Retro Consoles

Mortal Kombat Games Ranked Worst to Best

Posted by binarymessiah on 10/22/2018
Posted in: Blogs, Dreamcast, DS, GameBoy Advance, Gamecube, Mac, Microsoft Consoles, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation (PS1), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PSP, Ranked Worst to Best, Retro Consoles, Sega CD, Sega Genesis, Sony Consoles, Vita, Wii, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox360. Leave a comment

My favorite video game of all time is Mortal Kombat. Something about the characters, violence, lore, and overall atmosphere that the game brings is just so satisfying to me. It was also the first video I ever played at 2 years old which was the original game on Sega Genesis back in 1993. From Fatalities to special moves, stages, and rocking industrial techno music, Mortal Kombat is one of the best, and longest running, video game franchises of all time. That’s not to say the game went through some ups and downs. I have listed every main Mortal Kombat game from worst to best. I didn’t include various ports as they varied by quality, and discluded any handheld version as they were just dumbed down ports of larger games. I will also list the most superior port or version of that game as every port varied wildly due to various hardware limitations.

220px-Mortal_Kombat_Special_Forces16. Mortal Kombat: Special Forces – 2000

Is this really a surprise? Only beating out Mythologies by a fraction, Special Forces was a 3D action game disaster created by co-creator John Tobias and putting a damper in any future Mortal Kombat spin-offs. The game was near unplayable with awful graphics, terrible controls, a lame story, and nothing to really do with Mortal Kombat itself. It’s worth a play just to see how far down Mortal Kombat got, but this is by far its lowest point, but not lowest timeframe.

220px-Mortal_Kombat_Mythologies15. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero – 1997

Not much better than Special Forces, but at least the game was somewhat playable and felt more like Mortal Kombat. a 2D side-scrolling platformer, you play as Sub-Zero and run into awful live action cut-scenes (the N64 version was spared of those) terrible controls, and boring gameplay. This game is probably not even worth touching unless you’re just curious.

Best Version: PlayStation

220px-Mortal_Kombat_Gold14. Mortal Kombat Gold – 1999

A direct port of MK4 and Dreamcast exclusive, Gold was too little too late with Soul Calibur and various other fighters pushing the genre into the next-generation. It was clunky, tiring, old, and just didn’t feel right on the system this late in the game. It’s very playable, and MK4 fans will enjoy newcomers like Cyrax and Mileena, but it’s probably the worst game in the main fighting series.

!!e!U-T!EGM_$(KGrHqF,!lEEz+2,LZ6IBNP38FkCV!___113. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon – 2006

While being the next-generation MK Trilogy of sorts, Armageddon was a lazy cop-out for keeping the series at its yearly releases and was the end of this generation of 3D MK games. It featured every single MK character ever made up to Deception and shoved them all in the two-style martial arts that this trilogy of MK titles gave us. By this point, MK was really going downhill and fatigue was setting in with a bloated disc full of weird mini-games and cheap generic Kreate-A-Fatality that was more complicated and irritating than ever. Press certain button combos to create the same gory move for every character and just string them together as quick as you can, yeah what a waste. A few years of development and this could have been a game to remember. The Kreate-A-Fighter mode was the only new and original part. Mortal Kombat Kart racing was awful with shallow race tracks and no thought put into it, the Konquest mode was much better than Deception’s but was still a weird thing to even exist. Overall, it’s very playable and fun, but it’s just the most generic MK game ever made.

Best Version: Xbox

26312. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – 2002

Deadly Alliance shot the series into the next-generation with brand new fighters and an all-new realistic martial arts approach to the game. With a story mode that’s really just a giant training mode, a fun Krypt area to unlock extras, and two awesome Fatalities per character, it only beats out Armageddon due to the originality within the game. The new characters are great and mostly untouched throughout the later games, however, the graphics were dated and everyone looked like plastic dolls with blood that looks like Jell-O. It was still gory and fun, but far from the greatness, the 2D games offered.

Best Version: Xbox

270240b11. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe – 2008

This threw fans for a loop as MK mashed with DC to create a weird and forced fighting game no one asked for. The biggest hit was the Teen rating with DC character performing “Heroic Brutalities” as they never kill and the MK character performing the most basic “Fatalities” that felt more like Wile E. Coyote ACME stunts. The fighting core was a slight departure from the previous games with a 2D plane and seemed pretty solid, but there was something off about the whole game. It’s decent, and quite playable, but very forgettable.

