Amiga platform gaming's abiding holy grail was to trounce SEGA's
blue-rinsed spiky mascot in the velocity department so we could proudly
stand by our computer system of choice and declare we don't need a naff kiddie console to validate our gaming credentials. There were many plucky
European contenders to Sonic's throne, yet none really captured gamers'
imagination or piggy bank contents to the same extent.
Nevertheless, is it remotely feasible that one of these wannabe
substitutes runs as fast, or even faster, without necessarily
rivalling Sonic's allegedly unique panache?
Obviously, the only cast-iron guaranteed way to deduce the truth once and
for all is to place each side by side to compare their locomotive
performance scientifically using a proper formula and measuring tools, and
stuff.
Methodology then. Despatch all the baddies patrolling a short, flat
segment of terrain and race across it at full pelt, capturing the moment
for analysis. Easier said than done when enemies respawn incessantly and
creative level design aims to eliminate mundane plateaus.
Calculate the distance travelled in pixels employing a calibrated screen
ruler and divide by the time taken in seconds to traverse the designated
area and we arrive at the velocity in pixels per second. Compare this to
our control figure (Sonic's running speed) and we can establish which
platforming protagonist is the quickest.
Some of these contestants can ambulate faster still when emerging from a
steep descent or loop, yet that's cheating since they're not accelerating
entirely under their own steam. As such I've discounted these incidences
so as to compare more fairly. Other treacle-treading entrants were
included simply for contrast purposes.
So without further preambley pretentious waffle, let's acquaint ourselves
with the hyperactive challengers. Those notable for their quick-footed
speedy fastitude and do the maths. Ssssss.
- Kid Chaos - Magnetic Fields/Ocean
- Mr Nutz - Neon/Ocean Software
- Oscar - Flair
- Quik the Thunder Rabbit - Stywox/Titus
- Superfrog - Team 17
- Tearaway Thomas - Global Software (DMI)
- Wiz 'n' Liz - Lunatic/Psygnosis
- Zool - Gremlin
- Zool 2 - The Warp Factory/Gremlin
And
there we have it. A definitive answer to the perennial conundrum at
last. Ultimately, what this demonstrates is that I need to get a life and
would benefit from immediate intervention of the mental health variety.
P.S.
To further cement the point, I went to the trouble of extracting every reference made to Sonic the Hedgehog in old-school magazine reviews of the Amiga games under consideration... and then didn't use any of them in the video because surely no-one wants to read this much text via YouTube. To save it going to waste...
Zool
It is a sort of platformy thing but not, and it is a sort of collect a
lot thingy, but not really. The closest thing it is, is Sonic the Spikey
Haired Git of a Hedgehog, but this knocks the socks off Sonic.
Amiga Computing (issue 54, November 1992)
For an age now the Amiga world has been alight with tales of Gremlin's new
Sonic-beater. Now it's here, can it outgun the blue bomber? We put it to
the test...
Amiga Format (issue 39, October 1992)
Gremlin finally unleash their hedgehog-challenging ninja ant on a
platform-hungry public. Can it beat the consoles at their own game?
For the last few months those nauseating little console owners have been
raving about how good their machines are compared to the likes of the
Amiga. You know the sort. They are all the same. Talk about games and all
they can say is 'Sonic is this fast,' or 'I can do this on Mario'. These
sad types who are obviously in need of a holiday in Yugoslavia can brag no
more. The age of the hedgehog is over, the age of the ninja ant is here.
Amiga Power (issue 18, October 1992)
Tony Dillon checks out Gremlin's self-proclaimed Sonic beater, to see if
it lives up to such claims...
We have a lot to thank the likes of Nintendo and Sega for. Although we may
never experience Mario or Sonic on the Amiga, they have opened the way for
a stream of highly-playable clones, such as Millennium's RoboCod or
Ocean's The Addams Family. The latest of these console-esque platform
extravaganzas is Zool - The Ninja Of The Nth Dimension, and, as far as I'm
concerned, it's the best of the bunch.
This is where you step in. As everyone must already know, the game is billed as a 'Sonic The Hedgehog Beater'. Having played both, all I can see that Zool has in common with Sonic are the huge sprites, its gaudy use of colour, and its incredible speed.
I can't say it really beats Sonic outright and The Addams Family is
slightly more polished in appearance and control. However, it is
definitely one of the best platform games released on the Amiga, and you'd
be absolutely out of your tree to miss it.
CU Amiga (August 1992)
Well I never - Zool's very fast, dead easy to pick up and totally, totally
addictive. In fact, it has a definite consoley feel to it - one might even
say a certain hedgehoggy feel (if you get my drift). Through Gremlin would
no doubt purport to not caring if Sonic were to end up as roadside pizza,
the two games do have a similar atmosphere and that certain playable
style. In fact, as well as gracing the Amiga and ST, there's a distinct
possibility of Zool eventually appearing on a console near you. You jammy
swine, you.
