Ah, the Sega 32X, what a strange specimen of a gaming
console. It was a colossal failure on the part of Sega and one of the
contributing factors to the company’s eventual downfall with regard to
hardware. However, this little mushroom-shaped oddity has always fascinated me.
I think it’s because when I was younger, I had a friend whose father worked for
Sega, and as such he would always have the latest Sega consoles as they were
released. Because of this, I got to play the Sega CD, Saturn, Game Gear and 32X
when they first arrived while most kids my age had only ever played the
Genesis. He had the whole Genesis/CD/32X combo, which we lovingly referred to
as “the megazord” (ala Power Rangers).
My friend didn’t have many games for it, but one of them was
the quintessential 32X game, one of the only noteworthy games in the very small
library and most likely the first game that comes to mind when the 32X is
mentioned- Knuckles’ Chaotix. But before I get into that, let’s discuss a brief
history of the 32X itself.
In 1994, the 16-bit era of video games was coming
to an end. Bigger and better consoles were on the horizon, and many companies
(i.e. Nintendo, Sony) were beginning to focus their efforts on developing the
consoles of the next generation. Sega was also among these companies, yet their
approach was a bit different. In what would eventually prove to be a terrible
marketing decision, Sega of America produced a 32-bit add on for the Sega
Genesis while Sega of Japan began work on what would later become the Sega
Saturn. With the company being pulled in two different directions, there’s
simply no way things could have ended well. The 32X was designed with the goal
in mind of extending the lifespan of the Sega Genesis, but it was merely
prolonging the inevitable.
Software developers knew that better consoles were coming
and that the older technology was quickly becoming obsolete. As such, third
party support for the 32X was virtually non-existent, which greatly hindered
the amount of available titles for it. Only 31 cartridge games were released,
as well as 5 “CD-32X” games, which utilized both the 32X and the Sega CD add-on,
for a total of 36 titles in North America (Europe had two exclusive titles and
Japan had one). Not only that, but a majority of 32X games (23 out of the 36,
to be specific) were merely slightly graphically upgraded versions of games
that were already available on the Genesis, Sega CD, Super Nintendo, etc. In
all, that left the 32X with only 13 original titles of its own, a pathetically
small amount rivaled only by other failed consoles such as the Nintendo Virtual
Boy.
By 1996, only a little over a year after it was released,
the 32X was dead in the water. By then the Saturn, Nintendo 64, and Playstation
were already out, and the plug was officially pulled after the release of the
final game, The Amazing Spiderman: Web Of Fire, in early ‘96.
At some point in the future, I expect fewer and fewer people
will ever even know that Sega once produced consoles in competition with the
likes of Nintendo and Sony. And even if memories of consoles like the Genesis
survive with generations of gamers to come, the memory of the 32X is very
likely to fade into video game obscurity forever. But if those future video
game enthusiasts delve deep enough and happen to dig up the long forgotten
grave of Sega's failed experiment in 32-bit technology, there is likely one
artifact they'd find that just may be worth their time: Knuckles' Chaotix.
To those of us who remember the 90's well, this is probably
the first (and maybe only) 32X game that comes to mind when we do think back to
Sega's extremely ill-advised disaster of a console add-on. I certainly do; as
an avid fan of the Sonic The Hedgehog series since 1991, I have fond memories
of playing through all of the series' early entries. However, Chaotix always stuck
out in my mind. Maybe it was because the 32X came and went so fast, but both
the game and the short-lived console have always had this mythical aura to me.
Maybe that’s part of the reason why I’ve collected nearly the entire library of
games for the weird little thing.
Anyway, I’m actually quite surprised that these days,
Chaotix isn’t looked at very favorably as far as the Sonic franchise is
concerned, and some people even downright hate it. I wouldn’t call it a perfect
game by any means, but I really believe a lot of this hate is unwarranted.
Also, I think a lot of the criticism stems more from how hard the 32X itself
flopped instead of taking an actual critical look at the game on its own. As such,
I’m here to make a case as to why I think Chaotix is one of the best in the
series, right up there with the original Genesis classics. Before I look at the
game itself though, let me put a little context behind the release of the game
and the era it was brought into.
The mid-90’s were just about the absolute height of the
Sonic The Hedgehog franchise’s popularity. Sonic was everywhere- video games,
cartoons, toys, comic books; you couldn’t go five minutes without seeing him
somewhere. At the time, there were five Sonic games out in the primary series- Sonic
1, 2, 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD. Not counting Sonic Spinball (which
wasn’t much of a genuine Sonic game at all as much as it was a Sonic-themed pinball
game) and a handful of Sonic-related Game Gear games, the formula was pretty
consistent across the games of the main series. You collect rings, jump on bad
guys, and move from left to right through stages while dodging hazards and going real
fast. It’s a rudimentary formula, but such is the nature of 2-D platformers.
