Robotnikator's Reviews: Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island

Sonic 3D is quite an unusual little Sonic game. Released for the SEGA Mega Drive in November of 1996, it was (And still is) met with lukewarm reception, for its unusual isometric platformer gameplay style.

A typically basic story for a 16 bit Sonic game, Doctor Robotnik has learned of a strange island which is inhabited by birds known as "Flickies", which have the ability to travel to different dimensions using big rings. Sonic turns up, and finds the Flickies incased in robots. Sonic then decides to go free his friends.

There are seven Zones in the game, each comprised of 2 Acts and a Boss Act. There is also a final stage which is a one Act final Zone. The in game Zones, in order, are as follows: Green Grove, Rusty Ruin, Spring Stadium, Diamond Dust, Volcano Valley, Gene Gadget, Panic Puppet, and the Final Zone, Final Fight.

Now, as you might have guessed from the title, Sonic 3D takes place in a pseudo 3D realm. Because of this, some vital changes to the control scheme were made. First off, the whole D-pad is used to control Sonic in 8 directions, because the game takes place in a 3D world. As an effect of this, the spindash has now gotten its own button (B by default), instead of "Down" + "A/B/C". This is something we would see in later titles, such as Sonic Adventure, or the classic gameplay of Sonic Generations.

The actual gameplay of Sonic 3D is quite a bit different from the classics, and indeed, most other Sonic games. Instead of the traditional "Head for the Goal", it is your job to destroy every robot, collect the Flicky from inside, and take them all to the exit so that you can progress.

If you get hit by an enemy (And this will happen a lot due to the awkward isometric angle), all the Flickies that are following you scatter, and you have to go and recollect them, and take them to the exit.

Special Stages can be accessed twice in each Act (Excluding bosses), by finding either Tails or Knuckles when you're holding 50 or more rings. You will then be transported to a Sonic 2-esque Special Stage, where your goal is to collect rings and avoid bombs. Though really, these Special Stages are probably the easiest in the series and you shouldn't have to replay them more than twice to pass them.

Visually, the game is quite lacking compared to the other Mega Drive titles. Personally, I find that the pre-rendered graphics just don't look nice or suit their environments at all, and just come off as cheap.

The sound is the one thing in this game that I find truly exceptional. It really is top notch, and some of the tunes stick in your head for days. They were composed by the musical genius and lead guitarist of Crush 40, Jun Senoue. He even went back to remaster some of his Sonic 3D music tracks for use in Sonic Adventure.

SEGA Saturn / PC Version

A SEGA Saturn version of Sonic 3D was also made. The stages look considerably more realistic, and beautiful, and weather effects were also added to some of them. In addition, we also get a brand new, fully 3D Sonic 2 Special Stage replacing the original Sonic 3D ones. The music is also CD quality, but isn't anywhere as near as catchy as the 16-bit version's soundtrack.

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