Zero (issue 35, September 1992)
Zool - Ninja of the Nth dimension, hedgehog-beater and self-proclaimed
mascot for the Amiga - caused a sensation last year, hitting the charts
big time and staying at number one for a Bryan-Adams-ly long time. At
last, a character to give Amigans someone to champion, and supposedly one
who could beat up both Sonic and Mario in a fight (if any of them actually
existed).
Amiga Power (issue 24, April 1993)
Zool 2
This is really the game to make people forget about that damned hedgehog.
Amiga Format (issue 55, January 1994)
Zool has finally sold out. No longer can it be claimed that he is to the
Amiga what Mario and Sonic are to the Toys 'R' Us consoles. That is right,
he is appearing at a Sega and Nintendo console near you know. I do not
know about you, but quite frankly I do not care what Zool chooses do. He
never once said that his relationship with the Amiga was a monogamous one.
Amiga Power (issue 33, January 1994)
Tearaway Thomas
As we all know, one of the most impressive things about Sonic is its speed, and Tearaway Thomas does for the Amiga what Sonic did for the Mega Drive. This is so scorchingly fast, I hardly thought it possible.
Amiga Power (issue 22, February 1993)
Easily carrying off the award for worst title of the year is this new
offering from newly-formed Global Software. Tearaway Thomas is being
touted as the fastest-moving game on the Amiga and a potential Sonic
beater, but you'd never guess from the title - it sounds more like a
children's bed time story than a state-of-the-art home computer game.
CU Amiga (January 1993)
All Amiga programmers want to write a Sonic beater at the moment. Gremlin
managed it with Zool, and now Global Software have gone for a rather
shameless attempt at emulating the hedgehog in blue with Tearaway Thomas;
an unspecified creature from outer space.
To be frank, Thomas wants to be Sonic. He's probably gone to Sonic
classes. You can imagine him as a kid: "Mum! Mum! Can I be Sonic? Please
can I?". "No! Go away and jump about a bit, you little... er... whatever
you are. And stop using that blue paint, you'll poison yourself."
It's obvious from the packaging that Global Software are a low-budget
outfit, but they've tried hard to come up with a credible Sonic
alternative for the Amiga. It hasn't come off, because a) Zool's so much
better, b) on a standard A500 it's just not fast enough and c) the game's
a bit dull.
For instance, there are no continues. To complete the game, you would to play all 50 levels right through with just three lives. Not even the most rabid Sonicophile would have the time or inclination for such a gargantuan task, let alone Mr Average Punter Who Wants To Play Sonic On His Amiga.
Amiga Format (issue 44, March 1993)
Kid Chaos
He can spin and knock everything out of the way and... oh, I can't go on with this. Kid Chaos is Sonic The Hedgehog - replace the blue spiky thing with Kirk Brandon from popular Eighties rock combo Spear of Destiny, bring to the boil and simmer. A recipe for success or half-baked nonsense?
Amiga Format (issue 63, September 1994)
And yes, it does look like Sonic.
Does not just half-heartedly mimic Sonic, but manages to capture all the
best bits of it. In places, it is truly uplifting as you get sucked along
pipes and thrown from bumper to bumper.
Amiga Power (issue 41, September 1994)
So Sonic can't be done on the Amiga, eh? Since Sonic appeared on the Mega
Drive it's been the bone of contention for Amiga kids, jeered at in school
playgrounds by smug Mega Drive-owning peers. And seemingly every time an
Amiga is mentioned in a Mega Drive magazine it's described as an 'older
person's machine, with a great line in RPGs and flight sims, but no great
shakes in the platform stakes'.
Kid Chaos, from Lotus creators Magnetic Fields, wields a pretty hefty
club in the direction of these doubters. Technically superior to any other
platform game (Sonic included) Kid combines fast, smooth-scrolling, an
incredible number of parallax layers, and colours and sounds so vibrant it
makes you wonder what the hell the other platform creators have been doing
for the last few years.
Thankfully, as you've probably gathered by now, the stunning
technicalities don't overshadow the gameplay. It makes no claim to be
original; indeed, it copies (parodies?) many other games like Zool and
Sonic. The Toy Factory, say, could be directly taken from Zool (or any one
of a number of other platform games), while the underground rollercoaster
tubes and 45-degree springs which cannon you into the air are classic
Sonic features.
CU Amiga (issue September 1994)
Mr Nutz
It all bears more than a passing resemblance to Sega's Sonic, with the levels' sweeping curves and the way Nutz turns into a ball of fur when he speeds up. The map section is reminiscent of Super Mario.
