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-- Sonic Blast --
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Formats: Sega Game Gear
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Sega of Japan
Rating: K-A
Debut: November, 1996 (USA & Europe)
Cast: Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Dr. Ivo Robotnik/Dr. Eggman
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No image available
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A mysterious new island has surfaced near Sonic's home, although its origin is no secret. It's
shaped like Dr. Robotnik's head, meaning the Eggman has built another floating platform to carry
on with his plan to rule the planet. Sonic and Knuckles decide that there's only one thing to
do: break in and do some serious property damage! Unfortunately, that's what the Doc's counting
on. His latest assortment of tricks and traps is even nastier than usual...
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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 Blast
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November, 1996
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Europe
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Sonic Blast
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November, 1996
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Japan
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G Sonic
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December 13, 1996
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Released to fill the 8-bit contingency of the Sonic 3D Blast rush, Blast is a fine example
of what happens when you emphasize graphics over gameplay. The main object (like the Genesis
version), was to create realistic, rendered graphics on the minimal hardware. They achieved this
to a point, although the very idea of rendered graphics on Game Gear is as stupid as "rendered"
graphics on the Game Boy (ie Donkey Kong Land).
The gameplay actually varied from level to level. Some levels (like Green Hill and Blue Marine)
outright suck while others (like Yellow Desert and Silver Castle) are actually OK. The main
drawback of rendered graphics came in the level-design, which was all too often bland and
simplistic...Sonic 1 on Game Gear is a very close comparison, but that was five years old at the
time. Also, the characters (Sonic and Knuckles) are a little too big for the tiny screen, and
control is on the clunky side.
Other than that, the game plays like any other Sonic game, except without any of the extra moves
(barring the Spin Dash). It was the first (and only) Game Gear game to let you play as Knuckles,
including his abilities to glide and climb...Sonic Drift 2 hardly counts. Special Stages
were like those in Sonic 3 & Knuckles...find the giant Ring hidden in the Zone, and hop
in. Visually, the psudeo-3D stages were about the most impressive thing I've ever seen on Game
Gear, and closely resembled the 3D mini-planets from the S3&K Special Stages (only without the
ability to move from left to right). The object was, as usual, to collect enough Rings before
reaching the end. Those who bother to collect the five Chaos Emeralds are rewarded by the chance
to fight the true final boss...and it's not nice.
For what it is, Sonic Blast is decent, but not even in the same league as earlier Game
Gear titles like Chaos and Triple Trouble.
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No image available.
Green Hill Zone: Checkered hillsides, odd native totem poles, and geometric palmtrees
color this tropical island paradise. Sparkling waterfalls flow off the distant cliffs, filling
the crystal bays.
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No image available.
Yellow Desert Zone: Palmtrees dance in the rising heat vapors, as giant dunes crawl
across the desertscape. Falling stalactites spike the ground in the Egyptian caverns.
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No image available.
Red Volcano Zone: Heat rules in this burning valley of volcanoes. Lavafalls pour from
the baking stone cliffs into bubbling pools of magma below.
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No image available.
Blue Marine Zone: The surface is frozen over in several areas over the chilling underwater
ruins. Currents rule under the waves, as these waters aren't as calm as they look.
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No image available.
Silver Castle Zone: Teleport devices provide quick transportation around this massive
metal labyrinth. Unfortunately, they don't come with a map...
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No image available.
Special Stage: No description given.
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-- MIDI Collection --
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None available
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Box cover from Sega Online.
Information compiled and arranged by Jared "Green
Gibbon!" Matte.
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