Somari
Encyclopedia
Somari is an unlicensed
port
of Sega
's flagship video game Sonic the Hedgehog
, produced for the Nintendo Famicom
and sold primarily around Asia
, Russia
, and other regions where pirate Famicom cartridges were distributed, in 1994. The game features a character named "Somari" - Nintendo
mascot Mario
wearing Miles "Tails" Prower's shoes. The character's name is a portmanteau of "SOnic" and "MARIo".
' s emphasis on speed, Somari runs nearly as fast as Sonic although it is sometimes difficult to get Somari to accelerate and the gameplay as a whole is slightly slower. Items, bosses, levels, and enemies are all identical to Sonic - Somari collects golden rings in order to enter the BONUS stage at the end of the level, however being injured by enemies causes him to lose rings. Special stages do not serve any purpose apart from boosting the player's score. The game employs a timer as in Sonic, however regardless of what time is scored the player always gets a "Time Bonus" of 5000 points. As in "Sonic," each level is divided into three acts and at the end of the third act Somari encounters a boss - one of the many forms of Dr. Robotnik.
Although Somari borrows the concepts for its game dynamics from the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the implementation of them differs in many significant ways. Unlike the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, Somari can use the "spin-dash" feature first implemented in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Other notable differences include the fact that whereas Sonic would lose all his collected rings after being injured by an enemy, Somari always loses a maximum of 3 rings even when carrying a single ring. Each area in Somari is taken from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, borrowing many elements from the original stages, but level layout is completely new. Significantly, elements of level design from the Mario series such as off-screen secret areas high above the player's field of view make appearances in such areas as the beginning of the third level.
Somari' s levels are based on the Mega Drive/Genesis version of the first Sonic game, with the exception of the Scrap Brain Zone (of which a semi-functional version is accessible if save state hacking is used), while the bonus stages are based on the Master System and Game Gear versions.
The game features Sonic's Spin Dash, which was not actually introduced until Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The music of the game is similar to the original, but suffers from a poor conversion to the Family Computer's sound system. The actual sprite
for Somari is based on sprites from Super Mario Bros. 3
.
It is unknown precisely how, when, or where the game was created, though Asia is likely, and Taiwan
probable as a Taiwanese trademark for "Somari" was registered on March 1, 1994 following the earlier registry of the trademark "Sonimari" on February 1 of the same year. Some cartridges bear the copyright notice "1994 Someri Team". What few other hints exist of the game's origin can only be traced through the game itself: Though its basic structure is an imperfect transfer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, the movement of Somari is based on the mechanics and physics of the Sonic character
from the 1992 release Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The title screen is based on the title screen from Mario Teaches Typing and the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. The oldest PCB is dated January 1994.
The game was marketed in gaming magazines in Hong Kong and in Russia during the late 1990s, and it can be found today in the United States in specialized gaming stores.
title bringing the popular video game characters Mario
and Sonic the Hedgehog
into one game has been a long-running dream in video game culture. Although Somari doesn't feature both characters in the same game, the fact that Mario had been placed into the world of Sonic the hedgehog was registered with astonishment. Russian gaming magazine Great Drakon commented in a review of the game that at last 8-bit console gamers could roughly gain the experience of 16-bit gaming as with Sonic.
Despite the obvious similarities of the game to Sonic the Hedgehog, reviewers were quick to point out the many differences between them and commentators on Russian TV program, Dendy: The New Reality , stated that "Somari for Dendy is not the same as Sonic for SEGA. ... Everything's different." Contemporary criticism of the game emphasized its difficulty relative to the original Sonic title (specifically the fact that the player would frequently and repeatedly die) and the game was characterized as having complex controls (although reviews claimed that these could be mastered in time).
Modern reviewers have been more critical of the game, although reactions to Somari remain mixed. GamesRadar
listed Somari on their list of "Crazy ass rom hacks", calling it "Less mash-up and more train wreck" due to poor physics and unresponsive controls. GameSpy
, however, described the game as "a remarkably good port/hack of Sonic to the NES," and Atari HQ described it as "amazing[ly] original" with "more than adequate[]" level-porting.
All variations of Somari (excluding Doraemon and Family Kid) have an altered Stage Select screen because developers wanted the game to start on different stages. In all other variations (excluding Doraemon and Family Kid) "Green hill zone" is a browner shade as opposed to the reddish shade from the original Somari because Sonic doesn't use the same palette.
Copyright infringement of software
Copyright infringement of software=The copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software. Copyright infringement of this kind varies globally...
port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's flagship video game Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
is a seminal 16-bit 1991 platform video game developed in Japan by Sega and published for the Sega Genesis. It is the first installment in Sega's flagship Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and the first title developed by Sonic Team. The game was released in 1991 in North America, Europe, and...
, produced for the Nintendo Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and sold primarily around Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and other regions where pirate Famicom cartridges were distributed, in 1994. The game features a character named "Somari" - Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
mascot Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
wearing Miles "Tails" Prower's shoes. The character's name is a portmanteau of "SOnic" and "MARIo".
