P4/M1

                                                                                       P4

Genre

Sonic CD is a platform runner game that was developed by Sonic Team and published by parent company Sega. It comes under the category of platform runner as the game consists of the player running from platform to platform whilst avoiding enemies and obstacles alike to reach the end of the level. However, the game cannot be labelled as either 2D or 3D as it is in fact both, with different points in the game varying between 2D and 3D.

Narrative/storyline

In the game, you play as Sonic the Hedgehog; a small blue hedgehog who has the gift of speed and takes full advantage of it by using it to run through highly dangerous courses whilst also evading enemies who have been sent to stop him. The overall objective is to rescue your friend Amy from the clutches of “Metal Sonic” who was built by the game’s main villain Eggman as a means to stop Sonic from foiling his evil plans.

Sonic CD was the first Sonic game to introduce the­­­­­­­­­_­­­­­ concept of time travel with each level in the game taking place in a different era (Jurassic era, distant future etc.). This gives the game an extremely diverse look as many platform games suffer from having either the same or similar repetitive backgrounds which make every level feel the same. Furthermore, although this game is a 2D platform game (like its rival Super Mario Bros), there was in fact a 3D element added into the game for when you reach the end of each act. In this 3D world, you required to destroy UFO’s to gain the prize you desire which will aid you when you return to the ordinary 2D world.  

Characters

Sonic CD sees the return of the beloved Sega hero Sonic the Hedgehog as well as iconic villain Eggman who is back to wreak more havoc in the Sonic universe. In this Sonic instalment, Amy Rose returns from the Sonic Manga series as the damsel in distress who becomes the plots main focus as Sonic goes on a quest to free her.  This game also sees the debut of Metal Sonic, who was built by the infamous Eggman and was essential an evil metal clone of Sonic.

Platforms

It was first released in 1993 for the Sega CD and has recently been ported over to IOS and Android as a free purchase so that people can play the game on their smartphones. The modern version contains everything that the old version did, yet thanks to modern technology; can all be fitted onto a smartphone as opposed to a games console.

Gameplay

One of the most notable pros of this game is the sheer smoothness of the gameplay. The game is often praised for just how well it flows with sonic seamlessly sprinting across the world at high speeds using a virtual D-pad and jump button without constantly crashing into objects and missing exit points. The game does a really good job of balancing high speed gameplay with manageable controls and reasonable reactions times which means most gamers (causal or hard-core) can pick up Sonic CD and play it with ease. Something else that players will notice right away is the vibrancy and uniqueness of the games art, it allows you to look at the game and instantly know that this is a Sonic the Hedgehog game. This has therefore led me to believe that Sonic CD has a high standard of gameplay as the developers have obviously put a lot of thought into the both the way the game plays out and the way it looks. The game also does not use any DLC or Micro transactions as the full game is released all as one unlike many of the newer games today so you will not have to worry about delving into your wallet to gain access to other parts of the game.

Now if we move onto the graphics of the game, the general consensus is that the graphics were actually good at the time considering the release date of this game. However, compared to today’s blockbuster games (i.e. Battlefield 1) the game looks pixelated and basic in detail to say the least. However, Sonic CD never needed to have outstanding graphics to begin with as this game solely focused on the arcade gameplay that gamers came to know and love. Furthermore, this game only had a small budget and low tech to work with compared to today’s games, which meant that the game had to be limited to a low-resolution 2D world.

Overall

All in all, I believe that Sonic CD is a classic game that is still just as fun and addictive as it was during the late 90’s when it was in its prime even in this day and age. It is for this reason along with others that I would personally recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a fun retro experience to take them back to their childhood. The game is both simple and unique which makes it feel like a huge breath of fresh air compared to many of the Triple AAA titles that are on the shelves today. Furthermore, the game is free on the App Store, so there is no real reason to not give it a try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_CD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



P3

                           

P3 – Online Review, Newspaper Review, Video Review

Sonic CD review

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/12/16/sonic-cd-review-2

http://www.telegraph.com/science-technology/articles/2011/sega-sonic-cd-review/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz5-Hk8K0CE

A – Genre

IGN describes Sonic CD’s genre as a 2D platform runner, this is because the game is primarily set in a 2D world in which players are required to run on platforms to reach their objectives which in turn makes the game a 2D platform runner. The Telegraph and YouTube game reviewer ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ also describes Sonic CD as a 2D platform runner for the same reasons as mentioned above.

