Sonic Spinball vs. Knuckles' Chaotix vs. Sonic 3D Blast vs. Sonic R
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Spinball plays the best out of these, so I must choose it. Besides, it has the scariest depictions of Robotnik of any Sonic media which I really enjoy.
Chaotix has great art, but the level design and ring tether really drag the gameplay down. Sonic R has nice music, but plays badly. 3D blast, again nice art and great OST, but the gameplay is lacking.
Chaotix has great art, but the level design and ring tether really drag the gameplay down. Sonic R has nice music, but plays badly. 3D blast, again nice art and great OST, but the gameplay is lacking.
Spinball is kinda alright sometimes maybe. The controls when you're running are so damn bad. Visually though it is one weird creepy looking game.
3D Blast > R > Chaotix > Spinball
3D Blast is a decent time if you like the classic Sonic aesthetic. The game looks and sounds fantastic on both consoles it was released on. The gameplay has a ton of flaws but it's short and easy enough that I'm able to overlook most of them. Definitely not a game that I want to replay all the time though.
R is genuinely a fun game once you get used to the controls IMO (think of the characters as cars that can jump instead of as platformer characters). The mix of collectathon and racing gameplay is unique and the music is fantastic. The problem is that the game has about 2 hours worth of content at best and is way too unbalanced to be enjoyable as a multiplayer game. It was an awful game to drop $50 on back in the day, but if you get the PC version cheap now and play it with the fan-made mods that increase the resolution and fix the various visual/audio errors that the port suffers from on modern hardware you can actually have a fair amount of fun with it.
Chaotix's bizarre physics are fun to fuck around with and it yet again has great visuals and music. The level design is basically non-existent though. I find it fun to play around in because I have a fascination with classic Sonic games but I can't deny that the game is fundamentally an unfinished tech demo. It's at least really easy so it doesn't become frustrating to play despite the lack of design quality.
Spinball sucks. It's the only one of these games that can't even be saved on an aesthetic level due to the ugly art style and annoying music. The physics are also terrible and the boards are a slog to get through. It's the only classic Sonic game I have 0 affection for and that includes even other shunned entries like some of the lesser Game Gear games (though admittedly the GG version of Spinball is even worse).
3D Blast is a decent time if you like the classic Sonic aesthetic. The game looks and sounds fantastic on both consoles it was released on. The gameplay has a ton of flaws but it's short and easy enough that I'm able to overlook most of them. Definitely not a game that I want to replay all the time though.
R is genuinely a fun game once you get used to the controls IMO (think of the characters as cars that can jump instead of as platformer characters). The mix of collectathon and racing gameplay is unique and the music is fantastic. The problem is that the game has about 2 hours worth of content at best and is way too unbalanced to be enjoyable as a multiplayer game. It was an awful game to drop $50 on back in the day, but if you get the PC version cheap now and play it with the fan-made mods that increase the resolution and fix the various visual/audio errors that the port suffers from on modern hardware you can actually have a fair amount of fun with it.
Chaotix's bizarre physics are fun to fuck around with and it yet again has great visuals and music. The level design is basically non-existent though. I find it fun to play around in because I have a fascination with classic Sonic games but I can't deny that the game is fundamentally an unfinished tech demo. It's at least really easy so it doesn't become frustrating to play despite the lack of design quality.
Spinball sucks. It's the only one of these games that can't even be saved on an aesthetic level due to the ugly art style and annoying music. The physics are also terrible and the boards are a slog to get through. It's the only classic Sonic game I have 0 affection for and that includes even other shunned entries like some of the lesser Game Gear games (though admittedly the GG version of Spinball is even worse).
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I loved Sonic Spinball back in the day. I don't want to play it now because I'm worried that it might actually suck, lol. So many people say its bad, I just want to leave my good memories of it alone.
actually playing chaotix would make you reconsider this stance quickly
Sonic Spinball > Sonic R > Sonic 3D Blast > Knuckles Chaotix
Spinball is fairly underrated. It's not great or anything but it's a rather unique take on the platformer genre and we really haven't seen a game like it since. Pinball games are a dime a dozen but a pinball game that's also a platformer making use of pinball physics for interesting level designs and gimmicks is worth the experiment.
Sonic R has a god tier OST and an interesting structure for a racing game. Very complex tracks with tons of branching paths and collectibles in a relatively compact space and which also borrows some platforming conventions as well. It's too bad the controls are very frustrating and difficult to learn and even at full mastery there just isn't much content there to chew on.
Sonic 3D Blast is a guilty pleasure but honestly, it's not really a good game. I think there was potential for a good game here since there's actually quite a bit of creativity and solid pacing in its level design, and it actually controls pretty well considering it's an isometric platformer with an emphasis on speed. The flicky system though kills it, and that decision alone turns what should be a fast-paced 3D platformer into a Dollar Store Yoshi's Island without the incessant crying.
