My Favourite Titles by System

Every console has that one killer app that defines it. Everybody can remember the one game that sticks out for every system that they have played on, the one game that they played more than any other. For this post I have decided to list some of my most memorable games for each console, the few that, for me, define the very system that they are played on. Expect a lot of subjectivity, a lot of opinion, and a lot of geeking out.

Mega Drive: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

My first introduction to gaming as a medium was through SEGA’s 16-bit effort, the Mega Drive, or as it was named in the States, the SEGA Genesis. One of the first true ‘console wars’ that people can remember was fought between this console and Nintendo’s powerhouse, the SNES. Naturally, the Mega Drive had a powerful influence on me, as it was my first foray into gaming.

The one most impactful game series on this console for me, and I suspect many others, was Sonic the Hedgehog. A platforming blast of speed and bright colours, with a cool blue mascot to boot, Sonic saw his heyday in the Mega Drive era where he was introduced. For me, however, the big game that I played the most with my first ever console was Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was just that bit more colourful, that bit more endearing, and that bit more well-designed than its predecessor. It was the true kind of sequel that all should aspire for; the one that improved and iterated, and genuinely felt like a true improvement over the first game. Graphically, the colours popped more on Sonic’s second outing, leading to greater stage variety and a better sense of identity and adventure to the game. Every stage felt unique and eye-popping, and each one had its own unique flavour that was backed up by excellent musical work. The addition of a spin-dash mechanically added a lot to the game, meaning that players would have a quick way to gather momentum. The addition of a ‘sidekick’ character in Tails was enjoyable, remembering that this was in a time when a new character in a Sonic game was something fresh and interesting.

Even though Sonic 1 may have started the series, and Sonic 3 may be the better game with a better sense of progression and adventure, Sonic 2 hit just the right balance of accessibility to keep me coming back, even to this day.

PS1:

The next console that I was introduced to featured a massive jump from 16-bit, 2D graphics to polygonal 3D that offered bright new worlds that could be fully explored. The PS1 was a great system, especially for a wide variety of bright and enjoyable new titles that pushed the envelope of gaming. Sony can be credited with beginning the popularisation of gaming consoles, and this is in big part thanks to the huge variety of excellent titles on offer. Honourable mentions to Crash Bandicoot, Metal Gear Solid and some excellent Disney titles as well as the legendary Final Fantasy games.

For me, however, the title of most-important game has to go to Spyro 2. As a 3D collect-a-thon platformer, Spyro faced stiff competition from the likes of Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie. The original title, however, was an excellent game that blew me away. The beauty and design of the world on offer was astounding for its time and the collection of gems was addicting. One of the most important things, mechanically, that made this game stand out was the character abilities that came to Spyro. The use of charging was a great way to make quick progress searching a level, and the glide mechanic made for some interesting variants of platforming challenges. The character of Spyro was equal parts attitude and endearing.

For me, once again it was the second title in the series that offered the most fun gameplay. Being one of the very first games that I completed 100%, Spyro 2 holds a large place in my gamer heart. It was set in a bright and fantastic world called Avalar, and boasted a cast of colourful and enjoyable characters. Though Moneybags was somewhat of an annoyance, the overall menagerie of interesting people that I got to meet along the adventure made Spyro 2 stand out in my memory. The music was wonderful as was the design, I truly felt like I was on an adventure in some beautiful locales.

Spyro 2 was one of the first games that I truly became immersed, and as a game I have 100% completed, holds a huge amount of my attention when I think about the PS1 era. Thanks to recent Crash Bandicoot remakes, I am very hopeful that we will see a HD remake of the original Spyro Trilogy; this will definitely be on my Christmas wishlist!

N64: Banjo Kazooie

Though Mario 64 was a masterpiece that brought 3D gaming to the fore, and Ocarina of Time was another stroke of genius that to this day has been hard to top, for me the main game I played a lot on the Nintendo 64 was Banjo Kazooie. A bright, colourful 3D collectathon, this game was endearing in all the right ways. Like Spyro, Banjo comes from a place of design genius, where every locale feels unique and beautiful. Though not a title I played 100% at the time, I have since returned to the game with the Xbox 360 re-release and completed the game in its entirety, with no less enjoyment.

Graphically, Banjo one-upped Mario in every respect, as it did musically and with character designs. Perhaps the peak of 3D platformers, the theming of the title is wonderful. Like Spyro you meet a whole cast of quirky characters along your adventure and delving into each and every level felt like a mini-adventure in its own right, each one being its own sizeable sandbox of experimentation and exploration. Freezeezy Peak is a standout for best winter-themed level of all time.

SEGA Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure

The swansong of SEGA’s console efforts comes along with perhaps the most obvious of picks. Sonic Adventure was the biggest game on the console and the most important release for the system as a whole. I was mesmerised by this game, being a lifelong Sonic fan, and to see my hero rendered in 3D graphics, with full voice acting and a whole storyline was enchanting.

