MEAN MACHINES SEGA

November 1992

Number 2

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MEGADRIVE: SONIC 2, SUPER HIGH IMPACT, HOME ALONE, GODS, BIOHAZARD BATTLE, TWINKLE TALE

MASTER SYSTEM: TAZ MANIA, SONIC 2!, SCI

 

SONIC 2 REVIEWED

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CONTENTS

 

MEGADRIVE REVIEWS:

ROAD RASH II -- 20, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG II -- 60, HOME ALONE -- 68, BIOHAZARD -- 78, SUPER HIGH IMPACT -- 86, GODS -- 90, JAMES BOND 007: THE DUEL -- 94, GREYLANCER -- 102, TWINKLE TALE -- 108

 

MASTER SYSTEM REVIEWS:

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG II -- 60, SPECIAL CHASE INVESTIGATIONS -- 72, TAZMANIA -- 98

 

GAME GEAR REVIEWS:

STREETS OF RAGE -- 82

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Q&A [excerpts - pg. 32]

 

COME CLOSER, FRIEND

 

Dear Jaz,

I have a few questions for you to answer, by the way I have got a Master System.

1 Will Taz Mania ever be coming out on the Master System? If so, when?

2 When will Streets of Rage be coming out for the Master System and when will you be reviewing it? Will Streets of Rage 2 ever be coming out for the Master System and is part one going to be any good?

3 Will Strider 2 ever come out for the Master System and if so, when?

4 Will Superman ever come out for the Master System? If so, when?

5 On Sonic 2 on the Master System can you be Sonic and Two-Tails at the same time or one after the other? When will you be reviewing it?

6 Will Final Fight, Aquatic Games and Green Dog ever come out for the Master System?

7 I would like to make my own game for my console. How would I go around making it and how much would it cost me and how long would it take?

8 Was Julian and Angus on You Bet when the boy said he could name five games by listening to the sound for five sounds?

9 What is your fave game for the Master System except the Wonderboy games?

 

David Henderson, Oxford.

 

JAZ:

1. Yep - check out the review in this month's ish.

2. Yes, towards the end of the year - as for the rest wait and see.

3. It looks like a February release at the moment.

4. Possibly Easter next year.

5. Again, check out this issue.

6. Nah.

7. About £50,000 and about a year's worth of programming.

8. You bet!

9. Impossible Mission.

 

THE LOOKING EYE

 

Dear Jaz,

I have a Game Gear and would like to ask some question.

1 Will Sonic 2 be as good as Sonic or will it be better?

2 When will Lemmings be coming out for the Game Gear?

3 Which hand-held machines are better for graphics - Game Gear or Lynx?

4 The Game Gear has the least amount of games will there be more games produced?

5 Is the price of Game Gear games coming down?

 

Nigel Hughes, Hitchin Herts.

 

JAZ: 1. Better. 2. November. 3. Lynx. 4. Yes. 5. No.

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 --- MEGADRIVE --- PREVIEW

 

Sonic the Hedgehog is the phenomenon of the nineties. A legend in his spiky blue lifetime. A creature so far removed from the norm that he just couldn't help but become something huge. A blue hedgehog that travels at speeds in excess of a hundred miles per hour? Yet he mania surrounding Sega's video game superstar has exceeded the limits that surely, even Sega themselves imagined. In the sequel to the 3.7 million selling game that made him what he is today, Sonic is joined by a two and a half years old fox with two tails named Miles. Miles worships Sonic and longs to be the same as him when he grows up. So the heroic 'hog is pursued by this toddling apprentice wherever he goes, even following him into the very face of death as Sonic aims to rid the planet of the evil Dr Robotnik once more. Are you fast enough to keep up?

 

CHUTES OF CHAOS

 

In Sonic's first outing on the Megadrive he was required to collect six precious gems known as Chaos Emeralds, but he could only obtain these by entering special zones that were reached upon collecting more than fifty rings per stage. The special zones, strange, rotating psychedelic affairs, have been replaced in Sonic II by high speed races between Sonic and Miles down brightly coloured chutes. They are entered if Sonic has fifty rings in his possession when he touches a Star Post. Here Sonic aims to collect enough rings to pass thee checkpoints, avoid bombs and eventually earn the Chaos Emerald that await at the end of the passage.

