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The basic premise? Run to the end as fast as possible. However, the levels are designed in such a way that you actually have a choice where you're going. Take the very first level (Green Hill, Act 1) as an example: although the starting route is pretty linear, soon it splits into higher and lower branches, which can last quite a while, and take some very different routes. Take the lower routes, and get lots of rings? Take the higher routes, and get more items? The choice is yours.
So what about health? This game isn't a mere "one hit, that's it" game like Shinobi; however, nor is it the "more health, more wealth" style that a health bar would give you, like in Megaman. Instead, the collectibles, golden rings (well, okay, the palette?s yellow, but if you can get real gold into a machine like the Genesis / Mega Drive, then watch the money soar), are your health as well as mere collectibles worth 100 points a piece at the end of the level. Get hit, and you lose all of them, making you vulnerable once more. Thankfully, rings are normally plentiful (except in the final stage, which has none whatsoever), and finding more won't be much of a problem. Also, a shield will, if you have one, take the hit instead of rings, and Invincibility will pretty much make rings a moot point altogether, as long as it's in force.
Now, how in Pete's name are you supposed to hurt the robotic force of the Eggman that is Robotnik? Easy: you spin. How? Push down while running, silly. Alternatively, jumping works just as well. As long as you are in this ball state, most of the enemies (not counting pointy ones) can't hurt you. In fact, Sonic's spikes can deal with them, as long as he's in motion. Spinning (jumping doesn't work here, although it does in Sonic CD for some reason) can also unlock hidden tunnels and pathways - all part of the interesting landscape of South Island.
Speaking of hidden stuff, there's plenty (nothing to unlock, but still hidden stuff) - you'll find that this game has to have the most walkthrough walls of any Sonic game, ever. Many times, these lead to goodies or even another path, but that's not to say that there aren't a few duds. Also, if you get 50 rings and get to the end of a level with all 50 or more of them, then a surprise awaits. Jumping into that "surprise" (a giant gold ring), you get warped to the Special Zone, where you have to nab the Chaos Emeralds, which are placed in meticulously designed mazes, which have plenty of dead-ends just ready to knock you back to Earth, and, to make matters worse, are endlessly spinning. Armed with only a bit of direction movement to the sides, a jump and the gravity always pulling down, no matter what the rest of the stage is doing, you have to make it to the Emerald's chamber, and then break the crystals surrounding it to claim it before Eggman does. (He, obviously, is still waiting for portals to come his way.)
Finally, two more details: Score and Time. What happens when you free your friends, or kick some Ro-butt-nik, or clear a level with plenty of time or rings left? You get points. What do these points do? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Nil. Zip. Absolutely zero. The fact they're there doesn't make much point, but hey, Mario games still had points for some reason or another, so I guess it only makes sense Sega modeled some of their own game after Mario. Also like the plumber, there is a time limit, but unlike Mario, who has a varying time limit from 3-4 minutes, Sonic has the set number of 10 minutes to clear a stage. Is that too short? You're kidding me, right? With the exception of maybe the water stage , Labyrinth Zone (which, even there, is pushing it), the 10 minute limit is almost too much time, unless you want to goof off. The real point to this is that the lower that is, the higher your score (which, again, is meaningless unless you want bragging rights) when you finish the level.
There are only a few game series that have truly stellar music to them. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, Mario, Megaman, Metroid, Zelda... well, guess who else winds up on that list? Yeah, I don't even have to say it. The game's tunes, composed by Japanese pop band Dreams Come True, are catchy, to say the least, and you'll find yourself humming many of them later on, even after turning the game off. Sound effects are just as good, and although you probably won't find yourself humming a sound effect anytime soon, you will find yourself recognizing the ring sound. Why? It's almost never changed. It was the same sound for Sonic 2, Sonic 3&K, Sonic CD, Sonic 3D, Sonic R, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 (Battle or normal)... yeah, that's a lot of games using the same Genesis bleeps. Somehow, though, it never gets old...
Crisp. Clean. Colorful. Often glitchy, but that's probably just because my cart's getting old. (The sooner I get Mega Collection...) Everything is accounted for, right down to the last leaf on every flower in Green Hill, to every window in Spring Yard or Star Light, to the fiery exhaust of buildings in the distance at Scrap Brain - everything. Nothing that, after all your Haloes and Final Fantasies and Metroid Primes, will probably make your jaw drop today, but it sure as heck did back in the day...
However, the glitchiness is certainly a downfall. Go into debug mode, and you?ll see more glitches than you?ll ever have wanted to in your life. A plus this is not. However, aside from debug, the main game holds up pretty solidly ? most of the time. A glitch isn?t uncommon, so that doesn?t bode well for the score.
So, how does this rank with me? Really well, and I can say that it's still one of the better Sonics, personally better than Sonic 2, and is as good as its true sequel, Sonic CD. If you have a Genesis but for some reason don't have this yet , get it now. If you don't have a Genesis but have a Saturn, get Sonic Jam. If you have a Dreamcast, get Sega Smash Pa- no, wait, that was supposed to suck. Eh, well then, if you have a Gamecube, get Sonic Mega Collection. If you have a PC, then download Real One Arcade and purchase the Sonic 1 game... Just play this. Now.
Pros:
+ Classic gameplay
+ Good music
+ Awesome level design
Cons:
- The graphics can glitch up...
- What? I need to have more than one?
- This space for rent
Rating:
9/10 (or, if you have the version that has less glitchy graphics, or has
that annoying spike glitch fixed, 10/10, but seeing as I don't...)