Best Version: PlayStation 3

mksmshot10. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks – 2005

Shaolin Monks would be the last MK spin-off and actually did it right. Created by another development team, Monks lets you play as Liu-Kang and Kung-Lao with an over-the-top 3D brawler that is set in the MKII storyline. Using assets from that game such as stages and characters and even lore, the game recreated the MK experience with a fantastic fighting system that was fluid and even more fun with a second player. There were many secrets and the game is highly replayable. The only issue was the game was only 4 hours long, had awful voice acting and a stupid story. Other than that, this is a must play for MK fans.

Best Version: Xbox

download (2)9. Mortal Kombat 4 – 1997

This was the biggest turning point for the entire series. The game went forward into 3D forever and the result was some weird clunky stuff, but it was fast-paced and violent and somehow just worked. Not many games did 3D fighting very well at the time and the great roster and some of the best Fatalities in the series make for an awesome fighting game. Use of weapons was introduced for the first time as well.

Best Version: PlayStation

!!e!VD1QEGM_$(KGrHqN,!jME0DorDv!jBNP4B0oWZ!___18. Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995

MK3 had a lot riding on it at this point in time as it had big shoes to fill after MKII. The game was darker, more realistic, and added some mechanics such as running, Brutalities, and a secret code menu. MK3 also had some of the most memorable characters the series will see such as Sheeva, Kabal, and Smoke. The problem was the combos were so difficult to pull off a lot of people were turned off that the game relied on this system, and not to mention the cheap ass AI.

Best Version: PlayStation

download (3)7. Mortal Kombat – 1992

The original is far down the list due to the fact that so many games in the series improved upon it, but it’s higher than others due to the originality and the fact that it has a one of a kind atmosphere that no other game in the series nailed. The original roster and Test-Your-Mights combined with the Fatalities and simple moves make this one of the best video games ever created. There’s quite a story behind this game and the fact the ESRB was created because this game says a lot. It’s a very simple and basic game, but it holds a huge piece of gaming history.

Best Version: Sega CD

51NwTi0onnL6. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995

An upgrade version of MK3, UMK3 is widely considered the best 2D MK game ever made as it perfected what they were trying to do with MK3. Adding new characters such as Rain, Noob Saibot, and Khameleon, and adding an Aggressor meter as well as making combos much easier, UMK3 was fast, looked good, and was dark with everything the series had to offer up until then.

Best Version: Nintendo DS

71772-mortal-kombat-ii-sega-saturn-front-cover5. Mortal Kombat II – 1993

Most people will say MKII is the best game in the series due to the perfect balance and style between MK1 and MK3. It was a little darker, more sinister, and had an imaginative roster of new characters such as Baraka, Kitana, Mileena, and Jax. The stages were amazing and the introduction of Babalities and Friendships helped set the tone for the series from here on out. The controls were tight and the game looked amazing.

Best Version: Sega Saturn

download (4)4. Mortal Kombat Trilogy – 1996

MKT was a best-of compilation of the series up until that point. Taking every single character, stage, and mixing several -Alities together, the game was a massive success and was a blast to play. You could also play as the bosses which were completely unheard of back in the day and it was so much fun. Trilogy remains one of my favorite MK games of all time and I spent hundreds of hours perfecting this game.

Best Version: PlayStation

5139Q1W9DSL._AC_SX430_3. Mortal Kombat: Deception – 2004

Deception was the best 3D game up until this point and had a lot to offer. It improved immensely on Deadly Alliance’s realistic martial arts and added new game modes and some amazing characters and stages. The game was just dark, gritty, and hit that perfect style that people loved. While the three martial-arts style was a bit clunky and memorizing long combos was silly, most people forgave it for the amount of content available. Chess Kombat is still one of my favorite MK game modes of all time. Play chess like normal and then duke it out to take over the square. Puzzle Kombat took the Street Fighter version and added Chibi MK characters duking it out on screen. However, Konquest mode was a nasty ugly chore to unlock stuff in the Krypt. It was also the first online fighting game ever made and was buttery smooth across the board with a lobby room, ranking system, and various other features. I played this game for so many hours I lost count. The Fatalities were amazing and the new Hara Kiris which were “reverse Fatalities” blew my mind away. It was as competitive as it got and holds a special place for me as it was the first game I had ever pre-ordered as well.