Plot
The plot of Somari borrows heavily from that of the first Sonic title. Somari the Adventurer, an Italian plumber with distinct visual similarities to Mario, has become lost in his plumbing pipes and has emerged in Sonic-Land. While wandering through the landscape Somari encounters numerous roboticized animals that begin to attack him. These robotic animals, the creations of the mad Dr. Robotnik, are part of a scheme plan to convert all animals (including rabbits and sparrows) into evil robots. Attempting to put an end to these transformations, Somari progresses through six zones - each comprising three acts - to finally defeat Dr. Robotnik. Somari travels through Green Hill, Marble Zone, Spring Yard, Labyrinth zone, Starlight zone, and Final Zone. Along the way Somari must defeat legions of evil robot animals and must tangle with Dr. Robotnik himself five times. After Dr. Robotnik is defeated, Somari frees the helpless rabbits, sparrows, and other non-robotic animals. During the ending, Dr Robotnik can be seen juggling the Chaos Emeralds stating "I will be back."Gameplay
The gameplay of Somari is substantially similar to that of its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog. Mirroring SonicAlthough Somari borrows the concepts for its game dynamics from the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the implementation of them differs in many significant ways. Unlike the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, Somari can use the "spin-dash" feature first implemented in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Other notable differences include the fact that whereas Sonic would lose all his collected rings after being injured by an enemy, Somari always loses a maximum of 3 rings even when carrying a single ring. Each area in Somari is taken from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, borrowing many elements from the original stages, but level layout is completely new. Significantly, elements of level design from the Mario series such as off-screen secret areas high above the player's field of view make appearances in such areas as the beginning of the third level.
Development
The game features Sonic's Spin Dash, which was not actually introduced until Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The music of the game is similar to the original, but suffers from a poor conversion to the Family Computer's sound system. The actual sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
for Somari is based on sprites from Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
.
It is unknown precisely how, when, or where the game was created, though Asia is likely, and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
probable as a Taiwanese trademark for "Somari" was registered on March 1, 1994 following the earlier registry of the trademark "Sonimari" on February 1 of the same year. Some cartridges bear the copyright notice "1994 Someri Team". What few other hints exist of the game's origin can only be traced through the game itself: Though its basic structure is an imperfect transfer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, the movement of Somari is based on the mechanics and physics of the Sonic character
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
from the 1992 release Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The title screen is based on the title screen from Mario Teaches Typing and the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. The oldest PCB is dated January 1994.
The game was marketed in gaming magazines in Hong Kong and in Russia during the late 1990s, and it can be found today in the United States in specialized gaming stores.
Reception
At the time of its release, the game was well received by critics. The concept of a crossover or mashupMashup (digital)
A digital mashup usually is in reference to:1. Digital media content containing any or all of text, graphics, audio, video and animation drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work...
title bringing the popular video game characters Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
into one game has been a long-running dream in video game culture. Although Somari doesn't feature both characters in the same game, the fact that Mario had been placed into the world of Sonic the hedgehog was registered with astonishment. Russian gaming magazine Great Drakon commented in a review of the game that at last 8-bit console gamers could roughly gain the experience of 16-bit gaming as with Sonic.
Despite the obvious similarities of the game to Sonic the Hedgehog, reviewers were quick to point out the many differences between them and commentators on Russian TV program, Dendy: The New Reality , stated that "Somari for Dendy is not the same as Sonic for SEGA. ... Everything's different." Contemporary criticism of the game emphasized its difficulty relative to the original Sonic title (specifically the fact that the player would frequently and repeatedly die) and the game was characterized as having complex controls (although reviews claimed that these could be mastered in time).
Modern reviewers have been more critical of the game, although reactions to Somari remain mixed. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
listed Somari on their list of "Crazy ass rom hacks", calling it "Less mash-up and more train wreck" due to poor physics and unresponsive controls. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, however, described the game as "a remarkably good port/hack of Sonic to the NES," and Atari HQ described it as "amazing[ly] original" with "more than adequate[]" level-porting.
Variations
There are at least five other versions of the game:- Sonic the Hedgehog: Identical to Somari, except the player plays as Sonic, and the first level is Spring Yard Zone. Some retailers sold it as Sonic 3D Blast 5. Not to be confused with the Yong Yong Gameboy pirate of the same name (Sonic 3D Blast 5) which that particular pirate may have originated from. Most red textures and sprites have been palette swapped or re-colored blue.
- Sonic 3D Blast 6: Identical to Sonic 3D Blast 5, but with a new title screen and Act introduction consisting of images ripped from Sonic 3D BlastSonic 3D BlastSonic 3D is an isometric platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was developed in the United Kingdom by Traveller's Tales and published by Sega. The Japanese version was also Sega Saturn exclusive...
. The first act is now Marble Zone. - Family Kid: Identical to Somari, but the player plays as an original character with the same name as the game itself. The main character has the features of a child and a superhero-like appearance. The mascot was likely ripped from a foreign advertisement.
- Sonic and Knuckles 5: Identical to Sonic the Hedgehog, but with a new title screen and Sonic's colour palette is a darker blue. Knuckles does not appear in-game apart from the title screen. Some retailers sold it as Super Sonic 5.
- Doraemon: Identical to Somari, but the title, sprites, sound effects, music and ring indicator were all changed. Unlike Somari, almost all text is in Chinese, including the "act and zone" screen that appears before starting an act. A different code is used to unlock level select. Doraemon doesn't walk past a signpost to complete an act, but instead simply walks to the far right of the screen to advance to the next level. Not to be confused with the Doraemon game on the same system of the same nameDoraemon (1986 video game)is a 1986 video game software developed and published by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Family Computer exclusively in Japan. It is based on Fujiko F. Fujio's Japanese manga series of the same name, which later became an anime series and Asian franchise...
. Unlike Somari and its other hacks, this variation includes credits at the end of the game as opposed to usual "THE END" screen, but it's not possible to quit from there.
All variations of Somari (excluding Doraemon and Family Kid) have an altered Stage Select screen because developers wanted the game to start on different stages. In all other variations (excluding Doraemon and Family Kid) "Green hill zone" is a browner shade as opposed to the reddish shade from the original Somari because Sonic doesn't use the same palette.