Difference between revisions of "Sonic Blast"
From Sonic Retro
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| developer=[[Aspect Co. Ltd]] | | developer=[[Aspect Co. Ltd]] | ||
| system=[[Sega Game Gear]], [[Sega Master System]] | | system=[[Sega Game Gear]], [[Sega Master System]] | ||
− | | | + | | genre=Action |
+ | | players=1 | ||
| releases={{releases | | releases={{releases | ||
| gg_date_eu=1996-11 | | gg_date_eu=1996-11 | ||
Line 37: | Line 38: | ||
| vc3ds_rating_au=g | | vc3ds_rating_au=g | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | |||
| tectoy=ti | | tectoy=ti | ||
| sega=all | | sega=all | ||
Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{otherPage|desc=the comic|page=Sonic Blast (Archie)}} | {{otherPage|desc=the comic|page=Sonic Blast (Archie)}} | ||
− | '''''Sonic Blast''''', known as '''''G Sonic''''' (Gソニック) in Japan, is a ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' platform game released for the [[Sega Game Gear]] in late 1996. It was later brought | + | '''''Sonic Blast''''', known as '''''G Sonic''''' (Gソニック) in Japan, is a ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' platform game released for the [[Sega Game Gear]] in late 1996. It was later brought to the [[Sega Master System]] in Brazil by [[Tectoy]]. |
==Gameplay== | ==Gameplay== | ||
− | ''Sonic Blast'' is the fifth and final "traditional" ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to be released on the Game Gear, and was developed during the same period of the similarly named ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island|Sonic 3D Blast]]'' (''Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island'' outside of North America). The two share a desire to portray Sonic in a pre-rendered 3D style, similar to the groundbreaking visuals seen in 1994's ''Donkey Kong Country'', however are otherwise completely unrelated games with different developers and different styles of gameplay. | + | ''Sonic Blast'' is the fifth and final "traditional" ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to be released on the Game Gear, and was developed during the same period of the similarly named ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island|Sonic 3D Blast]]'' (''Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island'' outside of North America). The two share a desire to portray Sonic in a pre-rendered 3D style, similar to the groundbreaking visuals seen in 1994's ''Donkey Kong Country'', however they are otherwise completely unrelated games with different developers and different styles of gameplay. |
− | ''Sonic Blast'' builds on some of the ideas seen in ''[[Sonic Chaos]]'' and ''[[Sonic Triple Trouble]]'', however aligns itself more with the [[Sega Mega Drive]] ''Sonic'' games (''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' being the driving influence). [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] is replaced with [[Knuckles the Echidna]] as a playable character, and several of the Game Gear-exclusive features of ''Triple Trouble'' are omitted, being replaced with more traditional | + | ''Sonic Blast'' builds on some of the ideas seen in ''[[Sonic Chaos]]'' and ''[[Sonic Triple Trouble]]'', however the game aligns itself more with the [[Sega Mega Drive]] ''Sonic'' games (''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' being the driving influence). [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] is replaced with [[Knuckles the Echidna]] as a playable character, and several of the Game Gear-exclusive features of ''Triple Trouble'' are omitted, being replaced with more traditional Special Stages and boss fights. |
− | Players control as either [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] (armed with a a double jump (press {{A}} or {{B}}/{{2}} in mid-air), or Knuckles the Echidna (who can both [[Power Glide|glide]] and climb up walls) | + | Players control as either [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] (armed with a a double jump (press {{A}} or {{B}}/{{2}} in mid-air), or Knuckles the Echidna (who can both [[Power Glide|glide]] and climb up walls) through five [[Zone]]s, each with three Acts. As with ''Chaos'' and ''Triple Trouble'', the pair can [[Spin Dash]], however unlike other ''Sonic'' games, getting hit only deducts a maximum of 10 [[Ring]]s regardless of how many they have, leading to an arguably easier experience. |
− | [[Chaos Emerald]]s are found in [[Special Stage (Sonic Blast)| | + | [[Chaos Emerald]]s are found in [[Special Stage (Sonic Blast)|Special Stages]], which can be entered through [[Giant Ring]]s hidden in the first two Acts of each Zone. ''Blast'' is unusual, however, in that only the Special Stages in the second Act will award the player with an Emerald - those in the first Act only reward an extra life. |
===Items=== | ===Items=== | ||
Line 65: | Line 65: | ||
*Question mark boxes: Grants any of the 8 power-ups (it isn't random however). | *Question mark boxes: Grants any of the 8 power-ups (it isn't random however). | ||
− | === | + | ===Bonus Panel=== |
