I played through this years ago and loved it, but I want to go back to this, as I want to play through a lot of games in the series this year to celebrate the anniversary.
So, lets all scream……SSSEEEEGGGAAA!
*Cough*
The core gameplay is what we all know and love; a blue hedgehog that runs fast named Sonic runs through colorful zones to stop a round man name Dr. Robotnick from trapping innocent creatures inside robots. You go through six zones with three acts before facing him one final time to save the day!
Sounds simple and that is Sonic’s charm; the game is simple to control with only one button to jump and the D-Pad to run and roll. But the games mechanics are interesting; Sonic is all about maintaining your speed and playing with the level to get the best path.
For example, you can roll down a hill and build up crazy amounts of speed, then launch high in the air and collect a ton of rings. Or, you can just run down the hill and get some of the rings. Or even just jump before you hit the incline, and progress down the lower path.
Level design like this allows the game to feel fresh and interesting, allowing you to try to get the best times for repeated replays.
Anyway, the first zone is Green Hill Zone and we all know it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPRG…RBl94Q-brvs_cs
Iconic music beating in the background as you run through a great opening level. Mechanics are introduced naturally across the three acts and you fight against Robotinik using a ball-and-chain weapon. Very easy fight but still, a nice opening to this classic.
The rest of the levels are interesting as they push more Mario-like platforming instead of the speed-focused nature that Green Hill give the impression of.
Marble Zone is enjoyable for its great theme and enjoyable platforming, leading into the great Spring Yard Zone which brings back the high-speed fun from Green Hill while also introducing pinball mechanics that a sequel plays around with in the future.
My view of the other zones in the game include the following:
-Spring Yard: This zone is fun, with the pinball like gimmicks (bumpers, lots of springs, ect) and the platforming felt really rewarding. Also really loved the track in this zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8Av…353F7F&index=4
-Labyrinth Zone: Was not looking forward to this, as I hated this zone when I played this originally…..but I ended up having a good time here :). Liked how Sonic felt underwater, the platforming felt really rewarding for going out of your way (ring boxes, invincibility, shields in hidden spots) and the music was great too. The boss for this zone was BS originally but I got to grips with it over time. Not nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be honestly.
-Star Light Zone: Hands down my favorite level in the game so far. Love the track that plays here and its so rewarding to have another Green Hill-like level after all the platforming-focused levels prior to this. Getting those upper paths felt great and the boss made good use of a gimmick (platforms that can fling a spike in the air, and when it lands on the opposite side, it launches Sonic higher or in the boss fight, the spike can hit Robotnik).
-Special Stages: They were not really hard at all to me and it was fun doing really well in these stages :).
Robert Kellett - Retrospectives of Gaming History 