Best Version: Xbox

271085b2. Mortal Kombat – 2011

With DC Universe disappointing fans so much we had all lost hope. Thankfully many consider this version to be the best 3D MK game to date and rightfully so. It builds off of MKII’s balancing and uses most character up through MK3 so it keeps it old school. The X-Ray moves shook the industry and added a whole new meaning to gore and violence to video games. The new Challenge Tower was a blast and it featured the best story mode in any fighting game to date with halfway decent voice acting for once. Sadly, the game was quickly abandoned and only featured 4 DLC characters before being cut loose.

Best Version: PlayStation 3

mortal-kombat-x-pc-155131.Mortal Kombat X – 2015

MKX not only pushes the entire series in a new direction but shows fighting games a whole new level of production values and content. Taking the best from MK 2011 and the 2D games, MKX feels heavier, chunkier, and more violence than ever and that’s a good thing. Using the Unreal Engine 4 and creating some of the sickest Fatalities to date, MKX also introduces some great new characters for the first time since Deception. The stages are awesome, the DLC characters rock, and the story mode is actually quite amazing and pushes the last game in the back corner. The new Krypt mode is more interactive and can almost be a game all on its own, and the new online towers make the game feel like it’s 1992 all over again.

Best Version: PC

Shenmue

Posted by binarymessiah on 08/26/2018
Posted in: Dreamcast, Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 4, Retro Consoles, Sony Consoles, Xbox One. Leave a comment

168097bPublisher: Sega7.0

Developer: d3t Ltd.

Release Date: 08/21/2018

MSRP: $29.99

Rating: Teen

Also Available On

xbone

windows

dreamcast

 

 

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Shenmue is one of those games I never got a chance to play and have wanted to all these years. You always hear people talking about it, it pops up in “Best Of” videos and “Worst Of” videos, especially for the Dreamcast system itself. Shenmue was a beast all on its own back in the day as no one had tried these gameplay ideas before. Sure, it’s an adventure game on the surface, but it’s also a life simulator, fighting game, and mini-game extravaganza all in one. It’s weird, beautiful, ugly, and frustrating all at the same time and yet somehow it all kind of works.

You play as a high school boy named Ryo Hazuki. He gets home one day and his father died while fighting a Chinese man named Lhan Di. He steals something called the Dragon Mirror and you must somehow get it back. The weird thing about the story is that the end goal never really matters, but all the stuff in-between. What is this Dragon Mirror and why does Ryo need to get it back? It’s really never explained except something about fulfilling a prophecy and the end times will come if Di keeps it…I don’t know, the story is so unbelievable and weird.

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The game starts out like any other adventure game as you wake up in your room and commence rummaging around the house pulling open drawers, finding items, and trying to figure out where to go. Thankfully that’s something Shenmue does do right as I rarely didn’t know what to do or where to go. After setting foot in the village I watched a few cutscenes, knocked on about a dozen doors, and kept going through the town figuring out where to go. Eventually, I ended up in the main city where half of the game takes place. The first few hours have Ryo running around asking questions to get clues to then go to that person or place for either a cutscene or more clues. This continuous cycle of clue finding felt satisfying as I met some interesting characters and felt connected to the world of Shenmue.

 

Sadly, there’s a huge disappointingly frustrating factor about all of these events: They are time sensitive. You have to wait for in-game time to pass before certain events unfold. That wouldn’t be so bad but you can’t skip time so I literally went and did other things like chores, cook, or play a different game while time passed. Sometimes it would take almost 45 minutes for time to pass where I need it to be, then a small cutscene would play out, then it’s back to waiting again once I find the next clue that requires more waiting. It would also be fine if there were things to do, but outside of a few real Sega arcade games, and collecting Gotcha prizes there’s no side quests or anything to do. It’s so incredibly boring to sit and wait through all of this, and if you miss your time frame you have to wait again. Waiting also goes for catching the bus to the harbor and working a real forklift job.

