Tails Adventure
Encyclopedia
, also known as Tails Adventures, is an action-adventure
video game with role-playing elements that was developed by Aspect
and distributed by Sega
in 1995 for the videogame console Sega Game Gear
.
It is the first spin-off
game of the Sonic series to mix platforming and role-playing game elements. It was the third and last game in which Tails
is without Sonic, the first two being Tails and the Music Maker
for the Sega Pico
and Tails' Skypatrol
also for the Game Gear. The game does not follow the plotline of many other games in the Sonic series, and the game's plot is different in the Japanese and Western versions of the game (see below for details). In the game, Tails must save an island from destruction by the Battle Kukku Army, an army of birds, while at the same time obtaining objects such as various types of weapons and Chaos Emeralds that he finds during his passage. The gameplay is unlike that of many other games in the series, consisting of slower travel, and more time is spent searching for objects to use later on in the game, rather than simply running through levels.
It has since been rereleased on the Sonic Gems Collection and on Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.
During a sunny afternoon on Cocoa Island, Tails the Fox is taking a nap just outside his research lab, Tails House. His slumber is interrupted by a huge explosion, and before Tails can say "stop, drop, and roll" the whole place is ablaze. A frantic Flicky
reports the bad news to a confused Tails: the imperial Battle Kukku Army has invaded Cocoa Island. The dictator Great Battle Kukku 15th has discovered the Chaos Emeralds on the island, and intends to use them to conquer the entire world. Tails is the only one who can put a stop to the imperial army.
He is resting peacefully when he is awoken by a large explosion. A Flicky
reports to Tails that an army of birds has invaded the island.
Contrary to the classic speedy gameplay in the Sonic series, Tails Adventures is a puzzle-based platformer with a strong emphasis on item collecting and backtracking, like a side-scrolling action RPG.
Tails can walk, jump, duck, look up, fly, hang on ledges, and can solve puzzles and defend himself with a range of different items, such as Hammer
s, various types of Bomb
s, and medallions bearing other characters, which allow him to perform additional actions, such as Spin-Dashing or punching enemies. His health is measured numerically by a Ring Item Box at the top left corner of the screen. HP is replenished by collecting Rings, which can be found by blowing up rocks or defeating enemies. He starts with 10 HP, but that number maxes out at 99 when all six Chaos Emeralds have been collected. His air time is limited by the flight gauge, which starts at about 3 seconds and maxes out at about 15.
In total there are 12 stages to complete. There are 26 items to collect over the course of the game. Each one serves a different purpose, but Tails can only bring 4 items with him into any stage. Knowing which ones to bring along is a matter of tactic.
Under water, the Remote Robot changes into the Sea Fox, the small submarine (from Sonic Triple Trouble
) that moves in much the same way that the Remote Robot does. Unlike most of the other Sonic games, oxygen is unlimited because when Tails is in the Sea Fox, he can breathe underwater thanks to the submarine's on-board oxygen supply. The Sea Fox also has several of its own equippable weapons, including a Machine Gun
, homing Torpedo
es, Surface-Air Missiles, Force Field
Generators, and eventually, Rocket
Boosters that allow it to fly as a makeshift aircraft with which to pursue the Battle Kukku Army as they take off into the air.
in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics
, and animated series released by Sega
. The character of Tails has been known as the sidekick of Sonic the Hedgehog
. He is a 8 year-old, anthropomorphic, and humanoid
orange fox with two tails, hence the name. He is known to be Sonic's sidekick and a mechanic. He is able to use his two tails to propel himself into the air like a helicopter
for a limited time. His debut was on October 16, 1992, introduced in the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2
; the 16-bit version
was released that November.
battles the army and after he defeats their leader, the birds surrender. The Battle Kukku Army consists of uniformed birds, somewhat intelligent robot
drones and advanced machinery. The Battle Kukku Army lives on a huge flying fortress that posed as an island throughout most of Tails Adventure.
