Software:Sonic Blast

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
Not to be confused with Sonic 3D Blast or Sonic Blast Man.

Sonic Blast
The North American Game Gear cover art of Sonic Blast. In it, Sonic, a cartoonish blue hedgehog with red shoes, runs through a desert-like environment. The game's logo is shown atop him, while the Game Gear banner is seen on the left-hand corner with the Sega brand logo and seal of quality. In the lower right hand corner, the rating label (K-A, meaning kids to adults) can be seen.
North American Game Gear cover art
Developer(s)Aspect
Publisher(s)Sega
Tec Toy (Master System)
Director(s)Ryushin Hamada
Producer(s)Hiroshi Aso
Designer(s)Fumikazu Sugawara
Taro Murayama
Programmer(s)Toshiaki Araki
Yoshiaki Makishima
Composer(s)Kojiro Mikusa
SeriesSonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s)Game Gear, Master System
ReleaseGame Gear
  • NA: November 14, 1996
  • EU: November 1996
  • JP: December 13, 1996
Master System
  • BR: December 1997
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Sonic Blast[lower-alpha 1] is a 1996 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Game Gear. The player controls Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna, who venture through 15 levels to stop Doctor Robotnik from using Chaos Emerald shards to fortify his base. As a Sonic the Hedgehog series platformer, the characters run and jump to reach the end of a level while defeating enemy robots and collecting rings. In separate special stages, the player must run forward and collect rings to earn one of the Chaos Emerald shards.

The game was the final Sonic the Hedgehog game for the system, utilizing pre-rendered visuals to maximize the graphical potential of the decreasingly popular handheld console. It was rereleased on the Master System exclusively in Brazil in 1997, various compilations in the series, and the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console (2012). Despite their similar titles and coinciding releases, Sonic Blast and Sonic 3D Blast have little in common. Retrospective reviewers generally had little praise for Sonic Blast and have deemed it one of the series' worst games. Although some considered its graphics impressive when considering the technological restrictions of the Game Gear, most found its animations and colors mediocre. The level designs and slow gameplay were also criticized.

Gameplay

Sonic, a cartoonish blue hedgehog, stands in a desert environment. Spikes can be seen in front of him, and a counter displaying rings is in the upper left-hand corner.
Sonic in the game's second level

Sonic Blast is a 2D side-scrolling platform game.[1][2] Its story begins when Doctor Robotnik shatters a Chaos Emerald into five shards with a laser. One of the shards hits Sonic the Hedgehog, who, with the help of Knuckles the Echidna, sets out to prevent Robotnik from collecting the other shards and fortifying his island base.[3][4] Sonic and Knuckles serve as the player-characters of the single-player game.[5] Sonic, in addition to his spinning attacks from prior Sonic games, has a special double-jump that gives him a secondary jump in midair.[6] Knuckles retains his abilities from Sonic & Knuckles: like Sonic, he can perform spin attacks, but can also glide through the air and climb up walls when he hits them in midair.[5] The player travels through 15 levels (called "acts"),[3] across five parts called zones.[6] Every third act contains a boss fight against Robotnik and one of his larger robots.[6] Zones range from the traditional Green Hill Zone[3] to underwater ruins,[4] and feature vertical loops, slides, and teleporters.[3]

In the Sonic series tradition, Sonic and Knuckles collect rings as a form of health. Rings serve as protection for the animals, defending them from the attacks of robot enemies. When taking damage, ten rings scatter across the stage and can be recollected before they disappear.[6] The player starts the game with several lives, which are lost if the player is crushed, drowns, falls into a bottomless pit, or is hit with no rings in their possession.[3] Losing all lives results in a game over, after which the player is returned to the title screen and must restart the game.[3] Power-ups hidden in television monitors provide Sonic and Knuckles numerous boons, including more rings, a burst of speed, shields, invincibility, extra lives, and the ability to save progress in a level. Some monitors, however, contain Robotnik's face and do not grant the player anything. Others contain question marks, which grant any of the power-ups.[3] At the end of an act, the player must hit a signpost to complete the level.[3] The signpost will spin until it lands on an image; the image will grant the player a reward.[3][lower-alpha 2]

Similar in fashion to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, giant rings leading to special stages are hidden around levels.[5] The special stages follow the same basic format of those in Sonic the Hedgehog 2: the player-character runs forward and must collect rings to meet a required amount.[6] They must avoid bombs, and sometimes will jump, run on boost panels, or hop on springs to get more rings.[3] Successful completion of special stages will grant the characters extra lives, rings, or one of the Chaos Emerald shards.[6]

Development and release

A black Game Gear handheld system. From left to right: the directional controls, the screen, and two buttons labeled "1" and "2".
Sonic Blast was the final Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Game Gear.