Shenmue-2

Oh my God, yes the infamous forklift section of the game. This literally took up an entire 4 hours of the game. You work 8-5 for 5 in-game days driving a forklift from one end of the harbor and loading boxes into a warehouse. It’s both beautifully addictive and stupidly frustrating and annoying. All of this is so the Mad Angels, a drug cartel, in the game will pick on you because you’re new and you can obtain information from them after every fight. Not to mention the annoying forklift race at the beginning of each day with the same track. Man, it’s so stupid and frustrating and I both loved it and hated it.

After the forklift section, there are a few more fights and the game is done. The fighting itself is surprisingly impressive with responsive controls, fast and fluid animations, and plenty of combos. Outside of the Free Battles, there are QTE battles which can be hard as well as the reaction time they give you is literally milliseconds. The visuals of the game haven’t been updated all that much. There’s newer lighting effects, better shadows, and the characters have smoothed over textures, but overall it still looks like a 20-year-old game. There are still plenty of bugs and glitches such as being stuck in first person mode after driving the forklift, hard crashes, and objects disappearing completely.

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The music is annoying and repetitive with only one short track per area and it just isn’t very good, the voice acting is awful and even the Japanese voice track is questionable sometimes. The audio in general still sounds compressed and really bad, and the game is just really rough around the edges. So why should you play it? It’s a weird piece of gaming history on a system that died faster than it could blink. The characters are interesting and the various activities are fun, but the long waiting and various missteps keep Shenmue from being a fantastic game.

shenmue

 

AtGames Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Game Player

Posted by binarymessiah on 10/11/2017
Posted in: Hardware, Retro Consoles, Sega Genesis. 6 Comments

GP3228_boxManufacturer: AtGames7.0
Release Date: August 2017
MSRP: $59.99

 

 

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When it comes to playing classic games on a portable system I usually stick with the real deal or use my PSP to emulate them. I just so happened to come across a portable Sega Genesis emulator and it seemed fairly solid. It had licensed games, and original, ranging from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to Mortal Kombat and Altered Beast. This was a spur of the moment buy and I didn’t do much research.

GP3228_ID

I can’t say I don’t regret my purchase, but I did at first. When you open the box you don’t get any fancy packaging like you would from a first party company. It’s the game player in a cardboard tray, a loosely packed USB cable, and a manual tossed in. I realized it was probably a Chinese knock-off, but still of some sort of quality.

The system itself is extremely light and some would say feels cheap. We are used to the weight of portable systems like the PSP, GBA, or even DS. This has no moving parts and only needs a small battery. It has a 2.8″ 4:3 screen which is perfect for these older games as widescreen was not a thing at home at the time. The D-Pad rolls rather than rocks which is nice for fighting, and it includes A, B, C button as well as X, Y, Z which are used for a fighting game. There’s a start button and a menu button as well as an on and off switch. All the essentials are there and the buttons feel quite nice and I was pleased.

The screen itself is of surprisingly decent quality. The game looks great and I didn’t experience only washed out visuals like on some cheaper players. The biggest issue, hardware wise, is the speaker as it’s really bad. If you only turn the volume up about 3/4’s it’s not so bad, but all the way up and it sounds blown out and tinny. Thankfully these older games don’t need surround sound or anything, but a slightly better speaker would have been nice. Thankfully, it sounds way better with headphones on and the sound was quite nice and can get pretty loud. Shame on you AtGames for such an easy oversight.

Software-wise, the menu lacks any flair. It looks like a third party emulator menu with a list of games and a box shot next to it. You can flip through the 85 games and they play! Surprisingly at great speed as I had no slowdown or any crashing as of yet. The major software issue was with the SD Card and loading your own ROMs.

It states to put a “game” folder on the SC Card and use .bin Genesis ROMs. That’s easy enough, however, no matter how many different cards I used the system would not read the files. I tried formatting it as exFAT, FAT, FAT32, etc. and Google didn’t really come up with much. I found a small comment somewhere stating that Windows 10 does not format the cards properly and doesn’t play nice with this player. I had to download a drive partitioning software and it finally read the cards. This is just absolutely absurd and is a huge oversight by AtGames. Clearly, their SC Card driver is awful and 99% of users who buy this system won’t know how to do this.

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With that said, it loads games of the SD Cards, and I didn’t run into many issues. There are a few games that won’t play on here, but they are more obscure titles, but all your popular go to ones will.

