So, why didn’t I cover these before? Because they are very, very different games. New zones, changed level designs, no special stages, collecting the Chaos Emeralds within stages and 0-Ring Boss Fights; quite the difference!
- Sonic 2 Master System Online
- Sega Master System Sonic
- Sonic 1 Sega Master System Rom
- Sonic The Hedgehog 1991 Sega Master System
- Sega Master System Sonic The Hedgehog Rom
- Sonic 1 8 Bit Online
Use loops to defy gravity, and then dash to safety in Sonic's power sneakers. Help Sonic escape bubbling molten lava, swim through turbulent waterfalls, and scale glistening green mountains. Full of rotating mazes, unprecedented obstacles, and deadly enemies, Sonic the Hedgehog is a long-standing classic. Recorded from a Sega Genesis, Model 2 w/ASIC YM3438 +MegaAmp mod SMS PSG music recorded through my Genesis. I probably can't call this an authentic recording.
So, lets go to the stories for each game!
Sonic 1 is the same as the Genesis/Mega Drive version; Dr. Robotnik invades Sonic’s home and he fights back. But Sonic 2’s story is a bit different; Dr. Robotnik capture’s Tails and its up to Sonic to collect the Chaos Emeralds; if he doesn’t collect all seven and give them to Robotnik, Tails is goner!
- Set your Sega Master System Master System as descnbed 'n its manual Plug Pad 2. Make sure the switch is OFF. Then the Sega cartridge into Power 3.
- SEGA MASTER SYSTEM SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. $10.00 0 bids + $9.00 shipping. Sega Master System SONIC The Hedgehog 2 PAL UK Version REGION FREE. Picture Information. Opens image gallery. Image not available. Mouse over to Zoom.
- Sonic Blast (Brazil) 448 Ko Sonic Chaos (Europe) 205 Ko Sonic The Hedgehog (USA, Europe). BIOS Sega Master System (Japan) (v2.1) 6 Ko BIOS Sega Master System (USA) (M404) (Proto) 2 Ko BIOS Sega Master System (USA) (Store Display Unit).
This leads to both games being quite different zone wise from the ‘main’ versions of the game. Sonic 1 MS has unique zones such as Bridge Zone, Jungle Zone and Sky Base but the main zones (Labyrinth, Green Hill, Scrap Brain) are still present. Sonic 2 MS has entirely unique places for the entire game (outside of a return to Green Hill).
So, we got two new adventures to blast through! Can we process this experience?
Sorry, sorry; tired joke!
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Sonic 1 MS/GG’s level design is a lot more focused on being balanced with speed/platforming, compared to the original Genesis/MegaDrive versions which had speed-focused levels (Green Hill, Spring Yard, Star Light) and platforming focused-levels (Labryth, Marble). This allows the game to be more enjoyable in some respects….but the level design can be a bit prick-ish at points.
See these? They are going to be your best friend in Sonic 1 & 2 MS/GG, as they are all over the place. You don’t die when you touch them, only lose rings but these alongside bottomless pits make level design focused on you being very careful through levels.
But its a great challenge and is rewarding! ……In the Master System version. Sonic 1 & 2 on the Game Gear has bad screen-crunch, so you can’t see everything around you. It is really, really bad with Sonic 2 Game Gear……as this it makes things a lot harder then they really have the right to be.
Take this boss for example:
You can’t see the balls landing on the ground, so you can’t avoid them to let them attack the robot in the pit; you will die a lot :(. This is where the Gems Collection comes into play!
You can make quick-saves and restart from any point you had trouble with. I played these games using Sonic Adventure DX (Sonic 1 GG) and Gems Collection (Sonic 2 GG) so it helped a lot and made this issue more manageable.
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Now that I got my biggest issue out of the way, lets talk about the levels in detail!
Looks like Sonic is excited to learn about the levels!
Okay, Sonic 1’s stages are like I mentioned before, focused on melding platforming + speed and in my mind, it does it a bit better then Sonic. Manly from it being more consistent. Every level has a decent amount of speed vs in the Genesis version where you have two long zones with a major focus on slow platforming (Marble and Labyrinth).
Sonic 2 Master System Online
Sonic 2’s stages are home to a number of fun gimmicks to play with. Take Sky High Zone for example. Sonic has this hang glider he can use to fly across the stage, controlling a bit like Cape Mario from Mario World:
If you nail the controls using this, you can fly past a lot of the zone. Or you can take the platforming focused path (filled with spikes) on the ground. Or, you can use your speed to stay on the middle path and use the cloud springs to say in the air for a long time.
It was one of my favorite zones in the game. Every zone in Sonic 2 Game Gear works like this and it allows for some really fun platforming!
So overall thoughts on level design? Solid and it does a great job emulating the ‘Sonic’ feel the Genesis games focus on.
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Sega Master System Sonic
Next up is the presentation and it does a good job.
Art style for both games are simple (due to the 8-bit nature) but they stick out well to the point that they are quite nice looking.
The music for both games rocks, as while we got some remixes for Sonic 1, Sonic 2 is entirely new tracks with one notable exception.
Sky High Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QKx…8PD70&index=24
Green Hills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBgC…8PD70&index=15
Boss Theme (Sonic 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhql…g8PD70&index=6
Aqua Lake Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qmf…k7i1cu4ug8PD70
Ending Theme (Master System): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2e…k7i1cu4ug8PD70
Good Ending Theme: http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for…%3D245ea71VCE8
Gimmick Mountain Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn84…k7i1cu4ug8PD70
Green Hill (Sonic 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVUK…768DBC15D73A37
Bridge Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkS_…D73A37&index=4
Sky Base Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NFk…D73A37&index=8
Boss Theme (Sonic 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUHY…73A37&index=12
Scrap Brain Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dch…D73A37&index=7
Life Lost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4F…73A37&index=15
Boss Theme (Game Gear): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMtc6ao5uQM
Ultra viewer for mac. Both of these games have amazing music and they stand alongside the other iconic tracks from the Classic Era :).
Sonic 1 Sega Master System Rom
Also interesting is that Sonic 1 GG/Master System was going to have Marble Zone! NeoGaffer Ferr986 corrected me regarding the ending themes but also brought attention to this track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6T5pb9nhs This is Marble Zone’s 8-Bit rendition….so it was likely meant for a real Marble Zone in Sonic 1 GG/MS but they ran out of time or something and never put it in the final game (though its hidden away inside the rom). Thank you for sharing this with us man!
Sonic The Hedgehog 1991 Sega Master System
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Sega Master System Sonic The Hedgehog Rom
So, overall thoughts on these two gems? Really fun platforms that while very hard, well worth playing! Some of the best games from this Era for Sonic and stands right next to the Genesis games in my book.
Sonic 1 8 Bit Online
Honestly was surprised with these two games and being surprised was one of the reasons I started this retrospective; revisiting games I thought were bad or thought were ‘Meh’. But, my mind completely changed with these two games; iconic classics that everyone should give a look!