| Sonic The Hedgehog Triple Trouble |

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History

Sega has produced a series of Sonic games and each one has been successful. The console market is well underway with its transition from 16-Bit to 32-Bit with the 8-Bit market now almost shrunk to nothing. Sonic and Knuckles, probably the best 2D Sonic adventure of all time (with Sonic 3 attached) is likely to be the last traditional Sonic game on the Mega Drive.

After the reasonable success of Sonic Chaos the Game Gear only this time is to receive an update to the title. Sonic Triple Trouble brings Knuckles to 8-Bit as well as introducing the character Nack the Weasel.

Being one of the last 8-Bit Sonic titles, Triple Trouble ends up being probably the best.

Story

Robotnik has actually achieved his goal in collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds. He has built his mega destructive weapon but during his tests one of his robot workers goes berserk and causes an explosion. The result is the scattering of 5 of the 6 Chaos Emeralds around the planet. Robotnik still has one emerald in his possession and wants the rest back to complete his plans.

Knuckles learns of the scattering of the emeralds leaves the floating island to reclaim them. He does not trust anybody else with them not even Sonic and Tails. They are already on the case to stop Robotnik.

Nack the Weasel on the other hand has no idea of the awesome power the shiny gems possess. He sees them as an opportunity for profit.

Gameplay

Sonic Triple Trouble is a traditional Sonic platformer. Start left, finish right with rings, special items and enemies in between. Special items are:

rings - gives 10 rings
invincibility - makes you invincible briefly
rocket shoes - fly through the air. Take a hit and they will disappear. Sonic only item
propeller shoes - swim faster. Sonic only item
hyper flight - makes Tails zip through the air.
sonic - extra life
tails - extra life
Chaos Emeralds - access to the special stages. See further on.

The Sea Fox Submarine and Sonic Snow Boarding action appears later in the game. These are amongst a few others, adding variety the gameplay. In Triple Trouble both Sonic and Tails are playable characters. Both characters are controlled with the D-pad for moving left to right and scrolling the screen up and down with both buttons being jump. Some levels become more difficult or more easy depending on which character you have selected to play with. If you want to speed through the levels then play as Sonic. Fly though the levels with Tails and his patented two-tailed arial ability.

Both character signature moves are performed by holding either up or down and pressing the jump button repeatedly. Both Sonic and Tails can perform the famous Spin Dash by holding down on the D-Pad and pressing the jump buttons.

For Sonic holding up and pressing jump buttons makes him perform the Super Peel Out. Sonic revs up on the spot. Let go to blast off.

For Tails holding up and pressing jump buttons make Tails take o the air. Continue pressing for some altitude.

There are 3 acts to each zone with 6 zones in total. Acts 1 and 2 are full sized acts whereas act 3 is a prelude with a few rings with a boss encounter.

The end of an act is marked with the familiar sign which gives rewards depending on your performance. They are

flicky - didly squat
ring - 10 rings
Sonic - extra life
Tails - extra life

You score is then updated with ring and time bonuses. For every 100 rings you earn an extra continue.

To gain access to the special stages there is a Red Chaos Emerald monitor in acts 1 and 2. Should you have 50 rings and break one open you will be transported to the special stage. These are very hard to complete. There are two different types of special stage to complete. One is loaded with rings you must use to manoeuvre around the stage to your advantage as well as avoid them should they hinder your goal. You have an initial time limit of 1:30 but this can be increased each time you destroy and of the Time Monitors. The black spring machines can be destroyed from above.

Nack the Weasel awaits you at the end of each zone and he will use the Knuckles button tactic for it only to blow up in his face. As he runs away chase after him to get your prize of the Chaos Emerald.

In the other special stage you are flying around in Tails plane. You must collect the specified amount of rings. Running into a bomb will make you loose your rings. At the end you must fight Nack in his ion-powered skyship. After a few hits again chase him for your prize of the Chaos Emerald.

Conclusion

Sonic Triple Trouble does not change the traditional Sonic formula used in any of the previous games. It is however a reasonable challenge to complete and even more so to do with all of the Chaos Emeralds. The speed is slightly higher than that of the previous title Sonic Chaos and the action a little more intense.

Graphics are excellent quality for an 8-Bit machine. The colours are bright and sharp and the levels scroll reasonably well. Both the Sonic and Tails sprite animation is good.

The music and sound fx have changed little from any of the other titles before it and are the usual array of simplistic tunes and whizzy sound fx.

All round this is another great Sonic coming pretty close to Mega Drive quality in gameplay and speed but if you are expecting something different from the previous Sonic outing them you will be slightly disappointed.

Cheats and Tips

Level Select

Power on the Game Gear holding Up on the D-Pad. Continue holding during the opening intro. The instant Knuckles collects the 3rd Chaos Emerald press START. A ring sound should play. The level select will appear when you select a character.

Try to time pressing START with the sound of Knuckles jumps.