Overall, this is a decent player if you’re a hardcore Genesis fan. Albeit, you can emulate these games on your PC or even a PSP and a DS if you have the hardware for it. However, when you getting a Genesis kick it’s not to pull out a dedicated player and pump out some time real quick or pull it out of your backpack while on break or something. Maybe their 2018 model will fix these major issues, but the hardware itself is pretty nice.

segaplayer

Earthworm Jim

Posted by binarymessiah on 05/28/2010
Posted in: DS, GameBoy Advance, iOS, Mobile Reviews, Nintendo Consoles, PC Reviews, Retro Consoles, Sega Genesis, Wii. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Developer: Gameloft

Release Date: 10/15/2009

Rating: Everyone 10+

MSRP: $1.99

Also Available On

 

genesissnesgamegeargbapcx360wiips3-logonds

 

 

 

Earthworm Jim is one of my all-time favorite game characters, and I love how great the game is on the iDevices. The game is updated with better music tracks, crisper visuals and smoother animations, as well as a level select screen. There are two sets of controls a digital-analog and D-pad, but the D-pad works a lot better since it feels like the original consoles it was released on. There are three buttons for using his head whip, gun, and a jump button.

The levels and art design are amazing and translate even better on the iDevice. The sense of humor is pulled off well with Jim’s silly and pseudo-serious hero antics as well as the other characters like Psy-Crow and Princess Whats-Her-Name. Each stage is well designed, but they feel cramped. There are different items you can get such as ammunition or Jim’s gun, plasma ammo, and health orbs, as well as lives, but a lot is hidden away and almost impossible to find.

The game’s precise shooting require snappy controls and this the game’s biggest issue. Since you don’t feel physical buttons you can forget where your finger is and think you’re tapping a button but you’re not and can lead to cheap deaths especially on the boss fights. The game requires quick thinking since some of the areas are timed. The levels may be unique in art style, but they are pretty random. Sometimes you can get lost trying to figure out where to go due to the random platforms and art style.

The music is superb and even funny thank to Tommy Tallarico’s talents. Gameloft even added in the option to change the tracklist or use iTunes. The levels vary with different mini-games thrown in such as riding hamsters, and the Andy Asteroids levels where you use the accelerometer to move Jim around asteroids. The goal here is to beat Psy-Crow to the finish or you have to fight him. There are a good amount of levels and this game will have you coming back for more. Overall Earthworm Jim is a fine port and for just $1 (at the moment) this is a huge steal.

Nintendo DSi XL

Posted by binarymessiah on 05/25/2010
Posted in: DS, Editor's Choice, Hardware, Nintendo Consoles, Sega Genesis. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Manufacturer: Nintendo

Release Date: 11/21/2009

MSRP: $189.99

Colors: Burgundy, Black

 

 

Nintendo is known for making several iterations of their handheld systems and the DS is no exception. With the original DS being launched on November 21, 2004, this makes the fourth model in 6 years. That’s 2 per year with a fifth model due out at the end of the year. I feel that this is what the DS should have originally been, but I guess the technology wasn’t quite there yet.

Techno Jumbo

As always I’m going to go in depth on comparing few models. The DS has two processors the ARM9 and 7 which control each screen. The DSi XL has the same hardware as the DSi, but it’s significantly different than the DS Lite. The DSi hardware has the ARM9 running at 133 MHz which is twice as fast as the ones in the original DS and Lite which were at 66MHz. The processors are also smaller which in turn uses less power. The DSi has more RAM at 16 MB which is four times as much as previous models (DS Lite and the original only had 4MB). The upgraded hardware allows for smoother gameplay and games can look better and do more thanks to this.

The biggest thing about the XL is well…it’s bigger. It sports two 4.2″ screens which are 1.2″ inches larger than the original DS and Lite. Does this make a huge difference? Oh yes, you bet. The XL also has two 0.3 megapixel cameras that are on the DSi. There is also an SD storage slot that can hold up to 32GB cards. The DSi also has an internal flash of up to 256MB, unlike the first two models. This allows for downloads from the DSiWare store.

So this makes the DS a powerhouse compared to the last two models. The speakers are louder and are more clear and this is a huge steal at $190.

New Looks

The XL doesn’t just have new looks on the outside, but on the inside as well. The new DSi firmware allows a Wii like a menu that allows you to select your games in a horizontal list. You can also press L or R to take pictures on the fly which is a nice touch. The first two DS models had a simple interface that allowed you to select your game and go into the options. In the DSi software you can press the power button the reset the DS and go back to the main menu, unlike the first two models. The power button is also on the inside, but thankfully, away from accidentally hitting it. The DSi also allows for updated internet security and a faster wi-fi chip.

