Actions

Difference between revisions of "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine"

From Sonic Retro

(Full password list get)
(Corrected Sir Ffuzzy-Logik's name)
Line 148: Line 148:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|style="text-align:left;"|10
 
|style="text-align:left;"|10
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Sir Fuzzy Logik]]
+
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Sir Ffuzzy-Logik]]
 
|style="text-align:left;"|Schezo Wegey
 
|style="text-align:left;"|Schezo Wegey
 
|{{beanpass|red|yellow|refugee|has}}
 
|{{beanpass|red|yellow|refugee|has}}
Line 193: Line 193:
 
*Memories -> Password Screen theme ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHM6C_z14Y#t=1m27s the entire third section was removed])
 
*Memories -> Password Screen theme ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHM6C_z14Y#t=1m27s the entire third section was removed])
 
*Sticker -> Exercise theme (slightly modified bassline), Continue theme (arrangement of the first part)
 
*Sticker -> Exercise theme (slightly modified bassline), Continue theme (arrangement of the first part)
 +
*Theme -> Cast of characters (arrangement)
 
*Sunset -> Staff Roll (identical; in fact both songs shared the same purpose in their respective games)
 
*Sunset -> Staff Roll (identical; in fact both songs shared the same purpose in their respective games)
 
Additionally, nearly straight arrangements of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W06TBgz01-M Brave] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obNbqDwR5PY Theme] are in the game, but unused, and the ending cutscene music is inspired by Theme's structure. Also though [[Naofumi Hataya]] is credited as "Masayuki Nagao," he and Einosuke Nagao are completely different persons.
 
Additionally, nearly straight arrangements of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W06TBgz01-M Brave] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obNbqDwR5PY Theme] are in the game, but unused, and the ending cutscene music is inspired by Theme's structure. Also though [[Naofumi Hataya]] is credited as "Masayuki Nagao," he and Einosuke Nagao are completely different persons.

Revision as of 20:10, 2 April 2019

"Mean Bean Machine" redirects here. For the 8-bit version, see Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (8-bit). For the Sonic Mania boss, see Mean Bean Machine (Sonic Mania boss).

n/a

Mean Bean title.png
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
ROM size: 1 MB
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code Rating
Sega Mega Drive
US
1993-12[1] $? 1706
Sega Mega Drive
UK
1994-01[2] £44.99[3] 1706-50
Sega Mega Drive
FR
(Blue)
1993  ?F ?
Sega Mega Drive
AS
199x  ? ?
Sega Mega Drive
KR
199x ₩? GM93040JG
Wii Virtual Console
US
2006-12-11[4] 800[4]pts ?
ESRB: Everyone
Wii Virtual Console
EU
2006-12-15[5][6] 800[5]pts ?
PEGI: 3+
Wii Virtual Console
DE
2006-12-15[5][7] 800[5]pts ?
USK: 0
Steam
US
2010-09-13[8] $4.99[9] 34286
Steam
EU
2010-09-13[8] €4.49[9] 34286
Steam
UK
2010-09-13[8] £3.99[9] 34286
Steam
AU
2010-09-13[8] $6.99[9] 34286

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is a Sega Mega Drive puzzle game, based on the earlier Japanese puzzle game Puyo Puyo. It was released to the North American and European markets in November 1993.

Story

Unlike other Sonic the Hedgehog games, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine occurs in the universe of the show Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, featuring its version of Dr. Robotnik and his cohorts Scratch, Grounder and Coconuts). Sonic himself does not appear in the game and is never referenced - instead the protagonist is thought to be a character called Has Bean, who can be seen dancing during each match.

Robotnik has hatched a plan to ensure that no music or fun remains on the planet Mobius. To do this, he kidnaps the citizens of Beanville and stuffs them into a giant robotising machine called the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine (hence the game's title) to make them into his robot slaves. The player must foil Robotnik's plans by defeat each of the 12 robot guards, and finally Robotnik himself, to foil his evil plans. Their battles take the form of competitive puzzle gaming.

Mean Bean Machine entered production before Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog had aired, so characters in the game do not accurately reflect those in the show. Eight of the robots were in fact stated as bounty hunters hired by Robotnik to stop Sonic in the first episode of the series, and all, save for Dragon Breath in Stage 11, lack speaking roles (and are subsequently not seen in the series again).

Gameplay

Two players compete, each with their own rectangular play area comprising a grid 12 beans (previously Puyos) high by 6 wide, meaning that 72 beans (including garbage) can fit. Various colours of beans fall into the play area. The player must attempt to place four identically coloured beans adjacent to each other, at which point they will disappear. A player loses when beans pile to the top of their play area (actually the third column from the left), so it is essential to clear as many beans as possible, in order to keep the screen empty.