The game didn’t disappoint. Although many look back to Sonic Adventure with a critical eye, I am one of those that find enough nostalgia and enjoyment in the title to consider it one of my favourite games ever. The Casino Night level was among my favourites for the sheer level of interactivity and optional exploration (in particular I loved looking around the pirate ship area), not to mention the fun pinball levels. I particularly enjoyed Tails’ whole storyline; an endearing tale of a young side-kick learning to become independent from the hero he has been following all his life.

Each character in the game had their own tale to tell and this was perhaps what I found most interesting. Though I was essentially playing the game 6 times over, I really enjoyed being able to see each different perspective. In spite of some weak links, such as the Big the Cat segments, overall Sonic Adventure was a treat. A beautiful game with plenty of spectacle and plenty of replayability, with one of the best pet-raising simulators to come out in gaming (everybody loves Chao!).

The Importance of Console Wars

Console wars are an unusual thing to me. So many years in gaming have been spent dividing people into camps based on their choice of console, and the conflict that happens as a result is so far over-the-top that it is comical to watch an internet forum as they debate the pros and cons of different black boxes that play games.

I used to struggle to see the reasoning behind console wars, but I do believe that a big part of why people are so emotionally heated over console choices is to do with buyer’s remorse; a feeling of negativity over spending a lot of money on a luxury product and the need to therefore justify the purchase to one’s self. Games consoles, with their prices frequently ranging in the plus-£200 bracket, are very expensive and difficult to justify as purchases. The need to reason with one’s self over such extravagant expenditure is probably one of the reasons why gamers become so emotionally-charged over their console; they are simply defending their choices, and given that so much money is seemingly at stake, it is understandable why such arguments occur.

Another reason why arguments occur is because gamers are unusually invested in one console over another. However, I don’t think that this investment is completely misguided; for example, if the PS4 absolutely destroyed the Xbox One in terms of sales and Microsoft decided as a result to completely discontinue support for their console, many gamers would be left with a useless black box with no official support that they have spent well over £200 to purchase.

But, I think that competition is a great thing in the games market, as in any other market. I appreciate that there are so many different brands involved in videogaming, from AMD and NVIDIA, to Xbox and PlayStation, this level of competition is good for the consumer, because it pushes these companies to do better. Competition, in general, means lower prices and better products.

This is why I think that the first console war that many gamers remember; that of SEGA Vs Nintendo, was so important to modern gaming. We, as a community, have much to thank Nintendo for, as they brought back consumer confidence in an industry thought dead and buried, and gifted us with many of the modern gamer tropes we see today. If you play a game, chances are that a Nintendo game influenced it somehow.

On the other hand, SEGA were seen as the dark horse of the 90’s, and had a goal of de-throning Nintendo from their position at the top of the gaming world. Many gamers recall a playground battle between SEGA kids and Nintendo kids, stemming mostly from which of the two consoles they got from their mothers. I didn’t experience such console animosity, but the 90’s were definitely the most iconic years for console wars.

What I think made SEGA so important to the story, however, was that they laid the foundations for consoles to come. Before the Mega Drive, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly over the console market. If you wanted to play video games, you either played on the PC (which has its own interesting history, especially in the UK), or you played Nintendo games. Then came the Mega Drive, and Sonic with it, and suddenly a console war began in earnest. Then after this came the PlayStation, and we all know how gaming history has gone on from there.

What I think that SEGA did that was so important, was show that somebody could challenge Nintendo. Suddenly, competing in the console market became viable. If Nintendo were the ones to bring back console gaming to the masses, SEGA were the ones that turned it into a true industry, with competing companies vying for consumer attention and dollars.

Console wars are very important, and while many gamers will shout at each other from across the Internet in flaming sessions of hatred over their choice of gaming black boxes, and many others will scoff at the former, the competition that is the reason behind all of this is very important to the industry. We should embrace how console wars have forced an arms race of sorts, meaning that companies are always trying to one-up each other and deliver the best entertainment possible in the hope that they will capture our hearts and earn dominance over gaming. We should also thank SEGA for their contribution in showing how viable it is to compete in a fledgling industry, and for shaping the modern gaming market that we know today. 

The Cruel March of Time: Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is my first memory of playing a video game. My parents got me a Mega Drive system from the local Cash Converters and set it up with a CRT TV on top of an old, broken down washing machine repurposed for use as a table. I was drawn in by the colours and the fast gameplay, and of course, the ‘cool’ hedgehog running around those bright levels. In just a few months’ time I had become a fan, and had amassed a collection of STCs (Sonic The Comic), and tapes of the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog show.

