Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
Encyclopedia
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (also known as Sonic Spinball) is an adventure pinball
game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
in 1993
and later ported
to the Game Gear
and Master System
in 1995.
The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move. It is one of two Sonic games and the only game solely featuring Sonic to have characters from the weekday and Saturday morning cartoons Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
, the other being Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
. The game's musical score was composed by Howard Drossin
.
flowing under the volcano
, this new monstrosity (the Veg-O-Fortress) has the power to transform helpless animals into robot
slaves
at an astounding rate. Sonic the Hedgehog
and Tails
fly onto the scene to mount an aerial assault, but Sonic is knocked off the wings of Tails' airplane by a blast from the fortress. He falls into the water, but is rescued and taken to the subterranean levels of the Veg-O-Fortress. The fortress must be destroyed from the inside-out, and the only way to make that happen is to trigger an eruption in the volcano it's built on. Sonic knows this can be done by removing the Chaos Emeralds that keep the volcano stable. Robotnik, however, is also aware of the fragile relationship that exists between the Emeralds and the mountain, and he's set up an elaborate Pinball Defense System to make sure the precious jewels don't go anywhere.
The game features four large pinball 'tables' - a sewer
level, a geothermal power
station, a robot factory
, and a launchpad
system. The player must guide Sonic through each of the four levels and collect all of the Chaos Emeralds, then fight Dr. Robotnik. Once all of the Chaos Emeralds in a level are collected, Sonic gains access to the boss room and has to defeat a boss to advance onwards. Sonic will lose a life if he falls into certain traps such as lava, slime, or monsters, and the game ends when the player loses all their lives.
. These bonus rounds are set up like real pinball machines, with Sonic at the controls. The player is given a task to complete and three balls to play with. Flipper controls are the same as in the normal game, but the ball cannot be controlled with the D-pad like Sonic. Pressing all the flipper buttons at once will make Sonic shake the machine, though repeated shakes will cause a tilt and lock the flippers.
Completing the bonus stages are optional and serves only to increase the player's score.
Additionally, a hidden multi-ball bonus game, called The Clucker's Defense, can be played on any stage, but only if the player manages to collect every ring in the zone. Several star circles will appear in the stage, hidden at various points on the board. By leaping into them Sonic will be warped to this bonus round. The object is to destroy a crab Badnik who is protected by a pair of Cluckers.
's Virtual Console
on March 12, 2007 in North America
and April 5, 2007 in Europe and also appears on the Sonic Mega Collection
compilation for Nintendo GameCube
, PlayStation 2
, Xbox
and PC
. The Game Gear version also appears as an unlockable minigame in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the GameCube and PC, as well as Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube. The game also appears in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
for Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
. As of 2010, the game is available for iOS devices on Apple's App Store.
In Staffordshire
, England
, a spinning rollercoaster of the same name opened after a small refurbishment at Alton Towers
in 2010, with a loose theme based on the game.
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
in 1993
1993 in video gaming
-Events:*March — In Sweden, the Swedish video game magazine Super PLAY starts. The original name is Super Power.*Midway Games embroiled in controversy for its game Mortal Kombat from 1992 when the game is launched for video game consoles in 1993....
and later ported
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...
to the Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
and Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
in 1995.
The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move. It is one of two Sonic games and the only game solely featuring Sonic to have characters from the weekday and Saturday morning cartoons Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the...
, the other being Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
-External links:* at Game Rankings* at The Internet Movie Database...
. The game's musical score was composed by Howard Drossin
Howard Drossin
Howard Drossin is a music composer for film, television, commercials, and video games. He is best known for his score on the Tony Jaa martial arts film, The Protector, which he co-composed with hip-hop producer RZA....
.
Storyline
Dr. Robotnik has assumed control of Mt. Mobius and turned it into a mechanical base. Utilizing energy produced by the magmaMagma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
flowing under the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, this new monstrosity (the Veg-O-Fortress) has the power to transform helpless animals into robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
slaves
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
at an astounding rate. 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...
and Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
fly onto the scene to mount an aerial assault, but Sonic is knocked off the wings of Tails' airplane by a blast from the fortress. He falls into the water, but is rescued and taken to the subterranean levels of the Veg-O-Fortress. The fortress must be destroyed from the inside-out, and the only way to make that happen is to trigger an eruption in the volcano it's built on. Sonic knows this can be done by removing the Chaos Emeralds that keep the volcano stable. Robotnik, however, is also aware of the fragile relationship that exists between the Emeralds and the mountain, and he's set up an elaborate Pinball Defense System to make sure the precious jewels don't go anywhere.
Gameplay
Sonic Spinball is essentially a pinball simulation featuring Sonic as the "ball". The main difference from traditional pinball game is the ability to influence the Sonic directly by using the D-pad, although flippers are still used as well. In a few rare instances, the player can control Sonic on foot, but for the majority of the time he is rolled into a ball controlled by the flippers.The game features four large pinball 'tables' - a sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
level, a geothermal power
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
station, a robot factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, and a launchpad
Launch pad
A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....
system. The player must guide Sonic through each of the four levels and collect all of the Chaos Emeralds, then fight Dr. Robotnik. Once all of the Chaos Emeralds in a level are collected, Sonic gains access to the boss room and has to defeat a boss to advance onwards. Sonic will lose a life if he falls into certain traps such as lava, slime, or monsters, and the game ends when the player loses all their lives.
Special stages
At the end of each of the first three stages, Sonic gets to play a bonus roundBonus stage
A bonus stage is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Often a bonus stage will have no enemies or hazards, or may contain them but the player character is invulnerable to attack from them...
. These bonus rounds are set up like real pinball machines, with Sonic at the controls. The player is given a task to complete and three balls to play with. Flipper controls are the same as in the normal game, but the ball cannot be controlled with the D-pad like Sonic. Pressing all the flipper buttons at once will make Sonic shake the machine, though repeated shakes will cause a tilt and lock the flippers.
Completing the bonus stages are optional and serves only to increase the player's score.
Additionally, a hidden multi-ball bonus game, called The Clucker's Defense, can be played on any stage, but only if the player manages to collect every ring in the zone. Several star circles will appear in the stage, hidden at various points on the board. By leaping into them Sonic will be warped to this bonus round. The object is to destroy a crab Badnik who is protected by a pair of Cluckers.
Legacy
The game has been re-released a number of times. The Mega Drive/Genesis version was released on the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on March 12, 2007 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and April 5, 2007 in Europe and also appears on the Sonic Mega Collection
Sonic Mega Collection
is a video game compilation for the Nintendo GameCube.The compilation contains twelve to fourteen games depending on the region, all originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console...
compilation for Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. The Game Gear version also appears as an unlockable minigame in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the GameCube and PC, as well as Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube. The game also appears in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, known as the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL regions, is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles...
for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. As of 2010, the game is available for iOS devices on Apple's App Store.
In Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, a spinning rollercoaster of the same name opened after a small refurbishment at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
in 2010, with a loose theme based on the game.
Reception
Sonic Spinball generally received average scores of around 7-8 out of 10 from most press reviews.External links
- Sonic Spinball page at The GHZ