− | At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each | + | At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each Zone, a [[Signpost|Bonus Panel]] is spun, with a reward given based on what it lands on: |
*Eggman: No prize awarded. | *Eggman: No prize awarded. | ||
*Ring: Gain 10 rings. | *Ring: Gain 10 rings. | ||
Line 72: | Line 72: | ||
*Knuckles: Knuckles gets a 1up, Sonic gets 30 Rings. | *Knuckles: Knuckles gets a 1up, Sonic gets 30 Rings. | ||
*Emerald: Gain a free [[Continue]]. | *Emerald: Gain a free [[Continue]]. | ||
− | *Super Sonic: Both characters get a 1up and 30 Rings. | + | *[[Super Sonic]]: Both characters get a 1up and 30 Rings. |
==Comparisons== | ==Comparisons== | ||
Line 80: | Line 80: | ||
The decision to use pre-rendered graphics comes at a cost in ''Sonic Blast'', as to ensure the detail is visible, Sonic and Knuckles' sprites are bigger than their counterparts in earlier titles. This in-turn makes the game appear more "zoomed-in", and as a result, less of the level is visible at any one time during play. This can be a problem on the Game Gear, as players are often unable to see what is coming, and can be subjected to cheap hits and deaths. | The decision to use pre-rendered graphics comes at a cost in ''Sonic Blast'', as to ensure the detail is visible, Sonic and Knuckles' sprites are bigger than their counterparts in earlier titles. This in-turn makes the game appear more "zoomed-in", and as a result, less of the level is visible at any one time during play. This can be a problem on the Game Gear, as players are often unable to see what is coming, and can be subjected to cheap hits and deaths. | ||
− | On the Master System, the increased screen resolution mitigates some of these problems, however is fraught with its own issues, mainly due to the slap-dash nature of the port. Menus, title cards and the | + | On the Master System, the increased screen resolution mitigates some of these problems, however the Master System port is fraught with its own issues, mainly due to the slap-dash nature of the port. Menus, title cards and the Special Stages were not optimised for the Master System, and so are identical in appearance to their Game Gear counterparts, just with added borders. The in-game HUD was also not moved, and unusual artifacts can also be seen in areas normally hidden for Game Gear users. |
Unlike a game such as ''[[Sonic Chaos]]'' where Master System code was ported to the Game Gear, here the reverse is true, and as ''Sonic Blast'' was designed to make use of the Game Gear's extended colour palette, the conversion to the Master System leads to less detailed and more contrasting graphics. | Unlike a game such as ''[[Sonic Chaos]]'' where Master System code was ported to the Game Gear, here the reverse is true, and as ''Sonic Blast'' was designed to make use of the Game Gear's extended colour palette, the conversion to the Master System leads to less detailed and more contrasting graphics. | ||
− | ===Also | + | ===Also released on=== |
* ''[[Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut]]'' for the [[GameCube]] and PC (2003) | * ''[[Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut]]'' for the [[GameCube]] and PC (2003) | ||
* ''[[Sonic Mega Collection Plus]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox]] (2004) | * ''[[Sonic Mega Collection Plus]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox]] (2004) | ||
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SonicBlast SMS BR manual.pdf|Master System, BR | SonicBlast SMS BR manual.pdf|Master System, BR | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Magazine articles== | ||
+ | {{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}} | ||
==Artwork== | ==Artwork== | ||
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| cart=Blast_ms_br_cart.jpg | | cart=Blast_ms_br_cart.jpg | ||
| manual=SonicBlast SMS BR manual.pdf | | manual=SonicBlast SMS BR manual.pdf | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Technical information== | ||
+ | ===ROM dump status=== | ||
+ | {{romtable| | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=11241BE4082F6F9D057488AE75CCDD482F623F8C|md5=56E1561D981A9A7C240CDD8D5580CCF0|crc32=031B9DA9|size=1MB|date=|source=Cartridge|comments=|quality=good|prototype=}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=5D9FA949AEDDFC4251D7B8A58CB1122F190ECD36|md5=7B758A3F8ACD3D6FEF82B163DA1D2A34|crc32=C09EF45B|size=512KB|date=1996-05-31|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(May_31,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 611)|"611" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic Blast (Prototype 611 - May 31, 1996, 13.49).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=E7BB20410C7AB341A3F7DF7FCFEE3A6996823655|md5=5BFFD26D4A2A6ADAF2F312F9D51A002D|crc32=362B186D|size=1MB|date=1996-07-04|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Jul_4,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 74)|"74" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic Blast (Prototype 74 - Jul 17, 1996, 09.11).