"A fun platformer that's sure to last!"

I picked this up recently with my NGPC with other games, and to be honest, I didn't know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

Sure, I played Sonic on the Genesis - on the Game Gear, even, and this version has the classic Sonic 'feel', if that makes any sense.

On to the review and I'll see if I can specify what the Sonic 'feel' is like, if I can . . ..

Graphics 9/10
Everything's here. I would say the characters are a little small, but considering the speed and the gameplay of the game itself, I can't really complain much. Everything is bright and colorful, and the representation of every character/item in the game is clear. Even Sonic's impatient toe-tap is included!

In addition, everything is pretty well-animated, and even though Sonic moves at a pretty good pace in the game, there were no screen 'blurs' that I noticed.

Sound 9/10
What can I say? The sound effects are all here, even the classic 'SEGA~' jingle at the beginning of the game . . ..

The music here is very upbeat, it's a Sonic game, after all:) and some of the music is very, very catchy. I especially liked he Casino area music . . . I found myself not playing the game and just listening to the music . . ..

Gameplay 7/10
Classic Sonic - both buttons do the same thing - and the directional joystick moves Sonic. Easy enough.

But the game's downfall comes from this aspect - there's nothing new here that the old Genesis games didn't provide! While the game is simple and easy to pick up, it's sometimes too simple and too fast.

There's nothing wrong with the gameplay aspect, mind you, but we've done this countless times in other Sonic games.

Extras/Longevity 8/10
Because of the nature of the game, where Sonic runs around a huge area, there are many, many areas to be explored before being finished with the game.

In addition, there's the usual time trial/advanced time trial mode, and a new addition - the puzzle mode! In the main game, Sonic has to pick up picture pieces that make up a picture - if you collect enough (73 total, I believe), you can complete pictures and unlock special options within the game.

Too bad you can't play as Knuckles or Tails in this game. It's strictly Sonic here, with cameos of each characters.

Reviewer's Tilt 7/10
I liked this game, but I can't say that I was very impressed with the game, it's the same Sonic as before.

Overall 8/10

Graphics 9/10
-pro:Colorful graphics, well-drawn/animated, no 'screen blur'.
-con:Characters were a little too small for my tastes.

Sound 9/10
-pro:Catchy, upbeat tunes. Even the old 'SEGA' jingle is here.
-con:might be too catchy

Gameplay 7/10
-pro:Same old Sonic.
-con:Same old Sonic.

Extras/Longevity 8/10
-pro:Time Trial, Chaos Emeralds, Puzzle mode, large area to explore.
-con:Only Sonic is playable - again, nothing new with the exception of the puzzle mode.

Reviewer's Tilt 7/10
-Like I said, same old Sonic.

40/50=8/10

-Mentioned many times before, this is a traditional, no-frills version of Sonic. But, with the pick-up-and-go nature of Sonic games and the high quality of the Sonic series, this game can't be beat for portable systems. A very solid, if not too basic, game that I would not hesitate to recommend to gamers on the go.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/17/01, Updated 07/17/01