Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

"Excellent puzzle game, extremely addictive!"

Mean Bean Machine is basically the Genesis’ answer to Kirby’s Avalanche on SNES, which both come from a classic arcade game, Puyo Puyo.

Here is the, ahem, ''plot'' of the game. Robotnik's back and he is still trying to find a way to rule the world. He has recently invented a ''Mean Bean Steaming Machine.'' Robotnik has targeted a small village in Mobius called ''Beanville'' to turn the beans into mindless robot slaves to serve his evil purposes. Sending his robots to capture the beans, it is up to you, not Sonic, to defeat the henchbots and then crush Robotnik at his own game. Good luck, you'll need it.

Graphics: 7
The graphics in Mean Bean Machine are decent. That’s it. Do graphics really matter in a puzzle game anyway? The graphics look just fine to me, but there is too much repeated animation used in scenes. (i.e. Dr. Robotnik’s movement) It's a shame that all of the level backgrounds were the same though. (That ugly brown stone background)

Gameplay: 9
Gameplay is just nothing short of excellent in Mean Bean Machine. Three different modes to play; Scenario Mode, where you must defeat 12 of Robotnik’s henchbots from the Sonic TV series and then the Doc himself in a heated Bean battle. There are four different difficulty levels and passwords to keep track. Match up four beans of the same color and try to choke your opponent with black refugee beans by unleashing several combos. 1P VS. 2P mode is excellent fun as well. You and a friend will be laughing, screaming, cussing and generally act maniacal as you attempt to destroy each other with several breath-taking combos. Last is Exercise Mode, similar to a Survival Mode; you can actually finish the mode at Level 60! Can you make it?

Sound: 8
Sounds great to me. The bean plops and such all don’t bother me at all. The music I found to be pretty catchy as well. My only complaints was the sound “Yeeeha!” It just sounds awful. Other than that, the sound rocks.

Fun: 9
I seem to be repeating myself; you’ll have fun with this for days; whether if you’re trying to win Hardest mode, trying to defeat your friends in a tournament or trying to outsmart the Exercise mode by reaching Level 60. Excellent fun factor!

Overall: 8.5 (Great)
Mean Bean Machine is definitely the greatest puzzle game found on the Sega Genesis and is highly recommended. If you don't have a Genesis, but have a Super Nintendo, then I would recommend that you get Kirby's Avalanche which is very similar to Mean Bean Machine. If you do have a Genesis, get this game!

Pros:
-Insanely addictive
-Great gameplay
-Massive two-player fun

Cons:
-Could have been more modes
-No bonus stages

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/01, Updated 12/29/01