But each successive game brought something new to the table,
as any good sequel should. Sonic 2 introduced a new character in Tails, a new
move in the spin-dash, and a new secret power-up in Super Sonic. Sonic CD
presented another new character (Amy Rose), another new move (the Figure-8
Dash) and massively complex levels and bonus stages. Sonic 3 saw yet another
new character, Knuckles, as well as new sprites for the whole gang and new
power-ups. And finally, Sonic & Knuckles made Knuckles a playable character
and had two different scenarios to play through (not to mention the ability to
play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 as well).
So with the debut of the 32X in late 1994 (not long after
the release of Sonic & Knuckles), the time was right for another shake-up
of the series. Originally, this was to take place on the Genesis with the
release of a game titled Sonic Crackers, in which Sonic and Tails would be
tethered together with a ring that would allow the both of them to be launched
like a sling-shot through side-scrolling levels. However, for unknown reasons
Sonic was jettisoned from the project, it was moved to the 32X, and none other
than Knuckles the echidna stepped in to take his place.
The concept of Chaotix arose from a cancelled Genesis game called "Sonic Crackers," in which Sonic and Tails were connected through two magic rings and moved in tandem with one another.
Perhaps this was because Sonic was being saved for the Saturn,
which was in the works at the time, as well as another Sonic game for it titled “Sonic
X-treme” (which also was cancelled). Or maybe a genuine Sonic game for the 32X
had been planned before the 32X crashed and burned. Whatever the reason, Sonic
was out and Knuckles was in. In an era where gaming mascots were EVERYTHING to
the industry (Re: Bubsy), I think this was a pretty bold move. I mean, imagine
if Nintendo had done the same for Luigi of the Super Mario Bros. franchise. All
they gave him at the time was a pretty lame educational game, which only furthered his
unpopularity.
Not only that, but Knuckles was quickly garnering a strong
following of his own. The timing was just right- with the previous entry of
Sonic & Knuckles being the first time Knuckles was a playable character,
gamers were flocking to him in droves. In fact, I knew many people who thought
he was a lot cooler than Sonic (who was supposed to be the epitome of 'cool,'
mind you). I mean, he could fly, climb walls, bust through rocks with his
fists- what's not to like about that? Kids thought he was awesome. Also, in the
popular Archie Sonic The Hedgehog comic book series, Knuckles was a mainstay of
the central plot who frequently clashed with Sonic, his so-called “friendly
nemesis.” When Chaotix was released, Archie also produced a comic book tie-in
which boosted Knuckles into the spotlight even further and introduced each of
the new characters that would appear in the game.
Knuckles' presence in the Sonic The Hedgehog comic book series by Archie only served to boost the character (and by extension, the Chaotix) further into popularity.
So, I believe that choosing Knuckles was actually a great
decision to draw in fans of the series, as well as potentially kickstart a new
spinoff series should things go well enough (which of course they didn’t, but
there was the possibility at the time). Anyway, now we come to the game itself.
Aside from the titular character, the game introduces the “Chaotix,” each of
which are playable and have their own unique attributes which I’ll discuss in a
bit. There’s Espio the chameleon, Vector the crocodile, Charmy the bee, and
Mighty the armadillo. With the exception of Mighty, who appeared in the
Japanese-exclusive Sonic The Hedgehog arcade game, each of them were new
characters. There were also two extra characters, heavy and bomb, who were
playable as well (though you’d more or less want to avoid playing as them, as
they are pretty much useless). The story involves Sonic’s primary antagonist,
Dr. Robotnik (yes, back when he was still called "Dr. Robotnik" and not "Eggman"), who has taken over the island that Knuckles protects. The evil
doctor is aided by a robotic version of Sonic, also known as Metal Sonic. So,
with the help of his new gang of comrades, Knuckles must take back the island
by defeating the nefarious Robotnik.
As I mentioned previously, the biggest aspect that sets the
gameplay apart from previous entries in the series is the ring-tether system. Upon completing a brief
training/introduction stage at the beginning of the game, you’ll get to choose
any of the characters (minus heavy and bomb) as your first-player character.
Next up, before you go to the stage selection, you’ll have to do a sort of
crane mini-game in order to pick your AI-controlled second-player character (if
you’re playing with a second person, they will take control of this character).
