MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Re: aren't the genesis sonic games all about speed?

> has anyone ever actually played these games and tried to go fast? never having had a
> genesis, i always assumed that the sonic games were probably good, but now that i'm
> playing through them, they seem to all have crippling gameplay and level design that
> runs opposite the advertisements.
>
> the only times there's any real sense of speed are the on-rails moments that
> automatically whip the player around. any attempt to do anything other than carefully
> and slowly proceed through these stages gets you killed.
>
>
> =(

Yeah, the stage design for most of the stages is more of an obstacle course, rather than the 1st stages (some 'Greenish' color, Hill Zone) which seem to be more designed with speed in mind, letting the player flow through the stage.

1st stage: Hills, springboards, loop-d-loops, and ramps all the way to the goal.

2nd stage and up: get through this maze, or cluster of bumpers, or go through this cave, or find the button to open the door... and so on.

...Which, obviously, breaks up the monotony of breezing through a stage, (e.g.) adds variety. That isn't to say the other, less fluid levels can't be traversed in a way that is fast... Or, "fast" (I know, a relative term) in the sense that one player that doesn't know what they're doing might take a longer time than someone that knows a few tricks or shortcuts.

I recall watching a speed-run of Sonic 1, and noticed there was a couple times they went through some places/paths I (either) never knew about when I first had the game, or I had completely forgotten about.

Sonic games owned: 1, 2, 3, CD, 3D Blast (Saturn),... even Spinball.

^Those are official Sonic games, I've played a few other fan made games....

LEVEL-4