Sonic 3D Blast

"3 dimensional graphics, but 1 dimensional gameplay."

Initially, Sonic 3D provoked two emotions within me- horror, that Sega had mutilated my beloved Sonic and placed him in a game nothing like the others, and astonishment at Sonic 3D's introduction sequence. The introduction video is so great, I thought my Mega Drive was going to explode with the sheer enormity of it all. One of the only cartridge games with FMV (Red Zone being the other that springs to mind), Sonic 3D is clearly a landmark title that saps every ounce of processing power the Mega Drive can muster.

However, the initial thrill of loading up Sonic 3D was quickly dispelled when I actually started playing it. Instead of playing like a normal Sonic game, which consists of running through the stages like a madman and smashing robots, Sonic 3D is closer to the old game 'Flicky'. This means that to complete each stage, Sonic has to smash open robots and collect the little bird inside, before heading to the level's exit. If your reaction here is ''What the hell? That's stupid!'' throw in some liberal swearing here and there and you'll be close to my reaction.

The name 'Sonic 3D' is a bit of a misnomer as it's not a 'real 3D' game. The game plays in isometric 3D, similar to Super Mario RPG on the SNES. In fact, it would be fair to say that it's a rip off of Mario RPG, if not for the fact that Mario RPG was even worse. Anyway, this means that a lot of playing Sonic 3D revolves around using the diagonal buttons on your joypad and makes the game a lot harder than it needs to be. Sonic's movement is a complete butchery of the 2D Sonics- in those, Sonic could turn on a dime and the player felt in total control of him. In Sonic 3D, you feel like you're never in control of a Sonic-shaped hockey puck. This distinct lack of control is even more prominent in the ice levels, where Sonic's movement was completely haphazard.

To make matters worse, the camera angle of Sonic 3D makes it very difficult to judge heights. Thankfully, there isn't a lot of actual platforming to be done- but when platforms appear, it's far more difficult than it should be to jump on them. Certain Flickies hop all over the place and are a nightmare to collect. This is assuming you destroy the robots containing them in the first place, which is, due to the dodgy jumping, a bit of a hit and miss affair.

Sonic 3D follows the traditional pattern of Sonic stages- the jungle level, bouncy level, ice level and so on are all included. However, every level plays the same- it's as if Sega did a quick palette change to the checkerboard floors of the levels, because they all play the same. Changes between the levels are few and far between. The gameplay is so tedious that it becomes a chore to collect the Flickies. By the time you reach Spring Stadium, the game's third level, you'll be quite content to let the Flickies rot inside their robot prisons.

Mirroring the traditional style of the levels is the traditional Sonic music. Unfortunately, the music is more Sonic Advance than Sonic and Knuckles- it quickly begins to grate. Like everything else in Sonic 3D, it feels like the game would benefit more from being on the Saturn than the Mega Drive.

Graphics in Sonic 3D are, for the most part, excellent. However, certain features that were added to the Saturn version such as transparent water were missing. This means that it's even harder to traverse the levels because you can't see where Sonic is going. Also, secret tunnels can actually be found in the Saturn version, and are truly secret in the Mega Drive version- Indeed, I didn't know some tunnels existed until I played the Saturn game.

One feature of Sonic 3D that almost makes up for its past mistakes is the special stage. These are a lot of fun, if a little easy. The 3D effects here are very impressive for the Mega Drive. To find these, you have to give Knuckles or Tails 50 rings. Providing you can find them, which is no mean feat, it will take a reasonable amount of time to collect the Chaos Emeralds. This adds a lot of replay value to Sonic 3D.

Even without the special stages, Sonic 3D will take a while to complete. Stages are larger than normal Sonic levels and take longer to complete due to the nature of the gameplay. The problem is that due to the tedious gameplay, it's doubtful you'll want to play it for that long. Still, if you get a kick out of playing average games, Sonic 3D could last you a very long time.

Sonic 3D is a poor excuse for a platform game. As a Sonic game, it's unacceptable. With 4 of the greatest games ever made already on the Mega Drive, I have to ask myself ''Why bother with Sonic 3D?''

Overall

Sonic 3D is nowhere near the standards set by its predecessors, or indeed the standards of a good game. It's a shame that Sonic's last Mega Drive incarnation is slightly dodgy.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/17/03, Updated 07/17/03