Notable members of the Battle Kukku Army include:
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game with role-playing elements that was developed by Aspect
Aspect
Aspect may be:*Aspect , a feature that is linked to many parts of a program, but which is not necessarily the primary function of the program...
and distributed by 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...
in 1995 for the videogame console Sega 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....
.
It is the first spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
game of the Sonic series to mix platforming and role-playing game elements. It was the third and last game in which 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....
is without Sonic, the first two being Tails and the Music Maker
Tails and the Music Maker
Tails and the Music Maker is an edutainment game released in North America in September 1994 on the Sega Pico system. It was later published in Europe by Sega in 1995 and in Japan by Imagineer on December 5, 1995. The main character is Miles "Tails" Prower, who uses this game to teach children...
for the Sega Pico
Sega Pico
The Sega Pico, also known as , was an electronic toy by Sega. The aim of creating the Pico was to get more young children to use video game systems....
and Tails' Skypatrol
Tails' Skypatrol
is a platform/adventure video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by JSH and published by Sega for Sega Game Gear. It was originally released on April 28, 1995 as an exclusive game to the Japanese market...
also for the Game Gear. The game does not follow the plotline of many other games in the Sonic series, and the game's plot is different in the Japanese and Western versions of the game (see below for details). In the game, Tails must save an island from destruction by the Battle Kukku Army, an army of birds, while at the same time obtaining objects such as various types of weapons and Chaos Emeralds that he finds during his passage. The gameplay is unlike that of many other games in the series, consisting of slower travel, and more time is spent searching for objects to use later on in the game, rather than simply running through levels.
It has since been rereleased on the Sonic Gems Collection and on Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.
Story
The Japanese version of the game has a different plot line than the Western version of the game. However, the difference ends in the manual, because both the Japanese cartridge and the Western cartridge are identical. The language the game is in is automatically set to whichever region the Game Gear unit is in. The Japanese version of the game has a more complex version of the story than the Western version, but besides this difference, and the names of various items in the game, both are identical.Japanese version
In the southern Pacific, there exists a tiny island that cannot be found on any map: Cocoa Island, a beautiful little paradise that rests atop a coral reef. It is said that the legendary Chaos Emeralds rest here, and so did the hero of our story, once upon a time before he met his speedy blue idol. The following events take place prior to Tails' first encounter with Sonic:During a sunny afternoon on Cocoa Island, Tails the Fox is taking a nap just outside his research lab, Tails House. His slumber is interrupted by a huge explosion, and before Tails can say "stop, drop, and roll" the whole place is ablaze. A frantic Flicky
Flicky
Flicky is an arcade game made by Sega. First released in arcades in 1984, Flicky was also released at the time for the SG-1000, and then ported to the MSX and Japanese computers Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7 and NEC PC-8801. It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991...
reports the bad news to a confused Tails: the imperial Battle Kukku Army has invaded Cocoa Island. The dictator Great Battle Kukku 15th has discovered the Chaos Emeralds on the island, and intends to use them to conquer the entire world. Tails is the only one who can put a stop to the imperial army.
Western version
Sonic and Tails are the best of friends, but after their previous adventure the two decide to go separate ways for a while. Tails comes across an island while going solo and decides to spend a holiday there for a while, dubbing the island "Tails Island".He is resting peacefully when he is awoken by a large explosion. A Flicky
Flicky
Flicky is an arcade game made by Sega. First released in arcades in 1984, Flicky was also released at the time for the SG-1000, and then ported to the MSX and Japanese computers Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7 and NEC PC-8801. It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991...
reports to Tails that an army of birds has invaded the island.
Gameplay
Tails can walk, jump, duck, look up, fly, hang on ledges, and can solve puzzles and defend himself with a range of different items, such as Hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
s, various types of Bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s, and medallions bearing other characters, which allow him to perform additional actions, such as Spin-Dashing or punching enemies. His health is measured numerically by a Ring Item Box at the top left corner of the screen. HP is replenished by collecting Rings, which can be found by blowing up rocks or defeating enemies. He starts with 10 HP, but that number maxes out at 99 when all six Chaos Emeralds have been collected. His air time is limited by the flight gauge, which starts at about 3 seconds and maxes out at about 15.