B – Target Audience

IGN and ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ both agree the target audience for Sonic CD is not necessarily aimed at kids like many of SEGA’s games are, instead it is aimed at an older audience that will have played Sonic when they were kids and will gain a sense of Nostalgia when playing this game on modern devices such as iPhone or Xbox 360. However, the telegraph argues that it is a game mainly aimed at kids as opposed to adults due to its non-violent nature and up-beat colour scheme/design.

C – Narrative/Storyline

IGN’s description of the Sonic CD storyline is “Sonic comes to life and goes up against such foes as Metal Sonic, the evil hedgehog created by Dr. Robotnik. Sonic must collect all the Time Stones from The Little Planet before Dr. Robotnik can bend time and take over the world.” The Telegraph’s description of the Sonic CD storyline is “Sonic returns to save the world once again from his evil foe Dr. Robotnik who this time around has built an evil metal Sonic to help him take over the world.” Meanwhile ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ describes the Sonic CD storyline as “Our favourite Hedgehog is back in this instalment of Sonic the Hedgehog to continue his adventures and stop Dr. Robotnik from carrying out his evil deeds”.

D – Characters

IGN says that as well as being able to play as Sonic, fans can unlock Tails as a playable character as a special bonus for this enhanced 2011 version of Sonic CD. The Telegraph and ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ also mention Sonic and Tails as playable characters as well as mentioning villain Dr. Robotnik as one of the major characters in the game as well as a few extra enemies who aren’t given much of a story/personality.

E – Gameplay

IGN says that within the game there are more than 50 levels and that Sonic can also travel through time and explore the past, the present, and the future. The telegraph says that Sonic adventures through many levels, all with a unique look and feel to complete the games main objectives. ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ focuses more on the controls of the game by saying the controls have been made extremely simple and user friendly so that virtually anyone can pick the game up and get the hang of it within minutes.

F – Platforms

IGN, the Telegraph and ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ all state that this game is available for iPhone, Android and Xbox 360 as well as the original SEGA CD console in which it was first released on.

G – Personal recommendation of reviewer

IGN tops off their review by saying not only is Sonic CD a very well-made game with smooth mechanics which make it enjoyable, but it also offers tips about the future of the Sonic universe and what projects we could expect to see in the near future as well as allowing players to play as Tails for the very first time. Therefore, it is definitely worth the purchase in their eyes with a final score of 8.5/10. Both the Telegraph and ‘Somecallmejohnny’ agree with IGN’s positive review of the game with the Telegraph saying that the game has the perfect blend of action-packed, colourful gameplay and user friendly controls and ‘SomecallmeJohnny’ praising the game for its unique time travel gameplay mechanics which help make the game so memorable.

 

 

                                           

P2 - G

                                                                     P2 G - Platforms

GTA V

Grand Theft Auto V came out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Rockstar was very smart with how they released Grand Theft Auto V as it first came out on the previous gen consoles as these were the newest consoles out at the time. However, a year later they re-released the game for the next-gen consoles and the PC with better graphics and game mechanics. This meant that players who had bought the game the year previously had to buy the game again for their new consoles/PC’s which led to Rockstar doubling their profits due to the game being bought so many times on multiple platforms.

Need for Speed: Underground 2

Need for Speed Underground 2 came out on PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC. It sold by far the most copies on PS2 with Xbox and PC coming in close, however, the game was somewhat of a flop on the GameCube as the GameCube simply just wasn’t powerful enough to run the game at its full capabilities. This would lead to rapid drops in frame rate during races and a very noticeable down grade in graphics compared to the other consoles.

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture came out for PlayStation 4 and then later PC. It was recently made free on the PlayStation 4 for PlayStation Plus member as part of their November free games bundle. For non-PlayStation plus members and PC gamers the game will cost £14.99 although this price may be lower on marketplaces such as Steam who are well known for selling games cheaper than their intended price. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture has successfully sold millions of copies across all platforms since its release on 11^th August 2015.

That Dragon, Cancer

That Dragon, Cancer first came out on PC on January 12^th 2016, the game was a huge success being talked about daily in game reviews and becoming mainstream in the gaming industry. Numinous Games therefore decided that they would try their hand releasing the game on another platform to see if it could match or even surpass the commercial success of the PC version. On October 5^th 2016, That Dragon, Cancer was ported over to IOS and became available on the app store for £3.99. This version sold just as well as the PC version being in the App Store Top 10 grossing games for a number of weeks after its release.