A hit of pure colour and nostalgia
(image from http://www.soniczone0.com/games/sonic1/greenhill/)

At his core, Sonic was the embodiment of 90’s culture and the cheese associated with it. Everything in the 90’s was ‘X-Treme to the max!’, and most products were sold by young teens wearing sunglasses and skateboarding, while also shouting ‘whoa!’ in their best Bill and Ted accents. That is why he has aged so badly.

Cool is a term that is always changing. What is trendy right now won’t be trendy with the passing of time. With the rise of the Internet and the faster-paced social culture we now in, memes can be created and destroyed in a matter of hours. We now live in an era of ‘viral’ culture.

Which is why to base a character purely on ‘coolness’, like Sonic, is ultimately dooming him to a life of cringe.

Look at any memes on Sonic the Hedgehog and you will see what I mean. He is the butt of most internet jokes. Every critic loves to loathe him, and every Internet persona loves to mock him. Sonic is not just uncool, he is the unfortunate victim of a pile-on at the hands of the whole Internet. 

I’m not trying to say that the position is undeserved; after a spate of low-quality titles and cringy attempts to redefine the character, ultimately coming to a head with Sonic 2006 and now the much-reviled Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, that blue hedgehog is just about the most mocked character that one can think of.

As a fan from being a child, and someone who managed to cope with years of bullying thanks to the blue bomber (and yes, someone who even made DeviantArt recolours, I was one of those people), it makes me sad to see the public image that has befallen Sonic. While many do appreciate him as a mascot, most agree that he was a product of his time.

The problem with all of this is that Sonic’s bottom line was ‘coolness’. He was meant to be the next big thing that made the last big thing look lame. He was designed to be inherently ‘faddy’. That I called him the quintessential symbol of the 90s is testament to that fact. He had adopted just about everything that was a trend in those times, including sunglasses, guitars, a Macy’s Day Parade balloon, and an awkward stint as a DJ in a Dreamcast promotional video. 

Roll on the 2000’s; the popularity of the PS2, and the Xbox 360 generation after that. Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and the modern FPS, and a new focus on ‘gritty action titles’ became the flavour of the day. There was no room for a Way-Past-Cool Blue Hedgehog; that was kiddy stuff. Even the big N itself suffered a little at the hands of the Gritty Times; look at the poor reception of the Gamecube, and the trouble it is having even to this day with its image of being ‘childish’. Thanks to the Nintendo Wii targeting a different audience, and 2010’s hipster-retro trend, Nintendo properties have survived, however, relatively unscathed. On the other hand, SEGA treated the world to Shadow the Hedgehog, in a desperate attempt to stay cool in this ‘gritty’ era.

The issue is that Sonic was never made to last. Mario was never meant to be everything ‘trendy’ about a particular era. He was always just himself; a colourful, impactful mascot. He never had to do anything cool to be popular, because Nintendo relied on a different bottom line than SEGA did when they designed Sonic the Hedgehog.

While there has been a recent uptick in the quality of titles released in the Sonic name, such as Colours and Generations, Sonic the Hedgehog has never, and will never, become quite as significant or as ‘cool’ in the public consciousness as he once was. Thankfully, his original Mega Drive games are good enough to stand the test of time; it is only a shame that as a mascot, Sonic hasn’t stood that same test.

But in another way, maybe Sonic the Hedgehog has stood that test. Maybe he is not meant to be cool today, but rather, an ironic look back at the things we did in the 90s that made us cringe. Maybe instead of trying to keep up with the times, what Sonic needs to do is own his cheese. Most of what the Internet now sees in Sonic they are using to mock 90s culture and laugh at it, and maybe that is a way forward for SEGA’s mascot. With Sonic Mania coming out, I feel confident that the developers are ‘getting it’, and understanding that Sonic is a product of his time, and using that ‘time’ to sell, rather than the mascot himself. By aiming for our nostalgia, Sonic has been kept somewhat alive, but lacking of an identity as eponymous as Mario’s, he has not thrived in the same way from that nostalgia. But maybe if his developers look hard enough and achieve the right balance of mocking 90s culture while at the same time embodying it, perhaps there is a way to take such mocking memes as Sanik and ‘Gotta go fast’ into something popular.

I have mentioned before that the march of time is always cruel, and Sonic perhaps more than most has suffered from that. I think that he was doomed from the start, because being a blue talking hedgehog that spoke in cliché slogans was never going to be edgy for long. As gaming has matured and its audience, perhaps in an immature way, called for gritty ‘realistic’ games, the Sonic franchise has stumbled and struggled to find its identity. However, recent iterations like Colours and Generations show some magic and life in the hedgehog yet, and I believe that now the marketing around Sonic may just be able to find that right balance of 90s mockery and nostalgia to inject a new life into the mascot that he may be able to set himself above his current, meme-fuelled disdain.