![]() This could have been a turnoff to players, perhaps, and maybe a reason why it’s a bit of “lost” treasure? However, that soundtrack though.the Toxic Caves theme is quintessential Sonic, with its blend of groove, hip-hop, bass, and attitude. Obviously, this means the traditional “first zone,” with its sunshine and lush greenery is missing. Due to the nature of the story, the entire game takes place within Eggman’s evil lair, so each stage has the feel of “final level,” with lots of gears, metals, and contraptions. Richer color palettes, with lots of black, dark purple, gray, and deep reds/oranges. One last note: Aesthetically, Spinball is a bit “darker” than previous Sonic games - literally. These were fast, fun, and delivered the same sweet satisfaction as the runner-stage in Sonic 2 or the bubble gum machine in Sonic 3. Eggman’s teeth or hitting pins to free Sonic’s friends who were trapped inside, which happened to be characters from the aforementioned SatAM show (I always particularly liked that cyborg bunny with the Southern accent). These mini-games would have goals like knocking out Dr. I loved the hell out of this one as a kid, even though it’s the simplest thing ever - Sonic himself playing pinball. This stylized interface, with its bulb-light realness, also pops up as a leaderboard after every level.įinally, we get our tried-and-true Sonic bonus level. Displaying Sonic’s remaining lives in addition to the score, this fitting addition delivers some trademark Sonic sass to the game, with phrases like “Wasting Time?” if you leave the boss area, or “Way To Go, Sonic!” It also drops hints as to your next task to complete the stage. Speaking of which, the HUD at the top of the screen resembles a pinball score counter. This is a 90s game after all - it’s all about that high score, bro. ![]() Aiming Sonic correctly towards these will allow him to reach higher areas, pummel multiple enemies at once, and, in tried and true fashion, raise your score. Many other pinball standards are incorporated, from bumpers and slingshots to ramps. ![]() Except those gaps aren’t just holes - they’re pits of lava or slime or grinding gears. Like pinball, if he falls through the flippers, that’s a ball (or “life”) lost. His movement is strictly at the mercy of your flippers. You can’t “stop” Sonic, unless he’s in one of the rare areas where there’s a platform. There’s a sense of lacking control that the original games didn’t have, which makes Spinball more dynamic and unpredictable. You have to maintain concentration, yet remain reactionary - the exact skill set required of pinball.Īkin to the special stage in the original Sonic The Hedgehog, the goal is to use the stage itself to navigate Sonic to complete puzzles, grab prizes, and avoid traps and pitfalls. The challenge of Sonic games was to maintain laser focus to effectively dodge traps and garner rings amidst the manic speed. It’s perfectly equipped to Sonic’s speed mechanics. It’s all about keeping your eye on the ball and your hand at the ready on the flippers, while the flashing lights and sounds tug at your attention. Pinball is intensively fast, requiring quick reflexes. The magic of Spinball is that two seemingly disparate pieces - Sonic The Hedgehog and Pinball - blend together so well. For Sega to take their beloved stars out of their genre (which had an extremely established style) and incorporate it into pinball mechanics was a big risk, but it’s incredibly rewarding. ![]() Other than 1987’s NES Open Tournament Golf, we wouldn’t see Mario start dipping his toes into sports titles until two years later, with Mario Tennis. During the early 90s, games that were major successes tended to stick their formulas, rather than leap-frogging into a different genre. Like anything that breaks new ground, Sonic Spinball may be a lesser known entity because it was a bit ahead of its time. Was Spinball Always This Awesome? Yes, yes it was. Once all the Emeralds in a stage are collected, the boss room is unlocked. Players must use the flippers to maneuver Sonic through pipes, and towards buttons, switches, and triggers in order to complete puzzles and unlock those coveted Chaos Emeralds. On the Genesis controller, A controlled the left flipper, B controlled the right, and C controlled both (I tended to just use the C button in the game, because why the hell not?). The player doesn’t control Sonic - they control flippers around the stage to launch Sonic to specific areas. The inner mechanisms of each level is a giant pinball game, and Sonic is the ball. The twist? These aren’t ordinary linear levels with a left-to-right scroll.
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