It’s a bit randomized, but with some skill you can often get the character you
want. Here’s where the ring-tether system comes into play- controlling the
first-player character, you’ll be “tethered” to another character via a power
ring that each character is holding. By holding down the B button on the
controller, the AI character will stop in their tracks, allowing you to run
forward and build up tension. Upon releasing B, the AI character will be
launched forward like a slingshot. This also added in some new puzzle solving
elements not present in other games; in order to open certain doors and access
parts of a level, one character will need to stand on a pad and hold their
position until the other character steps on another pad somewhere else. When
standing next to the other character, you can also pick them up and throw them,
which is useful in destroying airborne enemies and reaching high ledges.
Another helpful feature is that if you find that your partner is stuck
somewhere beneath or above you, you can press the A button while standing still
to automatically bring them back to your side (however, it costs you 10 rings
to do so, which is a bit odd).
The ring tether system was the largest departure from prior games in the series and made for some innovative and interesting gameplay.
The stage selection screen is also randomized, and after
hitting a button you’ll be dropped into one of five levels. Each of the five
levels has five acts, the fifth of which is a boss battle, and after the boss
is defeated that stage will disappear from the selection screen. This adds up
to 25 levels total (plus the intro stage and a final boss battle), making the
game the biggest the franchise had at the time. Putting it in perspective- Sonic 1 has 18 levels, Sonic 2 has 20, Sonic CD has 21, and Sonic 3 and Sonic
& Knuckles have 12 apiece. And yes, I’m aware that Sonic 3 and Sonic &
Knuckles were intended to be one game (and honestly, really are one game as far as I’m concerned),
but even so there are 24 levels between the two, still one shy of Chaotix. The
levels are all massive, non-linear mazes you’ll have to traverse in order to
reach the goal. Each level can be played through several times without ever
using the same path to get to the end- that’s how big they are.
The stage select system is kind of weird. By jumping up into the ball in the middle, one of the five stages will be selected at random. However, you can pick up items in bonus stages hidden within levels that allow you to slow down the randomizer, which essentially lets you choose the level of your liking. Upon clearing a stage entirely, it is removed.
The non-linear system
was another departure from previous games, save for Sonic CD which also had
massively complex levels. There are mini-bosses, secret rooms to be found, and
a myriad of different power-ups scattered through the stages. Speaking of
power-ups, the classic shield, invincibility, speed-boost and 10-ring boxes
from previous games are back, and the game also offered up some really awesome
new ones not seen in previous games. Among these are the grow/shrink boxes,
which will increase or decrease the size of your character, making it easier to
slingshot or throw a character, respectively. But perhaps the coolest of all of
the new innovations is the combine ring, which is a silver ring that combines
all of the previous gold rings you’ve collected. Normally upon being hit by an
enemy, you’d lose all the rings you’ve collected and have to start from 0, as
was the case of every previous game as well. However, if you’ve found a combine
ring, you’ll only lose the one ring and it will bounce along the floor for a
few seconds, allowing you to pick it back up every time you are hit and retain
all of your rings.
Advancing through stages can be different depending on the
character you’ve chosen. As I mentioned before, each character has their own
unique attributes. Knuckles, of course, has his signature gliding and wall
climbing moves. Vector can do a brief air-dash in six different directions, as
well as climb walls just like Knuckles. Charmy is smaller and can’t get as much
leverage on the tether as other characters, but can fly around at will and also
do air-dashes. Mighty can grip walls and has a bit more tether strength than
the other characters. And lastly and perhaps the coolest of all, Espio can run
up walls and even on ceilings as well. This makes him the most useful of all
and even though I have to resist playing as Knuckles, since, well, it is his
game, I find myself choosing Espio the most. Also, as I mentioned before there
are two extra characters, heavy and bomb, who can also be chosen (only as side
characters). However, these two are basically useless- heavy is, well, exactly
what his name alludes to, weighing you down like a giant anchor. Bomb isn’t
quite as bad but explodes upon getting hit by an enemy, leaving you stuck by
yourself. Aside from their unique quirks, the character sprites are
all pretty unique as well. Knuckles has been redesigned nicely since his
Genesis days (though I have to say, his gliding sprite is a bit weird-looking).
Each of the new characters are uniquely colored and easily identifiable, and
all have their own individual idle animations (Espio changes colors and glances
around cautiously, Vector pulls out a Walkman and starts jamming away to music,
etc.), giving them each a little bit more character of their own.
I love the sprites of this game and how much they make each individual character stand out from one another. Even their idle animations are unique.
The graphics in the game are just wonderful. Everything is
vibrantly colored, from the aforementioned sprites to each of the five levels. The
foreground is very busy with objects whizzing by as you speed through, but
slowing down a bit is quite recommended if you want to take in just how
artfully designed each level is. Backgrounds are also quite nicely detailed if
you pay close enough attention. Also, each world seems to have its own unique
color schema, which is omnipresent in each of its five levels. I was a bit
disturbed to read a negative review not too long ago claiming that the game was
dull and dreary, lacking in color and originality between stages. Sorry to say,
but I wholeheartedly disagree; the lovely colors of this game are honestly the
first thing I notice when playing through.