Sonic Blast was the sixth and final Sonic the Hedgehog platformer released for the Game Gear. It was developed alongside other outsourced titles in the series, including Minato Gaiken's Sonic Labyrinth and Traveller's Tales' Sonic 3D Blast.[7][8][9] Like the previous Game Gear titles, Sonic Blast was developed by Aspect and published by Sega.[10] Key staff from Aspect's prior Sonic games did not work on Sonic Blast.[11] A prominent feature of the game is its pre-rendered visuals, which had been popularized by Donkey Kong Country.[12] The graphics were rendered in 3D before being converted into sprites; the final result has been compared to that of Donkey Kong Country and Mortal Kombat.[7][6] However, the visuals presented some limitations: Sonic and Knuckles have few animation frames, there is no timer, and the player only loses ten rings when hit.[13] Several gameplay elements were reused from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, such as Sonic's double-jump[lower-alpha 3] and the playable characters.[5][6]

Sonic Blast was released worldwide in November 1996,[1][14] and in Japan as part of the Kid's Gear brand on December 13, 1996, retitled G Sonic.[15][16] Worldwide, it was the last Sega-published Game Gear game;[17] it was the system's final game outright in Japan.[15] Though they have similar titles and were released around the same time, Sonic Blast and Sonic 3D Blast have little in common.[4] The game is fairly common in North America, but G Sonic is extremely rare, costing almost US$350.[18] A port of the game was released for the Master System exclusively in Brazil in December 1997, distributed by Tec Toy.[6][11][19] The game had to be simplified to run on the Master System because of its lower graphical quality. Like G Sonic, the Master System version of Sonic Blast is rare.[11]

The game has been rereleased in emulated form several times. Sonic Blast, as well as the other 11 Game Gear Sonic games, is an unlockable bonus in the 2003 GameCube game Software:Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.[12] The game is also available in the compilation Sonic Mega Collection Plus for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.[20] Sonic Blast received a wide release in 2012 on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console service.[15] New features in the 3DS rerelease include the ability to save player progress and choose between the 3DS's normal screen resolution or the Game Gear's original resolution.[5] The release came as part of a campaign by Nintendo to release 8-bit games on the 3DS eShop following a drought of releases on the distribution service.[21] It was released along with the other 11 Game Gear Sonic games on Sonic Origins Plus in 2023.[22]

Reception and legacy

Reception (3DS)
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu5/10, 5/10, 5/10, 6/10[23]
Jeuxvideo.com9/20[6]
Nintendo Life6/10[5]
Nintendo World Report4/10[4]
Digitally Downloaded2/5[13]

Retrospective reviewers did not remember Sonic Blast fondly.[6][12][13] Nintendo World Report (NWR) summarized the game as "a step back" from the other Game Gear Sonic titles, due to what they called "the attempt at aping Donkey Kong Country's pre-rendered sprites on a handheld".[12]

Most critics disliked the graphics, some claiming they ruined the game.[6][13] Digitally Downloaded called the visuals more distracting than impressive—hampering the fluidity of the gameplay and preventing the use of integral series elements[13]—while Nintendo Life thought the game aged badly when compared to the other Sonic Game Gear games with its "muddy colours and shaky animation".[5] Some, such as writers from USgamer and NWR, complained the character graphics were too big for the Game Gear's small screen.[4][7] Jeuxvideo.com found the character animations poor and said they caused gameplay limitations.[6] Although they were mostly critical of the graphics, reviewers did acknowledge the visuals were impressive when considering the limitations of the Game Gear.[6][13] Pocket Gamer noted that prior to the game's release, "the capabilities of [the Game Gear] had seemingly been fully explored", writing while they offered some compromises, the visuals made Sonic Blast stand out.[24]

The gameplay was also criticized.[4][25] NWR wrote that the characters' abilities were difficult to use properly since the screen was zoomed so close to them and particularly disliked the water-based levels, calling them nearly unplayable due to sluggish controls.[4] Nintendo Life held considerable grievances against the inconsistent and random level designs,[5] while Jeuxvideo.com lamented the game lacked the speed previous Sonic games offered, and said the playable characters' abilities, as well as losing only ten rings when hit, made an already-easy game easier. They shared Nintendo Life's concerns about the level designs, and argued the boss fights lacked difficulty.[6] Digitally Downloaded said the game lacked polish: "were you to convert Sonic Blast into the engine of one of the other Game Gear games, its shortcomings would still be prevalent."[13] However, Pocket Gamer praised the game's take on the traditional Sonic formula, calling it "a strong choice for anyone who's enjoyed any other 2D [Sonic game]".[24] Digitally Downloaded, although overall critical, praised the game for its elements of exploration.[13]

