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Sonic Labyrinth -- Hey, y'know
Marble Madness? Labyrinth is absolutely nothing like that
except for the perspective. It's a love it/hate it game, but I think
it's just misunderstood. (Sonic Labyrinth, that is.) Those expecting
classic Sonic speed are sure to be disappointed, but taken for what
it is -- a creative, fun puzzle game brimming with secrets --
there's an awful lot to like about Labyrinth. (And the music's
awesome, too. Request for all you MIDI sequencers out there: let's
have some Labyrinth!)
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Story -- Robotnik decides that
Sonic runs too doggone fast. He bets that pesky blue hedgehog would
be as helpless as a sickly, underfed kitten without his speed.
Brilliant deduction Doc, but how are you gonna rob Sonic of his
birthright? Why, with adverse footwear, of course. Eggy creates a
pair of normal-looking sneakers that happen to reduce the running
speed of their wearer. (It's gotta be the shoes!) After having one
of his Badnik assistants swap the speed-sucking sneakers with
Sonic's regular pair while he's asleep, the Eggman informs Sonic of
what needs to be done to get his speed back. (I don't know
why he gives him the solution, or even why he didn't just
kill Sonic while he was on a snooze-cruise. Maybe Robotnik is
secretly afraid of losing his arch nemesis? The world may
never know.) Anyway, in order to get his speed back, Sonic must
collect the Chaos Emeralds hidden within Robotnik's Super Labyrinth.
His speed's gone, but his Spin Dash still works. Hm...
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Gameplay Info -- So here's the
game: the object is to locate the three Keys on each isometric
board, then make it to the exit within the time limit. And for the
first time in Sonic history, there isn't a Ring in sight (except for
the boss and bonus stages): if you take damage, you get some
oh-so-valuable seconds shaved off the timer. So basically, the clock
is your biggest enemy in Labyrinth. The timer is extended every time
you find a Key or bop a Badnik...so do that.
Naturally, Sonic has lost his speed. What isn't
explained in the story is why he has also lost his ability to jump.
You can walk around the boards if you so desire, but being that
Sonic moves about as fast as a speeding mail carrier, that would be
a death wish. If you intend on making it past level 1-2, your only
hope is to master the Spin Dash technique. It works like a
slingshot, and you can revert back to standing mode at any time by
hitting the action button again (just like Sonic Adventure).
There are four Zones each with three stages.
Every third stage is a boss round, where you DO find Rings which
serve as your only defense against the boss' attack. Beat the baddie
and you get a Chaos Emerald. The levels consist of: Labyrinth of the
Sky, Labyrinth of the Sea, Labyrinth of the Factory, and Labyrinth
of the Castle.
Items come in the form of weird-ass triangle
formations. Here's the key:
- Green horizontal row: ? Item -- Destroys all Badniks on-screen
- Yellow vertical row: Hourglass -- Adds one minute to the timer
- Blue horizontal pair: Sneakers -- Temporarily raises your
walking speed
- Red vertical pair: Invincible -- Makes you invincible for a
short time
- Pink square formation: 1-Up -- Gives you an extra chance
There are two bonus stages hidden within the
game. Once inside, you're just grabbing Rings and bouncing off
bumpers for points and stuff, but you must access them both to view
the good ending. Just getting inside is where the challenge lies,
although you receive the hint "1 and 2 and right key!" after
finishing it with the bad ending. At the end of the good ending, you
get the level-select code.
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Screenshots --
 
  
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Codes & Cheats --Level-Select: At the
title screen, AFTER the Sonic Laybrinth logo appears, press:
Up 2 times, Right 3 times, Down 6 times, and Left 9 times. The word
"Select" should appear. Now go to the Options screen. Where there
used to be a Sound Test, there is now a Level-Select.
--
Trivia --
- After completing the Time Attack mode, you're rewarded with a
five-digit password (ex. "TAFCG") and a star rating. The password
is absolutely useless. Perhaps there was an extra feature planned
that never made it into the final build? The mind boggles...
Information compiled and arranged by Jared "Green Gibbon!" Matte. Make
no mistake, this site is a part of SonicNEXT. All Sonic
related materials are copyright Sega
Enterprises. SonicNEXT is created by Zifei Wu. Space provided by
VGHQ.com. One and two and right key! Fuji 1
GO!
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