 

LOOKING OUT FOT MILES

 

Sonic is such a hero that the next generation of kids in Sonic's hometown all aspire to be like him someday. None more so than a two and a half year old fox with two tails named Miles. This wildlife wannabe, nicknamed 'Tails', follows Sonic around hoping to learn something from the maestro. In the one-player game Miles has been allowed to accompany Sonic on his mission to defeat Dr Robotnik, so long as he doesn't get in the way too much and hands over any rings that he should find. In return Sonic agrees to lead the way, keeping an eye out for danger so that none befalls Tails.

 

COMMENT

 

Take it or leave it, there really is nothing else like Sonic on the Megadrive with his immediate appeal and simplistic, yet exciting gameplay. Though he hasn't escaped completely unscathed from those intent on finding faults, Sega have obviously listened hard to many of the criticisms made about the first game, mainly that it was too easy. The result is that they've produced a very jolly sequel indeed. Apart from being nearly twice the size of the original, Sonic II has lots more features, in particular the two-player competition game option. Sonic himself sports many new frames of animation that all add to his character and give the game a much slicker appearance than its predecessor. Sonic is also much, much faster. At least twice as fast than before in some places. The all-new special zones are a riot and cannot fail to leave most mouths gaping. Sonic II has certainly impressed me enough to be named the most impressive roller coaster, pinball, one-armed-bandit, platform game to date on the Megadrive and you just gotta get it.

 

PAUL

 

MILES AHEAD

 

When Sonic and Miles aren't chasing the evil Robotnik all around the world, they enjoy a spot of healthy competition between themselves. Player one controls Sonic while player two directs Miles in a race for the most rings, highest amount of bonuses and quickest time to complete the level. Excitement is raised by the fact that all the bonus monitors display question marks, this means that every bonus is a mystery until the monitor is smashed open. Will it be invincibility or Dr Robotnik? Joy or despair? Nobody knows. There is a choice of four different areas to choose from for the challenge, one of which is the special zone. Unlike the one-player special zones, Sonic and Miles now race for the most rings as they avoid the bombs and leap to get the advantage.

 

WHAT THE...

 

In the two-player competitive mode Sega have added yet another new feature for Sonic and Tails to fall out over, namely the vice-versa icon. Represented by a plus and minus sign, this nasty piece of work assures a sooner than expected win or an unlikely loss for whoever picks it up. Basically the positions of Sonic and Miles are ex changed. Somebody floundering on a bed of spikes may end up sprinting across the finishing line as their opponent gets quite a nasty shock.

 

COMMENT

 

Sega have bust a gut making this game as special as they could, and the end result is staggering. Sonic II is a blinding stonker! None of the criticisms of the original apply here: Sonic II is faster, slicker, more colourful, louder, bigger and much, much tougher than the original. There's no way even Sonic experts could call this easy! The perfectly graduated difficulty eases you into the game, and once in you're hooked. Bye bye dinner. Cheerio bedtime. So long weekend. I was hooked, and how! It's packed with features, has loads of secrets and rounds it all up with a superlative two-player mode that'll have your friends queuing round the block to play. Brilliant! If you miss Sonic II you should be committed to a loony bin!

 

JAZ

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 --- MASTER SYSTEM --- PREVIEW

 

What do you get if you give a lowly, common or garden hedgehog an attitude? Sonic the Hedgehog of course! No-one quite knew what to expect of this character when he first raced onto the scene a little over a year ago, but he took the gaming world by storm! Well now he's back, older, cleverer and faster than ever before, and this time he's brought along his young friend Miles Prower (Miles per hour - geddit? I didn't - JAZ), AKA Tails the Fox.

 

After bouncing the balding Dr Robotnik off the face of Sound island, Sonic's home, our speedy chum had been enjoying a time of peace and tranquility. Duckin' an' a divin'. Wheelin' and a dealin'. Havin'-a-dip-in-the-sea-an'-a-drinking-lemonade-in-the-mid-day-sun. Until the crazed Robontik decided that it was a good time for a comeback that is. Just as Sonic and Miles were enjoying a game of beach ball, the egg-like one descended upon the sand and stole poor Tails away with Sonic in hot pursuit. It is here where we join them in a second, speed of light adventure on the Master System.

 

WHERE IS HE THEN?

