A trip down memory lane at 60 miles an hour!!
Oh my, that familiar digitised voice "SEGA" and then the old 8 bit style theme music only with a little more bass thrown into it, and wham I am transported back in time to when I was (I think) about 12, in my little bedroom loading Sonic for the very first time on my then state of the art Mega Drive (or Genesis if you prefer)!
Back then I could whistle through out of the earlier stages pretty promptly and granted, I may not have achieved a perfect score or survived with all rings intact, I could still feel I deserved a pat on the back. Of course in those days trophies and achievements weren't even a factor.Now it may be my advancing years but I find that the levels although remastered in all of their original glory, are harder to beat. Was it REALLY that tricky back then? Maybe it was and I was just lucky!
But one thing still stands, it was fun way back then and it's still fun now.
So what's changed?
To be truthful SEGA have stuck to the old adage, if it ain't broken don't fix it and that's fine by me.
Look it didn't need tweaking as far as level design is concerned. It's still a full on retro treat for the eyes and ears and that music although 8 bit style sounds a-okay to me!
It looks sharp, 8 bit presentation yes but you can see a more powerful engine is behind it as some of those 'rougher edges' are smoothed out.
But maybe just maybe with that power behind it, the little blue devil is faster than before? Certainly seems that way too me. Sure you can do that old fashioned curl up and then become a wall smashing cannonball of spiky blue fury, but even on his own two feet Sonic seems to be just a little speedier or as said, maybe my reflexes ain't quite what they used too be.
My adventures so far have been a trial to see just in how many different ways can you mash a hedgehog?! So far the poor little (and admittedly still cocky) little tyke has been impaled, burnt, drowned and has fallen to that great foe of us all gravity more times than I care to mention!
Modes
Single player, split screen competitive (local only) and a time trial are on offer. That may not seem a lot and there are few unlockables to be honest, but that does not matter. Play well enough and as well as Sonic you will be able to play as Knuckles and....that's for you to discover.
Game play
For level design they stick to the first but with Tails tagging along from the get go this seems like a hybrid between Sonic 1 and 2 as Tails didn't appear until Sonic 2. Knuckles is unlock able as said so we have elements of Sonic 3 here too. Thank goodness there is nothing to take us back to Shadow the Hedgehog......
Controls are slick and responsive and reflexes aside you will soon have the little blue ball of fury doing what he does best, racing through levels, smashing monitors (some nice new power ups contained within too!) free little fluffy animals and letting Robotnik or Egg Man if you prefer, that he really ought to stop his evil shenanigans!
If you are a fan of Sonic and want to relive those days then this is a must have. Even if you are not a fan but want to know what the fuss was all about well now's your chance to experience a truly classic game with a new shiny coat of paint.
Now excuse me, I am off to relive my childhood again....