Another thing you’ll notice is the larger pen-sized stylus, but there is the mini toothpick built in as well. One major thing gone is the GBA slot, but this isn’t all so bad since you can buy any GBA model for under $20 now. This sacrifice had to made to fit the cameras, SD slot, and flash memory. You do have to realize, however, that the first two DS models had actual GBA hardware in it and wasn’t software emulated (downloadable GBA games anyone?)

The Experience

Playing the DSi XL is sublime. I have fairly large hands so seeing the huge screens not only is easy on the eyes but also the hands. The longer larger frame of the console gives you more handle and control on what you’re doing. Using the pen-sized stylus also helps and I feel I have more freedom. Everything looks bright and crisp on the excellent TFT LCD screens and the 4 different brightness settings help this a lot (unfortunately there is no button for this). The games sound sharp and even more clear than other models. When playing the same game on the DS Lite you notice sounds on the XL that you couldn’t hear before unless you had headphones.

I also have to mention the cameras. They aren’t great (lower end cell phone quality), but it’s pretty decent in good light. The browser also is not that good. Using the same Opera browser from the Wii the DSi browser is slow and doesn’t support Flash. It couldn’t even load this site very fast. The DSi browser is a good concept, but if you have a cell phone or laptop stick with that. Another thing that I was disappointed in was that you can’t save your game saves to the SD slot…maybe a future update will allow this.

The DSiWare store is easy to use and familiar if you have a Wii. Unfortunately there nothing but shovelware on the store (with a few slight exceptions), but hopefully some good games will follow. The system also comes pre-installed with two Brain Age games (reviews will follow soon). The battery seemed to last several hours for me as well even when playing system-heavy games. The DSi XL is a perfect investment for anyone who has a DS. If you own any other models (even the DSi) trading that in towards an XL is probably the smartest thing you can do.

The Terminator

Posted by binarymessiah on 10/05/2009
Posted in: Sega CD, Sega Genesis. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

924183_58041_frontPublisher: Virgin Interactive

Developer: Virgin Interactive

Release Date: 3/8/1993

Rating: Mature

MSRP: $49.99

Also Available On

genesis

The Good: Sharper graphics, and audio, FMV movie sequences

The Bad: Movie quality is so low that it hurts your eyes, same old action we’ve seen before, extremely hard

I never really liked Sega CD because it was more like an HD upgrade to the original Genesis versions. The Terminator is no exception. While the game has movie sequences (which have disgustingly horrific quality), and sharper graphics and sound it doesn’t make the game any more special.

The game is just like any other side scrolling 2D action game but with a movie license. Don’t get me wrong this game does a good job at that but we’ve seen it all before. I, in particular, didn’t care for the game and didn’t even finish the first level before putting it down. If you’re craving some 2D action games then The Terminator is for you.

Sonic CD

Posted by binarymessiah on 10/05/2009
Posted in: Android, iOS, Microsoft Consoles, Mobile Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sega CD, Sony Consoles, Xbox360. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

587997_49881_frontPublisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 11/19/1993

Rating: Everyone

MSRP: $49.99

Also Available On

x360ps3-logoandroidios

The Good: New graphical style is interesting, great new CD quality music and style, new game elements are interesting, easier than other Sonic games

The Bad: But not interesting enough, no story anywhere in sight, somewhat bland

The biggest thing you’ll notice about Sonic CD is the new style it has to it. The levels have an almost trippy psychedelic feel to them and they are much bigger than other Sonic games. Sonic CD also uses the Sega CD well by giving us CD quality music and some slight 3D elements that you see in Sonic Rush (DS). The music in SCD is wonderful and while not as happy-go-lucky as other Sonic games, it feels a lot more mature and evolved. All your favorite theme songs have been rewritten and fit the style well. Story wise SCD fails miserably because there isn’t a story…there’s something about hitting past and future signs in the levels and sometimes if you hit a secret area you’ll go either in the future or the past I don’t really know what’s going on there. To me, Sonic CD doesn’t feel as good as Sonic 2 but the new style and approach may be for you but it wasn’t for me.