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=12A8A59DA110B914ACDE68112DB691DF9595D4E8|md5=DC3BA92C55276F2478F185C55C701B33|crc32=19DAD067|size=1MB|date=1996-08-06|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Aug_6,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 806)|"806" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic Blast (Prototype 806 - Aug 06, 1996, 18.37).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=DA497AE41BE3FCCC97EB18BD6349917E645C5179|md5=4E03B1985F36A925D0AEF44CE12D06BD|crc32=5EECB549|size=1MB|date=1996-08-22|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Aug_21,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 821)|"821" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic_Blast_(Prototype_821_-_Aug_22,_1996,_09.38).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=F1A1EDEE0EB15FAF74DD6896753F0F6ABCF12A45|md5=DAA3FB567D237281448A515E7E4EE5AA|crc32=E6847AC0|size=1MB|date=1996-08-28|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Aug_27,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 827)|"827" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic_Blast_(Prototype_827_-_Aug_28,_1996,_11.13).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=8AA965B342466CC3AC4093BBA61ABF7D68B5EC86|md5=B4F35AEC668264AF115D3BD8D102406F|crc32=2F22A352|size=1MB|date=1996-09-02|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Sep_2,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 94)|"94" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic_Blast_(Prototype_94_-_Sep_02,_1996,_17.47).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|GG|sha1=11241BE4082F6F9D057488AE75CCDD482F623F8C|md5=56E1561D981A9A7C240CDD8D5580CCF0|crc32=031B9DA9|size=1MB|date=1996-09-07|source=CD-R disc{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Blast_(Sep_7,_1996_prototype)}}|comments=[[Sonic Blast (Game Gear prototype 910)|"910" prototype]]|quality=good|prototype=yes|file=Sonic_Blast_(Prototype_910_-_Sep_07,_1996,_18.02).rar}} | ||
+ | {{rom|SMS|sha1=4AD77A472E98002DC0D5C1463965720A257E1B8F|md5=CE7F314A657E0F0FE506FB7AEA016F31|crc32=96B3F29E|size=1MB|date=|source=Cartridge (BR)|comments=|quality=good|prototype=}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 14:29, 20 July 2020
Sonic Blast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Sega | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Aspect Co. Ltd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- For the comic, see Sonic Blast (Archie).
Sonic Blast, known as G Sonic (Gソニック) in Japan, is a Sonic the Hedgehog platform game released for the Sega Game Gear in late 1996. It was later brought to the Sega Master System in Brazil by Tectoy.
Contents
Gameplay
Sonic Blast is the fifth and final "traditional" Sonic the Hedgehog game to be released on the Game Gear, and was developed during the same period of the similarly named Sonic 3D Blast (Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island outside of North America). The two share a desire to portray Sonic in a pre-rendered 3D style, similar to the groundbreaking visuals seen in 1994's Donkey Kong Country, however they are otherwise completely unrelated games with different developers and different styles of gameplay.
Sonic Blast builds on some of the ideas seen in Sonic Chaos and Sonic Triple Trouble, however the game aligns itself more with the Sega Mega Drive Sonic games (Sonic & Knuckles being the driving influence). Miles "Tails" Prower is replaced with Knuckles the Echidna as a playable character, and several of the Game Gear-exclusive features of Triple Trouble are omitted, being replaced with more traditional Special Stages and boss fights.
Players control as either Sonic the Hedgehog (armed with a a double jump (press or / in mid-air), or Knuckles the Echidna (who can both glide and climb up walls) through five Zones, each with three Acts. As with Chaos and Triple Trouble, the pair can Spin Dash, however unlike other Sonic games, getting hit only deducts a maximum of 10 Rings regardless of how many they have, leading to an arguably easier experience.
Chaos Emeralds are found in Special Stages, which can be entered through Giant Rings hidden in the first two Acts of each Zone. Blast is unusual, however, in that only the Special Stages in the second Act will award the player with an Emerald - those in the first Act only reward an extra life.
Items
- 10 Ring: Worth 10 Rings.
- Shield: Absorbs one hit.
- Speed Shoes: Temporary speed increase.
- Invincibility: Temporary invincibility.
- Sonic 1up: Sonic gets a 1up, Knuckles gets nothing.
- Knuckles 1up: Knuckles gets a 1up, Sonic gets nothing.
- Marker: You return to this point if you lose a life.
- Eggman: No reward given.
- Question mark boxes: Grants any of the 8 power-ups (it isn't random however).
Bonus Panel
At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each Zone, a Bonus Panel is spun, with a reward given based on what it lands on:
- Eggman: No prize awarded.
- Ring: Gain 10 rings.
- Sonic: Sonic gets a 1up, Knuckles gets 30 Rings.
- Knuckles: Knuckles gets a 1up, Sonic gets 30 Rings.
- Emerald: Gain a free Continue.
- Super Sonic: Both characters get a 1up and 30 Rings.