 

Perhaps some of you have heard rumours about a new character in Sonic II nicknamed Two Tails?. He is, in fact, called Miles and has unfortunately been nabbed by the dastardly Dr Robotnik. This is a crying shame because Miles is Sonic's best friend and if there's one thing to get Sonic all mad it's the nabbing of his best friend called Miles. This means that Miles is conspicuous by his absence throughout the game, unlike the Megadrive version where the aspiring little chap joins Sonic to help him out. No matter, Sonic has plenty to occupy his mind.

 

MINE'S A SPIN AND SONIC

 

There's no nice-and-easy-until-you-get-the-hang-of-it goings on in Sonic II. Oh deary no! The first level sees Sonic careering along the tracks of an abandoned mine in a rickety old mine cart. The trouble is that the mines are flooded with molten lava and the tracks ain't what they used to be. In some places the rails have give way altogether and Sonic needs to spin-jump his spiky bod across the gaps and, hopefully, land in another across the way. Gumph!

 

COMMENT

 

First let me tell you that Sonic II received a lot of admiring glances from people in the games rooms when it arrived. Then I told them that it was the Master System version I was playing and watched as their jaws hit the carpet. Sonic has given Master System owners something to sing about once again. Sega have pulled out all the stops and truly let rip in Sonic's second race across the boards. As soon as the battle for Tails' freedom commences the action is literally red hot and the gameplay mega slick. Different modes of transport are available to Sonic, which spice things up no end, injecting new life into Sonic's already impressive repertoire. It's also refreshing to find that the end-of-level-bosses are a variety of giant robotic animals instead of Dr Robotnik every time - the performing seal is hilarious. I was disappointed to find that special zones have been excluded this time around but then who needs 'em when the quality of the game is so good anyway.

 

PAUL

 

COMMENT

 

Stunning! Sonic II is all that Master System players could hope for and more@ It looks superb, with great backgrounds and brilliant sprites that wouldn't look amiss on the Megadrive. Bu better still is the gameplay! Slick, fast, challenging, varied, fund, addictive...this is truly a game that you just can't put down. The difficulty level is beautifully balanced so that you get so far... fail... get a bit further... fail... but keep on going and going because you're determined to see what's on the next level. This is definitely one of the greatest Master System games of all time, and you'd be the saddest person alive if you missed it!

 

JAZ

 

HANGING THE 'HOG

 

People would think you mad if you were to describe to them that you just saw a cool blue hedgehog flying past on a hang-glider. Yet this is exactly what can be seen in Sonic II. Having failed numerous attempts at flight using balloons, for obvious reasons, Sonic takes to the skies beneath the wing of a hang-glider. In some instances Sonic can manage well enough without this piece of kit. However there are occasions where flying is necessary to complete the level or else fall foul to some uninviting rough terrain. The best results are achieved when Sonic (II) takes a huge run up to gather speed and then the sky's his limit.

 

THE TRUBBLE WITH BUBBLES

 

You may not know this but blue hedgehogs aren't very good swimmers, and Sonic is probably the worst of them all. In fact, he's so bad that the only way he can negotiate any stretches of water at all is to hitch a lift inside a bubble. Great care is taken here, though, since crashing into walls bursts his hopes of a future on dry land. as do spikes (though strangely not his own) and any undersea wandering create that happens along.

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Sonic and tails beat a hasty retreat!

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Don't do it Sonic! We lo-ove yo-ou!!

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Sonic and Miles On there

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Special stage ahoy! Go Sonic go!

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Prepare to fly. Fly! Fly you fools!

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'Botnik bouncin' blue dude.

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Explosive action ahoy!

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Pinball terror as Robotnik takes aim. More rings please.

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Somewhere along these lines...

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Hot Rod racing, Sonic style!

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Sonic is en-hammered by the Prof!

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Miles alone in a world without Sonic!

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Fly! Fly you fools!

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Big bubbles no troubles.

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Arghhh! A killer meanie of doom!

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Very picturesque eh?

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Sonic faces up yo an end-level meanie! Arghhh!

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Smash those walls, Sonic! Yeah!

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Sonic's got the skids here.

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Sonic and Tails take to the skies!

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Sonic skids to a halt before tackling the evil meanies of Dr Robotnik! Spooky eh?

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Sonic spouts off in this action-packed picture.

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