Sonic Blast has been called one of the worst games in the Sonic series.[4][7][26] NWR exclaimed the game "should be avoided at all costs",[4] and Retro Gamer said its title screen was the only redeeming quality.[25] USgamer wrote it was "an unpleasant end to the Game Gear" and attributed its shortcomings to the system's discontinuation.[7] Complex declared it "the worst handheld Sonic game ever" and said "thank God they didn't attempt the '3D' aspect of its 16-bit older brother".[26] Some reviewers noted Sonic Blast was the first game to give Sonic the standard ability to double-jump,[13][5] which would be used in later games such as Sonic Colors (2010).[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as G Sonic (Ｇソニック, Jī Sonikku)
  2. ↑ The signpost images are of Robotnik, a ring, Sonic, Knuckles, a Chaos Emerald, or Super Sonic.
  3. ↑ In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic can double-jump when he equips a certain shield; Sonic Blast included the double-jump as a standard ability.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Return of the Scream". GamePro (International Data Group) (88): 60. November 1996. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_088_November_1996/page/n61/mode/2up. Retrieved March 11, 2018. 
  2. ↑ Massey, Tom (January 25, 2015). "A guide to gaming's most valuable treasures". Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-02-super-bank-breakers. 
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Sonic Blast (U.S. instruction manual). Sega. November 1996. http://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic_Blast_GG_US_Manual.pdf. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Bonds, Curtis (June 27, 2013). "Sonic Blast Review Mini". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/34796/sonic-blast-nintendo-3ds-vc-gg. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Newton, James (June 25, 2012). "Sonic Blast Review". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/eshop/sonic_blast_gamegear. 
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 Godefroy, Sire (June 11, 2017). "Test Oldies : Sonic Blast, un épisode pas si indispensable que ça" (in fr). Webedia. http://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/665289/sonic-blast.htm. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Gotta Go Fast: Ranking All of The Sonic The Hedgehog Games". Gamer Network. August 18, 2017. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/gotta-go-fast-ranking-all-of-the-sonic-the-hedgehog-games. 
  8. ↑ "G Sonic I Nintendo 3DS" (in ja). Nintendo. April 18, 2012. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/50010000009867. 
  9. ↑ Newton, James (June 11, 2012). "Nintendo Download: 14th June 2012 (Europe)". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/06/nintendo_download_14th_june_2012_europe. 
  10. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (June 5, 2014). "Who Makes the Best Sonic the Hedgehog Games?". Gamer Network. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/who-makes-the-best-sonic-the-hedgehog-games. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Thorpe, Nick (March 22, 2014). "The History of Sonic on the Master System". Retro Gamer (179). 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Ronaghan, Neal (June 21, 2013). "Grinding Game Gears: An Overview of Sonic's Portable Origins". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34741/grinding-game-gears-an-overview-of-sonics-portable-origins. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 A, Clark (August 14, 2013). "Review: Sonic Blast (3DS)". http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2013/08/review-sonic-blast-3ds.html#. 
  14. ↑ Phillips, Tom (June 11, 2012). "Sonic Blast on Nintendo 3DS eShop this week". Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-11-sonic-blast-on-nintendo-3ds-eshop-this-week. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Newton, James (April 11, 2012). "Donkey Kong Jr. and Sonic Blast Head to Japan 3DS VC". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/04/donkey_kong_jr_and_sonic_blast_head_to_japan_3ds_vc. 
  16. ↑ "[セガハード大百科 ゲームギア対応ソフトウェア（セガ発売）"]. Sega. http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/gg/soft.html. 
  17. ↑ Roberts, Dave; Agnello, Anthony John (August 10, 2016). "59 Sonic games, explained in 10 words or less". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/59-sonic-games-explained-in-10-words-or-less/. 
  18. ↑ Kohler, Chris (September 27, 2017). "The Rarest Stuff We Found In Akihabara's Game Shops". Allure Media. https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/09/the-rarest-stuff-we-found-in-akihabaras-game-shops/. 
  19. ↑ "Jogo Rápido". Ação Games. Editora Abril. December 1997. p. 10. https://archive.org/details/acao-games/A%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Games%20%23122%20%28Dezembro%201997%29/page/n9/mode/1up. Retrieved 24 September 2024. 
  20. ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (November 3, 2004). "Sonic Mega Collection Plus". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/11/04/sonic-mega-collection-plus. 
  21. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (June 21, 2012). "Nintendo's "8-Bit Summer" Announced for the 3DS eShop" (in en-US). http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/22/nintendos-8-bit-summer-announced-for-the-3ds-eshop. 
  22. ↑ Shanklin, Will (March 23, 2023). "'Sonic Origins Plus' brings the hedgehog's Game Gear entries to modern consoles". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/sonic-origins-plus-brings-the-hedgehogs-game-gear-entries-to-modern-consoles-160043311.html. 
  23. ↑ Tsūshin, Hamamura; Pinnu, Mizu; Watanabe, Miki; Hada, Takayuki (December 20, 1996). "New Game Cross Review" (in Japanese). Weekly Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (418). 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Willington, Peter (June 18, 2012). "Sonic Blast review - 3DS reviews". Steel Media Limited. http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/3DS/Sonic+Blast/review.asp?c=42089. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Delaney, John (July 28, 2008). "Sonic Blast". Future plc. https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/sonic-blast/. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Knight, Rich (July 16, 2013). "Ranking Every "Sonic the Hedgehog" Platformer". http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/07/every-sonic-hedgehog-platformer-from-worst-best/. 
  27. ↑ Bickam, Al (November 11, 2010). "Sonic Colours Review". Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-11-sonic-colours-review. 
  • Official Nintendo Minisite. .
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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