Sonic Labyrinth
| Sonic Labyrinth | |
|---|---|
 European cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) |
Noboru Machida Hideaki Katagiri |
| Composer(s) | Atsuko Iwanaga |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Platform(s) | Game Gear |
| Release date(s) |
‹See Tfd›
‹See Tfd› |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Sonic Labyrinth (ソニックラビリンス Sonikku Rabirinsu) is a puzzle-platform game developed and published by Sega for the Game Gear, released in 1995. It is also playable on Sonic Adventure DX and on the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. The game features isometric 3D gameplay similar to that of the SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993) arcade game and Sonic 3D Blast(Sonic 3D: Flickies Island outside of North America), released one year later. Sonic, Dr. Eggman and Eggman's Robots are the only characters present in the game.
Gameplay
Players control Sonic by maneuvering him around a pinball-like arena, using his ability to roll into a ball to defeat Badniks and pick up keys in order to exit through the GOAL door to clear each stage. The only move Sonic can use in the game is the Spin Dash, as Dr. Eggman has secretly replaced his famous red shoes with another pair: the Slow-Down Boots, which have taken away Sonic's abilities to run fast and jump. They cannot be removed at all without the use of Chaos Emerald energy. Although Sonic retains his walking and learn the Spin Dash ability, there is a time limit in each stage, so one must move quickly to complete stages before the timer runs out.
Stages
In Sonic Labyrinth, there are a total of four Zones, each containing three acts and a boss battle. The goal in each stage is to help Sonic collect the three hidden keys and then head to the GOAL door.
Throughout the stages are many enemies waiting to attack Sonic, so the player must remain aware of their surroundings. Sonic is only able to collect rings during Boss fights (and before each of these fights as he rolls down a steep incline toward the Boss) but the player will lose a life if Sonic is hit twice regardless of how many rings he possesses. If Sonic is not holding any rings, he will only take one hit. Whilst holding the keys, Sonic can withstand a few enemy attacks.
Reception
When released, Sonic Labyrinth received mostly negative reviews from critics. The game was heavily criticized for its lack of speed and clunky control. Electronic Gaming Monthly rated it 4.8 out of 10, commenting "Why not just follow the same Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball routine instead of pretending he [Sonic] can actually move while on his feet?", adding that the repetitive gameplay creates boredom.[2] Famicom Tsūshin gave the game a score of 22 out of 40 as judged by a panel of four reviewers.[1] Not all reviews were so negative, however. GamePro gave it a score of 4.5 out of 5, saying it makes a great addition to Sonic's handheld collection.[3]
Re-releases
In 2003, it was re-released as one of 12 unlockable Sonic Game Gear games in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the Nintendo GameCube and Windows PC.
Sonic Labyrinth was also included as one of six Game Gear games on Sonic Mega Collection Plus, released by Sega in 2004.
In 2012, Sonic Labyrinth was ported to the 3DS Virtual Console.
References
- 1 2 "New Games Cross Review - ソニックラビリンス". Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin. No.362. Pg.31. 24 November 1995.
- ↑ "Sonic Labyrinth Review". Electronic Gaming Monthly (78). EGM Media, LLC. January 1996. p. 48.
- ↑ GamePro. 078. January 1996. Missing or empty
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