flicky Island, home to many precious gems; as
well as the even more mysterious Flicky birds. Dr. Robotnik, meanwhile, has discovered the
location of the Chaos Emeralds on Flicky Island. He quickly sets up a base and intruder defenses
there, but first he needs Flickies to turn into robots. While he is pondering how to capture the
elusive birds, he sees a bright flash in the distance. A Dimension Ring has appeared, and out of
it fly a flock of Flickies. They perch on a tree, pick up some food, then fly back into the
Dimension Ring. Then Robotnik realizes the secret of the Flickies...they live in another
dimension! With that, he set about creating the Dimension Ring Generator, which can capture
Flickies in their home realm. Sonic arrives to discover Flicky Island in pandemonium, and it's
up to him to get the Chaos Emeralds before Robotnik and save the Flickies.
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-- International Info --
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Area
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Title
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Debut
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USA
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Sonic 3D Blast
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November, 1996
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Europe
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Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island
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November, 1996
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Japan
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Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island
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October 14, 1999
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Originally intended to be the big Genesis game of 1996 (a year when the
32/64-bit wars were coming to a peak), Traveller's Tales set out to create CG-rendered Donkey
Kong Country-style graphics on the Genesis...a difficult task, considering the Genesis'
miniscule color palette of 64 (the absolute lowest of the era). They succeeded nonetheless.
With smooth-moving characters on brilliantly rendered backdrops, Sonic 3D Blast was always
beautiful to look at. To play, however, it wasn't quite as impressive.
Basic control is identical to classic Sonic games...run, jump, and spin. Only now instead of
running across 2D planes, Sonic was played on a 3D board from an isometric view...very much like
Sonic Labyrinth, only with his speed (and ability to jump) intact. The object was to bust
open Badniks, then grab the Flickies inside. Collect the six Flickies within each Act, then make
it to the exit (Dimension Rings). Getting hit means losing your Rings and Flickies, and
Flickies can be a pain to re-catch, as they each react differently after being hit.
- Blue Flickies -- Classic blue Flickies fly around in circles at the area
you got hit.
- Pink Flickies -- These friendly Flickies will try their best to follow
you, making them the easiest to grab back. If you don't decide to be mean and outrun
them, you fiend.
- Red Flickies -- Randomly hop around all over the place. They're tricky
to catch, as you have to make sure you snatch 'em at the point of impact.
- Green Flickies -- Randomly roam around the board. They'll go all over
the entire level if you let them, making them the most difficult to grab back.
The means for getting to a Special Stage were identical in all three versions of the game (take
50 Rings to Knuckles or Tails), but the stages varied. The Genesis version has Sonic running
along a pseudo-3D "bridge" above nothing, jumping over ridges, avoiding mines, and collecting the
specified amount of Rings. The Saturn version's were identical to the old Sonic the Hedgehog
2 Genesis Special Stages, only in true 3D. Like the old ones, they had Sonic running
through half-tubes collecting the specified number of rings, while avoiding mines and other
obstacles. The PC versions appear to be similar to the Saturn's versions, only not quite as
impressive.
The 32-bit version touted improved graphics, CD-quality music (from Sega of Europe's own musical
genious, Richard Jaques), true 3D Special Stages, and environmental effects (rain, fog,
snow) in certain Zones. The gameplay, however, was identical. Solid, but not spectacular, and
certainly below hedgehog standards.
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Behind the Screens
The Saturn version of 3D Blast came in an interesting way. SoA's official line was that the
Saturn version was secretly in development all along, and that it was merely a name-change from
"X-Treme". That, of course, is one of the biggest loads of PR bull ever spouted in videogame
history, even from SoA. The truth, as confided to me by Mr. Jon Burton himself (lead designer
and programmer of 3D Blast), is as follows: shortly after Sega of Japan pulled the plug on
Sonic X-Treme, Sega of America needed something to fill the gap left in the 1996 holiday
season. Sooo, they went to Traveller's Tales, who threw together a Saturn version of 3D Blast in
about a month.
The game didn't get a Japanese release until three years later, released simultaneously with
Sonic Adventure: International. Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island was the final
in-house Saturn game released in Japan.
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Green Grove Zone: Camshafts, cannons, and other machinery echo through these lively
green hills. Unstable wooden bridges shift under Sonic's weight, and palmtrees & mushrooms grow
side by side.
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Rusty Ruin Zone: The ruins of the fabled continent of Atlantis were brought up from the
depths when Flicky Island was created. Robotnik's fitted the ancient booby traps with modern
machinery, making these quiet, musty ruins more dangerous than they appear.
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Spring Stadium Zone: Springs, bumpers, and general insanity rule in the massive Spring
Stadium arena. Spike traps keep things sharp, and wind chutes provide quick transportation.
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Diamond Dust Zone: Frozen rivers of slush crawl through a wintery wonderland atop the
mountains of Flicky Island. Chilling patches of ice do NOT provide adequate traction...
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Volcano Valley Zone: Boiling lava flows have poured down the side of a volcano, setting
fire to most of the local greenery. Check out those flaming Flickies!
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Gene Gadget Zone: Elevators provide transportation to the numerous levels of this
industrial mess. Tubes and wiring weave over electrically charged floors and around spinning
fans.
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Panic Puppet Zone: Robotnik hasn't had the chance to turn these Flickies into robots yet.
It's up to Sonic to save the birds from those containers, while keeping an eye out for booby
traps and learning to operate the conveyor belts.
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None available.
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Level-Select: (Genesis version) At the title screen, press: B, A, Right, A, C, Up, Down,
A (BARACUDA).
Lots o' Codes: (Saturn version) At the title screen, press the D-pad in a northwesterly
direction, plus A and C simultaneously. The "Press Start" message should stop blinking. Now
start a game like normal. At anytime during gameplay, pause and press one of the following
buttons for the indicated effect:
- A = Skips an Act.
- B = Skips a Zone.
- C = Skips to Boss of the Panic Puppet Zone.
- X = Gives a free Life.
- Y = Gives a free Medal.
- Z = Gives all seven Chaos Emeralds.
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Saturn Screenshots (Green Grove through Diamond Dust) from
Sega Entertainment Universe. Box covers from
Sega Online. Genesis screenshot (Panic Puppet) thanks to Chan
Soen Mun David. Tiger hand-held backboard thanks to "SonicBlu". Information compiled and
arranged by Jared "Green Gibbon!" Matte.
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