Players can send Refugee Beans (aka Garbage, and Ojyama) to their opponent's play area by creating chain reactions. These beans are both annoying and helpful: they can only be cleared when adjacent to another bean that is being removed, but they are very useful for making chain reactions. The more beans that link up, the more garbage is sent. Players may also activate step chains (aka Rensa) so that even more garbage is scored.

If garbage beans fall into the player's play area, they cannot be grouped like normal beans (i.e. 4 in a row will not disapper) Garbage is erased when a neighbouring group of beans erase (e.g. if a vertical line of 4 beans in column 2 forms adjacently next to a vertical line of 4 garbage beans in either column 1 or column 3, the garbage disappears). However, this does not cause garbage to be sent to the opponent.

Scenario Mode

This is the game's story mode, in which Has Bean must "Battle Robotnik's ranks of robot flunkies in order to save Beanville!" The player competes against computer-controlled characters in 12 stages. Most of these characters are also found in the pilot and 1st episode of the show, and each one is based on a corresponding character from the original Puyo Puyo game. The pilot even has a scene that looks striking similar to the continue screen in this game.

List of opponents

Stage Opponent Based on Passwords
Easy Normal Hard Hardest
1 Arms Draco Centauros N/A N/A N/A N/A
2 Frankly Suketoudara RedRedRedHas HasRefugeeYellowYellow GreenRefugeeYellowYellow BlueBlueGreenYellow
3 Humpty Sukiyapodes RefugeePurpleRefugeeGreen BlueRefugeeRedYellow YellowPurpleRefugeePurple GreenYellowGreenRefugee
4 Coconuts Harpy RedRefugeeHasYellow YellowBlueRefugeePurple BlueGreenRefugeeBlue PurplePurpleRedHas
5 Davy Sprocket Sasoriman RefugeeBlueBluePurple HasGreenBlueYellow RedPurpleGreenGreen GreenRedPurpleBlue
6 Skweel Panotty RefugeeRedRefugeePurple GreenPurplePurpleYellow YellowYellowRefugeeGreen PurpleRefugeeGreenYellow
7 Dynamight Zombie PurpleYellowRedBlue PurpleBlueGreenHas PurpleRefugeeBlueBlue BluePurpleGreenHas
8 Grounder Witch YellowGreenPurpleHas GreenHasRefugeeYellow RefugeeYellowHasYellow RefugeePurpleHasYellow
9 Spike Zoh Daimaoh YellowPurpleHasBlue BluePurpleHasHas PurpleBlueBlueGreen PurpleGreenHasRefugee
10 Sir Ffuzzy-Logik Schezo Wegey RedYellowRefugeeHas HasRedYellowRefugee RefugeeGreenRedYellow GreenBlueYellowHas
11 Dragon Breath Minotauros GreenPurpleBlueRefugee RefugeeRedRedBlue BlueYellowYellowHas GreenPurpleHasRed
12 Scratch Rulue RedHasHasYellow GreenGreenRefugeeYellow GreenRefugeeRefugeeBlue RedGreenHasBlue
13 Dr. Robotnik Satan YellowHasBlueBlue PurpleYellowHasRefugee HasRefugeePurpleHas RedRedRefugeeYellow

VS mode

Up to 2 players can play either in VS Mode or in Exercise Mode. In VS Mode, each player can choose between 5 difficulty settings, labeled 1-5 (Easiest to Hardest, where 1 is the lowest drop speed, and 5 is the fastest). In VS Mode, one player must defeat the other in the same way as in Scenario mode. If a player selects Level 1, they play with 4 colours of beans, however, the other levels include 5 colours. Furthermore, in Levels 4 or 5, the game begins with the play area already containing garbage: for Level 4, 18 beans (3 rows); for Level 5, 30 beans (5 rows).

Exercise mode

Exercise Mode (modernly known as Endless Puyo Puyo), is a form of practice play where 1 or 2 players can battle out. This mode has three difficulty levels: easiest, normal, and hardest (Level 1, 3 or 5). On easiest, players start with only 4 colours. To level up, the player has to keep erasing beans. Helpers (Big Puyo or Has Bean) will appear when the player gets stuck on Level 1 the first time, but they can only appear once. For Level 3, at random times, Has Bean will drop from the screen to help out. When Carbuncle is placed on a colour, it travels in a random direction, following downwards, changing all beans to that colour. For Level 5, at random times, a Big Puyo will drop from the screen. When Big Puyo falls, it occupies 2 columns of the grid, and when placed, squashes all beans and removes them from the grid.