Knuckles Chaotix just sucks. It's very pretty, has a fantastic soundtrack, great sprites and animation. It also has the worst core gimmick ever and there's literally zero level design. 25 levels that might as well be completely interchangeable with each other considering how little there is to do besides run up ramps and tear your hair out trying to figure out how to do anything with the ring tether. Straight trash.
Spinball is fairly underrated. It's not great or anything but it's a rather unique take on the platformer genre and we really haven't seen a game like it since. Pinball games are a dime a dozen but a pinball game that's also a platformer making use of pinball physics for interesting level designs and gimmicks is worth the experiment.
Sonic R has a god tier OST and an interesting structure for a racing game. Very complex tracks with tons of branching paths and collectibles in a relatively compact space and which also borrows some platforming conventions as well. It's too bad the controls are very frustrating and difficult to learn and even at full mastery there just isn't much content there to chew on.
Sonic 3D Blast is a guilty pleasure but honestly, it's not really a good game. I think there was potential for a good game here since there's actually quite a bit of creativity and solid pacing in its level design, and it actually controls pretty well considering it's an isometric platformer with an emphasis on speed. The flicky system though kills it, and that decision alone turns what should be a fast-paced 3D platformer into a Dollar Store Yoshi's Island without the incessant crying.
Knuckles Chaotix just sucks. It's very pretty, has a fantastic soundtrack, great sprites and animation. It also has the worst core gimmick ever and there's literally zero level design. 25 levels that might as well be completely interchangeable with each other considering how little there is to do besides run up ramps and tear your hair out trying to figure out how to do anything with the ring tether. Straight trash.
From what I've seen of it, it's main problems are its samey level design and the rubber band function works against it
Still not as bad as 3D Blast's repetitiveness, Spinball's garbage ass physics or R's everything
Everybody's Super Sonic racing. After the first race getting used to the idea of Sonic as a car I never had any issue with the controls.
honestly if you think 3D blast is repetitive, chaotix will drive you insane.
it's only merits are the special stages and that's a lot of heavy lifting they have to do
Sonic Spinball is pretty cool conceptually, it needed refinement in physics, smaller sprites so you could see more per screen and not to run at that strange framerate.
I mean, all of these OSTs are good.
IMO
Spinball > 3d Blast (SATURN ONLY) > R > Chaotix
I was so excited for Knuckles' Chaotix (cause he was my fav character), but when I eventually played it (co-op with my little brother) it was mostly just "alright", boring even at times.
Still, it's the most 'normal' Sonic game out of that bunch. 3D Blast is ok but never felt too much like a Sonic game, Spinball was always just meh playing to me even at the time and Sonic R while looking and sounded REALLY good just isn't that fun to play.
Still, it's the most 'normal' Sonic game out of that bunch. 3D Blast is ok but never felt too much like a Sonic game, Spinball was always just meh playing to me even at the time and Sonic R while looking and sounded REALLY good just isn't that fun to play.
3D Blast for me. It's the most solid overall and both versions of it have an amazing OST.
Sonic Spinball is pretty fun, but it's also kinda ugly. I would love to see a sequel to this, to be honest.
Sonic R is a fun concept and has a great OST, but it's massively unbalanced as a racing game and the level design is very haphazard.
Chaotix's only redeeming quality is the OST. It's just so boring to play since the level design is terrible and repetitive.
Sonic Spinball is pretty fun, but it's also kinda ugly. I would love to see a sequel to this, to be honest.
Sonic R is a fun concept and has a great OST, but it's massively unbalanced as a racing game and the level design is very haphazard.
Chaotix's only redeeming quality is the OST. It's just so boring to play since the level design is terrible and repetitive.
I've only played Sonic Spinball of the three and I really wanted it for Christmas that year and got it which was super exciting -- until I played it. So screw that game in particular.
As a kid I hated Sonic Spinball. It was right up there with Mario Is Missing in the "my parents got duped at blockbuster" feelings. It felt worse than the pinball sections of actual Sonic games. First time I played R was on PC and I enjoyed it enough to use a guide to unlock everything.
Chaotix has some iffy level design but it still has classic Sonic physics and art direction. Despite its flaws, it's better than all those others.
Voted Spinball.
I remember renting Chaotix, beating it, and thinking it was decent. I just replayed it for the first time last weekend. Man it's bad. People are not exaggerating when they say there's no real level design and the levels are boring and empty. It's crazy how dull every level is. You could easily switch around the level order or have someone replay one after 15 minutes or whatever and they'd never notice. If you told someone new to it that it was a a pre-release beta that'd be believable.
I remember renting Chaotix, beating it, and thinking it was decent. I just replayed it for the first time last weekend. Man it's bad. People are not exaggerating when they say there's no real level design and the levels are boring and empty. It's crazy how dull every level is. You could easily switch around the level order or have someone replay one after 15 minutes or whatever and they'd never notice. If you told someone new to it that it was a a pre-release beta that'd be believable.
