GAME REVIEW
SONIC CRACKERS (BETA)
By Rebecca aka zeldas cousin

(Note from Video Gamer X) - Normally I don't accept final reviews for beta versions (this would be classified as a "preview") of console or PC games because usually this isn't the final game so a final review of a game in this state of development may not be an accurate picture of the same thing a player will face when he or she buys the game in a store, however some games were never released beyond development or were cancelled by the developer or the producer. In this case the following review is for such a game.

OK, you're probably going "Sonic Crackers? What the hell is Sonic Crackers?" Sonic Crackers is a beta game that was destined for Genesis but got scrapped. This review is basically for all you nuts who like to know about betas. I've been told it's like Knuckles Chaotix (32x) but I haven't played Chaotix so I wouldn't know. That's probably better for my reveiw anyways.

Sonic Crackers is essentially a game of time attacks, but the levels are endless unless you die (hey it is a beta). The only way you can die is from spikes. Sonic and Tails are chained together, each is holding a ring which is connected to the other. This is both a hindrance and a help: it's handy not to get lost but jumping can be a pain unless you carefully coordinate yourself with the CPU. The control is simple, jump with d and move with the arrow keys, though control may differ by emulator. Press enter to pause, which can be helpful (if you need a pause feature frequently). In terms of difficulty, it's medium hard, Tails the brain-dead CPU player is a challenge to work with, which is also which adds to the fun :).

Graphically it's what you'd expect from such an old game: the characters are bright and colorful but the backgrounds can be tediously grey at times. Occasionally Sonic's arm will look disembodied from his hand, but that does not interfere with the gameplay. Sonic and Tails otherwise look just like their 2D selves, like they appear in Sonic 1, 2, & 3.

The music is all right, some tunes are catchy (like the first level - stuck in my head right now) and there are no really crappy tunes. Nothing like FFTA, but still decent.

There's no known story as this is just a beta. Had the game been released we might have known but as is there is no real story.

Replay Value is above average. It's one of those games where once you start playing, you're addicted or not. If you like it enough, it'll be worth playing over and over, but if it's not your thing don't bother with it. It's a fun game but don't expect to be playing it a hell of a lot.

This game is very innovative. Excluding the said similarities to Chaotix (which like I said I haven't played), there is nothing like this game. An game that died, or really is Chaotix in a different skin, this would've been a good Genesis game. Too bad it was scrapped/altered, it's original and cool. Also: try to pick up Tails with D. It's fun, you can really do it.

Overall, Sonic Crackers is a fun way to pass the time and one less thing to worry about if you dilligently delete ROMs (this game was never released so SEGA isn't losing any money, hence this is a legal ROM). If you manage to figure out how to have 2 players, you'll have a blast.

On Par With: Sonic 2
Not As Good As: Sonic Advance
Wait for it: Sonic Heroes (GC)

BACK TO VIDEO GAMER X