History

Development

A lot of the music in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine was reused, albeit remixed and/or resynthed by sound engineer Masanori Hikichi, from Masanobu Tsukamoto's (and possibly, though not likely, Einosuke Nagao's) songs from the original Puyo Puyo score:

  • Brave -> Stage 13 intro (arrangement)
  • Final -> 2P VS theme (the intro was removed, some notes are missing), Warning theme (arrangement)
  • Memories -> Password Screen theme (the entire third section was removed)
  • Sticker -> Exercise theme (slightly modified bassline), Continue theme (arrangement of the first part)
  • Theme -> Cast of characters (arrangement)
  • Sunset -> Staff Roll (identical; in fact both songs shared the same purpose in their respective games)

Additionally, nearly straight arrangements of Brave and Theme are in the game, but unused, and the ending cutscene music is inspired by Theme's structure. Also though Naofumi Hataya is credited as "Masayuki Nagao," he and Einosuke Nagao are completely different persons.

Release

In South Korea, Samsung released the game under the name Dong Gu Ri Te Chi Jak Jeon, however for unknown reasons, a number of early cartridges were in fact copies of the Japanese release of Puyo Puyo with the Dong Gu Ri label.

Legacy

An 8-bit version was later released for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear in December 1993. As the Mega Drive version was based on that system's version of Puyo Puyo, the 8-bit version was based on Puyo Puyo for the Game Gear. It contains an extra Puzzle Mode, which was based on the just-released Nazo Puyo.

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine did not see an official released in Japan until the 2000 PC release of Sega Archives From USA Vol.2.

Hidden sound test

If the game is played on a Japanese Mega Drive, you will be able to access the game's sound test in the options screen (which is an unlockable in Puyo Puyo). However, the game has region lockout. You can either change the region while running or using a patch code to bypass the region check or enter this code at the screen with player 2's controller:

A A Up Right Down Left B B Right Down Left Up C C Down Left Up Right Start Start

Note: You only get one chance to enter the code. Mess up and you have to reboot the console to try again.

  • BGM 02: Menu and High Score List
  • BGM 03: Dr. Robotnik Pre-Fight Cutscene
  • BGM 04: Danger Mode
  • BGM 05: Stages 1-4
  • BGM 06: Stage 13
  • BGM 07: Stages 9-12
  • BGM 08: Stage 13 Clear
  • BGM 09: Game Over
  • BGM 0A: Character Parade
  • BGM 0B: Staff Credits
  • BGM 0E: Password Screen
  • BGM 11: Practice Stage
  • BGM 12: Vs. Mode
  • BGM 13: Stages 5-8
  • BGM 16: Stages 9-12 Intro
  • BGM 17: Stages 1-4 Intro
  • BGM 18: Stages 5-8 Intro
  • BGM 19: Stage Clear
  • BGM 1A: Theme of Mean Bean Machine
  • BGM 01: Stages 9-12 Alternate (Unused)
  • BGM 0C: Puyo Puyo - Stage Clear (Unused)
  • BGM 0D: Null
  • BGM 0F: Puyo Puyo - Brave (Unused)
  • BGM 10: Puyo Puyo - Theme (Unused)
  • BGM 14: Stage 13 Critical (Unused)
  • BGM 15: Strange Cheering and Whooshing sound

Also released on

Production credits

Staff

Manuals

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine manuals

Physical scans




Sega Mega Drive
88 Sonic Retro Average
Based on 9 reviews
Publication Score Source
Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 №146, p93
GamesMaster (UK) 92 №13, p72/73
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 84 №20, p32/33
Mega (UK) 90 №16, p48/49
Mega Action (UK) 89 №8, p42
Sega Magazine (UK) 91 №1, p106/107
Sega Power (UK) 82 #50 Pg 40/41
Sega Zone (UK) 90 №15, p54/55
Sonic the Comic (UK) 80 №17, p12
Mega Drive, US
Meanbean-box-us.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, EU
Meanbean-box-eu.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, FR
Mbm md eu alt cover.jpg
Cover
AltEUcart.jpg
Cart
Dr Robotnik MBM Alt cart endlabel.jpg
End label
Mega Drive, PT

Mega Drive, Asia
Meanbean-box-asia front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, KR
DRMBM MD KR Box.jpg
Cover

External links

References

Template:MeanBeanLevels

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems
Steam
 2010  Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Spinball | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine | Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island | Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing     2011  Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles | Sonic Adventure | Sonic Generations     2012  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I | Sonic the Hedgehog CD | Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II | Sonic Adventure 2     2013  Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed     2015  Sonic Lost World     2017  Sonic Mania | Sonic Forces     2019  Team Sonic Racing     2022  Sonic Origins | Sonic Frontiers     2023  Sonic Colours: Ultimate | The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Superstars     2024  Sonic X Shadow Generations    
Wii Virtual Console
WiiWare
 2006  Sonic the Hedgehog | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine     2007  Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic Spinball | Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island     2008  Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)     2009  Sonic Chaos | Sonic & Knuckles     2010  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I    
filler
Sega Mega Drive

Sega Mega-CD
Sega 32X
 1991  Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Eraser     1992  Sonic the Hedgehog 2     1993  Sonic the Hedgehog CD | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine | Sonic Spinball     1994  Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic & Knuckles     1995  Chaotix | Sonic Classics     1996  Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island