Sonic Spinball (8-bit)

Sonic Spinball (8-bit)
Converting a 16-bit game to an 8-bit console isn't always a great idea...
Genre(s): Action Pinball Platform(s): Game Gear Sega Master System Release Date: Game Gear NA: September 1994 EU: August 1994 Sega Master System: EU: January 25, 1995 SA: January 25, 1995 AUS: 1995 Developer(s): Sega Technical Institute Publisher(s): Sega Country: United States Series: Sonic the Hedgehog Successor: Sonic Pinball Party

"Let's take a look at another quirky Sonic game, Sonic Spinball. And boy.... it is not very good."

— The Gaming Historian in his "Sonic games on Game Gear" video.

Sonic Spinball is an action pinball game originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1993, it was ported to the Sega Game Gear in North America at September 1994. The game also released on the Sega Master System in Europe on January 25, 1995.

Why It Spins (In a Bad Way)

1. The framerate is awful compared to the Sega Genesis game of the same name. The Game Gear was not optimized or powerful enough to run a game like Sonic Spinball.
2. The controls and the physics of the ball are terrible, unresponsive, and stiff. It is very hard to hit Sonic in precise locations, which is a huge problem because Sonic Spinball is a pinball game.
3. The sound effects are not up to snuff by Game Gear standards. When you collect a ring, or hit an enemy for an example, it barely sounds better than the sound effects in a 2600 game.
4. The graphics are ugly and unappealing to look at, even for a Game Gear game. Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) released on the Game Gear 3 years earlier and is more visually appealing and much better looking than Sonic Spinball.
5. The music is rather mediocre, which is inexcusable because Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) had great music, and was released for the same console.
6. The Sega Genesis Nomad released about a year later, and could play the 16-bit version, rendering this port pointless.

The Only Redeeming Quality

1. The Box Art, much like the 16-bit version, looks very good.

Reception

At release, the Game Gear port of Sonic Spinball was received with mixed reviews at the time of release. Retrospective reviews of the Game Gear port of Sonic Spinball are overwhelmingly negative. With some calling it the worst Sonic game ever.

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Trivia

• There was a sequel called "Sonic Pinball Party" released for the GBA in 2003.
• Alton Towers opened a spinning roller coaster in 2010 called "Sonic Spinball"

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