The Sega 32X & Knuckles’ Chaotix

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.