I think 3D Blast probably has the most sound level design out of all of those, but I can't deny Sonic R's godly soundtrack. My friends and I used to have dance parties in my basement to it when we were 6 lol. Sonic R wins based on that alone for me. And it's not that bad to play either, just insanely short.
A friend and I went through Chaotix a few years ago and while it has some gorgeous spritework and great music, the level design/gimmicks drag it down too much for me. And Spinball is one of those games I would rent as a kid and play far more of it than it deserved just because it had my favorite character in it.
A friend and I went through Chaotix a few years ago and while it has some gorgeous spritework and great music, the level design/gimmicks drag it down too much for me. And Spinball is one of those games I would rent as a kid and play far more of it than it deserved just because it had my favorite character in it.
You ask for the best so I would say Sonic R if it's that definition more so.
I'm the only fool I know of who actually passed Sonic spinball with not only all the levels but getting all the perfect and finding all the hidden ring bonus stages and such xD
Hey back then I had to take advantage of the games that I was able to get!
I'm the only fool I know of who actually passed Sonic spinball with not only all the levels but getting all the perfect and finding all the hidden ring bonus stages and such xD
Hey back then I had to take advantage of the games that I was able to get!
It's 3D Blast among those four, by a fairly good margin too. The only good thing about Chaotix is the special stages, R's controls and track design are a mess, and almost every stage in Spinball is a slog to get through (not to mention that the Game Gear version might legitimately be the worst Sonic game ever)
3D Blast is a giant pile of mediocrity, but at least it's mostly functional.
3D Blast is a giant pile of mediocrity, but at least it's mostly functional.
Sonic R > Spinball > Chaotix = 3D Blast
Spinball was an irritation to me. Grating music/sfx and obnoxious level design. The premise was fine, but it needed more time to be better refined. I did love the bonus stages though with seeing Sonic's reflection in the glass and watching his eyes track the ball. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a new Spinball if it was handled better.
Sonic R mostly wins out for me on soundtrack alone seeing as I don't have as much experience with Chaotix or 3D Blast. After feeling disappointed with Spinball and the lack of Sega CD games of interest beyond Sonic CD, I became a lot more scrutinizing of things like add-on devices and buying games on franchise alone.
Spinball was an irritation to me. Grating music/sfx and obnoxious level design. The premise was fine, but it needed more time to be better refined. I did love the bonus stages though with seeing Sonic's reflection in the glass and watching his eyes track the ball. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a new Spinball if it was handled better.
Sonic R mostly wins out for me on soundtrack alone seeing as I don't have as much experience with Chaotix or 3D Blast. After feeling disappointed with Spinball and the lack of Sega CD games of interest beyond Sonic CD, I became a lot more scrutinizing of things like add-on devices and buying games on franchise alone.
I haven't played Knuckles' Chaotix, but out of the other three, Sonic 3D Blast is at least a perfectly functional game that's easy to beat. Spinball can fuck off and Sonic R is 100% carried by its soundtrack.
I mean, it's just a half pipe, which are extremely common special stages for Sonic games, but it's better than the Genesis version at least.
Saturn version also has the better soundtrack.
I mean, it's just a half pipe, which are extremely common special stages for Sonic games, but it's better than the Genesis version at least.
Saturn version also has the better soundtrack.
I know, but I am choosing a good point from games that are shambles.
Sonic R is the only one I ever go back to play so I'll go with that one.
It's a fun couple of hours with a god-teir soundtrack.
It's a fun couple of hours with a god-teir soundtrack.
No real opinion on the above poll because I've only played one of those games.
But because when else am I ever going to get the chance to talk about this, here's some rambling about Sonic R's soundtrack.
Sonic R's music is out of place for a racing game but it's not out of the style of franchise at that moment in time.
Because of the Adventure games going in a much more rock & world direction, people forgot that 90s Sonic music that wasn't limited to a Genesis soundchip was indeed ９０ｓ ＡＳ ＦＵＣＫ
Just a total jazzadelic mix of House, future funk, Y2K-era pop, 80s rave, new jack swing, and 90s trance.
That's just what Sonic sounded like at the time.
Sonic between '93 and '97 was a pretty nifty bridge between the vaporwave and Y2K sounds if you ask me.
But because when else am I ever going to get the chance to talk about this, here's some rambling about Sonic R's soundtrack.
Sonic R's music is out of place for a racing game but it's not out of the style of franchise at that moment in time.
Because of the Adventure games going in a much more rock & world direction, people forgot that 90s Sonic music that wasn't limited to a Genesis soundchip was indeed ９０ｓ ＡＳ ＦＵＣＫ
Just a total jazzadelic mix of House, future funk, Y2K-era pop, 80s rave, new jack swing, and 90s trance.
That's just what Sonic sounded like at the time.
Sonic between '93 and '97 was a pretty nifty bridge between the vaporwave and Y2K sounds if you ask me.