Here we have
Sonic Blast, another of the many
Sonic the Hedgehog games (known as
G-Sonic in Japan) from
Sega. This one was for
Sega Master System (Brazil only) and
Game Gear and was also the last handheld
Sonic for the system. Released in 1996, it's also the only handheld
Sonic game that features
Knuckles the
Echidna as a playable character instead of
Tails.
What really makes this game standout, however, is that all the graphics were rendered - well, as much as 8-bit graphics can be rendered - and animated in a different style than the usual sprites. This may have sounded like a good idea at the time, it makes the characters very difficult to see on the small screen. Sonic and Knuckles also seem to be a little too large for the screen (resulting in your player getting smacked around a lot) and they're lacking a number of colors that seem to be required to make them look like who they are. The speedy duo have more in common with color blobs than actual characters.
Each character does play respective to their usual styles. Both characters have their spin dash and spin jump, while Sonic can double jump and Knuckles and glide. The usual assortment of springs, rings, and other things act as powerups. The goal of the game is the typical Sonic the Hedgehog plot: Dr. Robotnik is trying to take over the world again with the power of the Chaos Emeralds, and only Sonic or Knuckles can stop him. Collect rings, bash the baddies, grab the Chaos Emeralds, and so on. There are five zones in the game, each divided into two levels and a boss act level:
- Green Hill Zone
- Yellow Desert Zone
- Red Volcano Zone
- Blue Marine Zone
- Silver Castle Zone
If nothing else, give the game a try just to say you played it. Sonic Blast did not have a very large production run. Despite the cartrdige's box art being similar to Sonic 3D Blast's box, the games are unrelated in gameplay and plot. You could try tracking this title down in used game shops or online auctions, but your best bet is to try Sonic Adventure DX for the Nintendo GameCube which includes the game as a hidden bonus.