Each stage has it’s own distinctive look and feel, from the color schemes in the foreground and background to the general layout.
In addition, I just love the music and sound effects as
well. The Genesis had a reputation for its tinny, grainy-sounding musical
compositions for some games, and the 32X was not entirely different in this
regard. I’m not all that hip on technical aspects of consoles, but from what I
understand, the 32X did not really add anything to the audio capabilities of
games. However, I barely even notice the grainy Genesis style in Chaotix,
simply because of how catchy the upbeat tunes are. I especially love the “
Door Into Summer” theme, which plays during the introductory stage. The rest
of the sound effects are on par with all of the previous Sonic games, which I
have no problem with.
One very unique and fun twist to this game is playing with a
second human player. It’s certainly not a straightforward co-op venture like you might
have imagined from playing Sonic 2’s co-op, which simply had you both running
from one side of the stage to the other independently. Because of the ring tether
system, the game really forces you to work together with your teammate instead
of doing your own thing. Think of all those old cartoons where two characters
would get stuck together in some way and have to begrudgingly start doing
everything in tandem- that’s a bit of what the co-op adventure is like. At
first, you’ll be a mess- your partner will pull in one direction while you head
in another, your jumps will be out of sync, and clearing a small obstacle might
become a major task. However, as you play on, you slowly begin adapting to each
other and getting the hang of working together, and that is just an awesome
aspect of playing with a partner, I think. It makes for a really fun two-player
experience you wouldn’t necessarily expect out of a game like this.
The cooperative experience is a really great way to play the game and makes for an interesting gaming session with a friend. If you've got a 32X, Chaotix, and a friend to play it with, I would highly recommend giving it a try.
As great as this game is, it does have a few flaws. If you
complete a level with 50 rings or more, you’ll have a chance to enter a bonus
level, in which you can collect a special ring upon completing it. You’ll need
to complete all six of the bonus levels if you want to get the true ending of
the game, so these are a bit important (albeit optional) for completing the game. The bonus
stages consist of traversing a sort of poorly rendered 3D stage (I’ll give it a
break, since this was 1995 after all) in order to collect a certain amount of
blue orbs to complete it. However, due to the limitations of 3D rendering at
the time, sometimes you’ll fall straight through a stage without warning,
ending the bonus chance instantly. This can be especially annoying if it keeps
happening on the same bonus stage, which I recall happened to me several times.
Also, the tethering system doesn’t quite work as smoothly as I’d like it to.
For one thing, going up ramps can be a bit of a challenge if you don’t generate
enough speed and your partner ends up weighing you down. This can be remedied
pretty quickly though by either using the slingshot method or using a
spin-dash. Another issue stems from getting lost in the levels; as I’ve
mentioned, the levels are huge. In certain
levels, you’ll sometimes find yourself trekking back and forth through the same
areas just looking for a way to progress. Also, without any major landmarks to
tell you if you’ve passed a certain area or not, it can sometimes get a bit
confusing if many areas look the same and you aren’t sure if you’ve been there already
or not. But none of these issues severely detract from the experience, and at
least for me, the enjoyment I got pretty much overrides them.
The 3D-rendered bonus stages at the end of the levels are...well, not all that good, but I can't be too critical since 3D gaming was still in its infancy.
In conclusion, I think this is a very solid, very fun game.
Considering where the Sonic franchise has ended up as of late (don't even get
me started on Sonic Boom), I think it definitely deserves a spot among the best
known Sonic classics on the Genesis. Is it good enough to solely justify the
purchase of a 32X? Eh, maybe so, maybe not. I suppose it depends on how much
you like the Sonic the Hedgehog games, if there’s any other 32X games you think
you might enjoy (if that’s the case, I’d recommend Tempo, Shadow Squadron, and
Kolibri- hey, they’re not all terrible),
and if you can find one on the cheap (you most likely can these days). If you
do decide to pick one up, Chaotix is a must, especially since the game
currently isn’t available in any of the omnipotent virtual markets for the
newest consoles, which is a real shame I think. Perhaps Sega is still trying
their hardest to bury the mistakes of the past. Well, if you ask me, this game
is truly a gem that got buried with the garbage. I’m sorry to disagree with the
critics, but I think it’s entertaining, it’s unique, it looks and plays
wonderfully, and it shouldn’t be forgotten. So if you’re a Sonic fan and you
never got a chance to check out this title, I would highly recommend it. Maybe
you could go for an emulator instead of going through the trouble of procuring
a 32X, but if you are in the very least interested, give it a chance. I don’t think
you’ll be disappointed.