Comparisons
Main article: Sonic Blast/Comparisons |
Versions
The decision to use pre-rendered graphics comes at a cost in Sonic Blast, as to ensure the detail is visible, Sonic and Knuckles' sprites are bigger than their counterparts in earlier titles. This in-turn makes the game appear more "zoomed-in", and as a result, less of the level is visible at any one time during play. This can be a problem on the Game Gear, as players are often unable to see what is coming, and can be subjected to cheap hits and deaths.
On the Master System, the increased screen resolution mitigates some of these problems, however the Master System port is fraught with its own issues, mainly due to the slap-dash nature of the port. Menus, title cards and the Special Stages were not optimised for the Master System, and so are identical in appearance to their Game Gear counterparts, just with added borders. The in-game HUD was also not moved, and unusual artifacts can also be seen in areas normally hidden for Game Gear users.
Unlike a game such as Sonic Chaos where Master System code was ported to the Game Gear, here the reverse is true, and as Sonic Blast was designed to make use of the Game Gear's extended colour palette, the conversion to the Master System leads to less detailed and more contrasting graphics.
Also released on
- Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the GameCube and PC (2003)
- Sonic Mega Collection Plus for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox (2004)
- Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Super Monkey Ball Deluxe for the Xbox (2005)
- Sonic Blast (TV game) for the Techno Source Plug and play console (2006)
- Playpal Plug and Play for the Coleco Plug and play console (2006)
- Sega Fun Pack: Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Shadow the Hedgehog for the PlayStation 2 (2009)
- Sonic PC Collection for the PC (2009)
- FunPlay 20-in-1 for the Plug and Play console (2009)
- Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS (2013)
Production credits
- Producer: Hiroshi Aso
- Director: Ryushin Hamada
- Planners: Katsunori Murakami, Hiroaki Suzuki
- Map Design: Akira Okamoto, Ken Sasaki
- Chief Programmer: Toshiaki Araki
- Programmer: Yoshiaki Makishima
- Chief Designer: Fumikazu Sugawara
- Designer: Taro Murayama
- Sound Composer: Kojiro Mikusa
- Special Thanks: Kazuyuki Oikawa, Aspect All Staff
- Source: In-game credits
Manuals
Main article: Sonic Blast/Manuals |
Magazine articles
Main article: Sonic Blast/Magazine articles |
Artwork
Screenshots
Game Gear Version
Master System Version
- MSSBlast 1.png
Physical scans
Game Gear Version
Game Gear, US |
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Game Gear, JP |
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Master System Version
Master System, BR |
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Technical information
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
✔ |
|
1MB | Cartridge | |||||||||||
✔ |
|
512kB | 1996-05-31 | CD-R disc[9] | "611" prototype | (115 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-07-04 | CD-R disc[10] | "74" prototype | (244 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-08-06 | CD-R disc[11] | "806" prototype | (308 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-08-22 | CD-R disc[12] | "821" prototype | (394 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-08-28 | CD-R disc[13] | "827" prototype | (396 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-09-02 | CD-R disc[14] | "94" prototype | (404 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | 1996-09-07 | CD-R disc[15] | "910" prototype | (404 kB) (info) | Page | |||||||
✔ |
|
1MB | Cartridge (BR) |
External links
- Sega of Japan Virtual Console page
- Nintendo catalogue pages: JP, US, UK, AU
References
- ↑ File:GamePro US 098.pdf, page 62
- ↑ Press release: 1996-11-14: Sonic covers all the bases as "Sonic Blast" hits Game Gear
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://vc.sega.jp/3ds/gsonic/ (Wayback Machine: 2012-06-14 22:58)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.nintendo.com:80/games/detail/YlqRZdPPY_N0dnOGmxsp9TWHUbGPOhZt (Wayback Machine: 2013-06-23 00:11)
- ↑ https://archive.is/L0yfG
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.nintendolife.com:80/games/gamegear/sonic_blast (Wayback Machine: 2017-09-09 21:49)
- ↑ https://archive.is/0aBxp
- ↑ https://archive.is/XtPnj
Sonic Blast | |
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Manuals |
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Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems | |
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1991 Sonic the Hedgehog 1992 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1993 Sonic Chaos | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine 1994 Sonic Drift | Sonic Spinball | Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble 1995 Sonic Drift 2 | Tails' Skypatrol | Tails Adventures | Sonic Labyrinth | Sonic 2 in 1 1996 Sonic Blast Prototypes Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear prototype) | Sonic Chaos prereleases | Sonic Spinball (8-bit) prereleases | Sonic Triple Trouble prereleases | Sonic Blast prereleases Unreleased Sonic's Edusoft
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