Amiga Format (issue 59, May 1994)
Schizophrenia is a funny thing. (No it isn't. - Ed) Take Mr Nutz, for
example. (Blimey, that's an uncharacteristically early plunge into
relevance. - Concerned reader)). For one thing, he's not sure himself who
he wants to be. At first, he seems to want to be Sonic The Hedgehog, but
then he changes his mind and reckons he'd be better off as Super Mario.
But then he has another change of heart and goes for Zelda (eponymous star
of several Nintendo RPGs) instead.
The game is also structured a lot like Super Mario World (look, sorry
about always bringing up this kind of thing, but it's so blatant and
deliberate I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't tell you about
it, okay?), but the actual platform bits are (oh no, not again) the
closest yet that the Amiga's come to cloning Sonic.
Amiga Power (issue 38, June 1994)
Have Ocean Software come up with their own Amiga Sonic beater? Tony Dillon
isn't so sure.
CU Amiga (June 1994)
This competent platformer is let down by a complete lack of originality
and a very high frustration level. Mr Nutz tries so hard to be Sonic that
it hurts.
Amiga Format (issue 59, May 1994)
Quik the Thunder Rabbit
Quik: Sob. Okay, okay, so the first of the four worlds looks every such a
lot like the first level of Sonic, even down to there being different ways
through each level. And I do spin a lot, but whereas Sonic does it facing
the direction of travel, I face out of the screen and smile at you, so
that can't count, can it? (Chokes) Can it? And I'll admit that my speed
power-up may look a little like the Sonic's speedy boots, but it wasn't
deliberate, honest. (Blubs.)
Oh, please don't kill me, I'm just a little fluffy blue rabbit trying to
make an honest living. (Begs.) Have a pity on me.
DEATH
Interviewer 3: Okay, well, I suppose I'll give you the good news first.
I've checked your credentials and you're actually not at all bad. I can
see that the hidden nasties that lurk behind foreground scenery are
supposed to be tricky when in fact they just slow you down, but I'll let
that one side.
The inherent Sonic-ness of your game's frankly a bit naff, but seeing as
you're just another generic platform game, I'll drop that one too. The
long and short of it Mr Quik is that I'm not going to blow you away with
the shotgun.
Quik: Phew
Amiga Power (issue 40, August 1994)
Superfrog
It's a cute platformer of the Sonic clone school - lots of fast scrolling
(but stupidly dead-stop obstacles) and coin collecting.
Amiga Power (issue 42, October 1994)
What ensues is one hell of a good platform game. Released at a time when
the rest of the Amiga world was cloning Super Mario Brothers, Superfrog
borrows more from Sonic The Hedgehog than anything else.
CU Amiga (November 1994)
Oh dear. Here it comes. Oh no! Sorry, I can't stop myself... here I go...
yes, yes, yes.
Superfrog is (shock, horror) based on Sonic The Hedgehog. There's no
getting away from the fact - you can smell traces of the spikey
speed-merchant all over this latest game from Team 17. And as it turns
out, this is no bad thing, for two very good reasons.
First, as anyone who owns a console toy will tell you, Sonic The Hedgehog
is a very fine game indeed. It pretty much redefined what platform games
were all about, but so far the bluey blur hasn't appeared on the Amiga.
But before you all start whingeing that you don't want 'Sonic The Bleedin'
Hedgehog on your Amiga anyway, thank you very much, and that you'd rather
have some real gameplay (something Amiga programmers have proved
themselves to be really good at) as opposed to some half-baked attempts at
recreating some here-today-gone-tomorrow console's fancy custom chips
whizzing through their paces, here comes Good Reason Number Two...
Amiga Format (issue 47, June 1993)
Oscar
You can run but you can't hide. And there's no escaping the fact that
cutesy characters sell game platforms. Sega and Nintendo would be nothing
without Sonic or Mario. So it's no surprise Commodore have joined the fray
by bundling Oscar with the A1200.
Amiga Format (issue 53, December 1993)
I'm going to be the Sonic for Amiga, for crying out loud, and all you can
do is go on about some superficial similarities to another Flair game,
damn you!
The Amiga equivalent of Sonic? Yeah, right.
Amiga Power (issue 31, November 1993)
There are loads of nasties and power-ups which add to the fun and frolics.
In many respects, Oscar has all the classic features of your platformer,
but for one exception - it's better, both in graphics and playability,
than the likes of Mario and Sonic could ever dream of becoming.
Amiga Computing (issue 68, Christmas 1993)
Wiz 'n' Liz
Sonic watch out! Wiz goes crazy whenever he changes direction in
mid-jump. It's funny but I can't remember my granny ever doing this, well
maybe after a few sherries.
CU Amiga (November 1993)