In total there are 12 stages to complete. There are 26 items to collect over the course of the game. Each one serves a different purpose, but Tails can only bring 4 items with him into any stage. Knowing which ones to bring along is a matter of tactic.
Remote Robot
Essential to complete many parts of the game is the Remote Robot, known in Japan as . The Remote Robot is a tiny, all-terrain robot modeled on Tails that can squeeze into a lot of places Tails himself can't. When using Remote Robot, Tails stands in place while player control is switched to the vehicle. The Remote Robot can walk, jump, fly, and squeeze into tiny passageways, and is not damaged by most enemies or spikes, but if it is hit by a special type of blue laser, it will automatically return to Tails. Many of the game's puzzles involve maneuvering the robot to open the path for Tails himself.Under water, the Remote Robot changes into the Sea Fox, the small submarine (from Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, for the Sega Game Gear. It was developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1994. It is the sequel to Sonic Chaos, which was the first Sonic & Tails game in Japan...
) that moves in much the same way that the Remote Robot does. Unlike most of the other Sonic games, oxygen is unlimited because when Tails is in the Sea Fox, he can breathe underwater thanks to the submarine's on-board oxygen supply. The Sea Fox also has several of its own equippable weapons, including a Machine Gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, homing Torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es, Surface-Air Missiles, Force Field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
Generators, and eventually, Rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
Boosters that allow it to fly as a makeshift aircraft with which to pursue the Battle Kukku Army as they take off into the air.
Tails
, is a characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, and animated series released by 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...
. The character of Tails has been known as the sidekick of 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...
. He is a 8 year-old, anthropomorphic, and humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
orange fox with two tails, hence the name. He is known to be Sonic's sidekick and a mechanic. He is able to use his two tails to propel himself into the air like a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
for a limited time. His debut was on October 16, 1992, introduced in the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 8-bit 1992 side-scrolling platform handheld console video game developed by Aspect Co., Ltd. and released by Sega for their Master System and Game Gear formats. The Master System version was released in Europe on October 16, 1992...
; the 16-bit version
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
was released that November.
Battle Kukku Army
The Battle Kukku Army are an army of birds that invade Cocoa Island who invade the island to snag the Chaos Emeralds hidden on the island. TailsMiles "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....
battles the army and after he defeats their leader, the birds surrender. The Battle Kukku Army consists of uniformed birds, somewhat intelligent 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...
drones and advanced machinery. The Battle Kukku Army lives on a huge flying fortress that posed as an island throughout most of Tails Adventure.
Notable members of the Battle Kukku Army include:
- Grand Battle Kukku 15th: The dictatorDictatorA dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
-like leader of the army. He is larger than most Kukkus, and is the final bossBoss (video games)A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
of the game battled in his flying fortress. He fights by throwing bombs all around him and throwing Tails himself if the fox gets too close.
- Battle Kukku 16th: Also known as "Speedy," the son of Grand Battle Kukku 15th and Tails' Rival. Speedy is a quick green Kukku who, despite his natural and fast aerial skills, sometimes wears armor equipped with an energy gun and a jet engine that lets him take even faster flight. He appears as a boss twice throughout the game, first on Pori Pori Mountain and then in the flying fortress just before the player faces his father.
- Dr. Fukurokov: The army's main scientist. He is the first boss of the flying fortress, but does not actually fight, as he instead lets his defensive machinery take care of Tails, which drops him into a trap chamber full of spikes, lasers, and one lone safe platform. His tendency to overlook little details is his greatest weakness.
External links
- Review from Concept: Mobius
- Tails Adventures at Green Hill Zone - Contains general info and walkthrough of the game