Sonic 3D Blast Appreciation Topic + PEMNAS Playthough for SAT version

OKei · Sep 26, 2010

Hello Sonic Retro! This month I am producing a PEMNAS Playthrough video series about me playing the US Sega Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast: Flickies' Island in appreciation to the game that originally got me interested in the Sega Saturn. Plus, I'm gonna do commentary on the game though annotations!

Note that I'm not referring to the spoken kind of commentary (thank god for us all), but annotated commentary that will consist of nerd trivia, jokes, personal reflection on certain parts, pointing out oddities, opinions, and more!

On my last PEMNAS series, which was about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=287C51EC366DE448" target="_blank">the N64 version of Resident Evil 2</a> (<a href="http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=20959" target="_blank">come check it out</a>, it's awesome!), I did quite a lot of exhaustive annotated commentary. This time, I'm gonna do the same but not talk as much.

So far I've already completed annotation commentary for Part 3 of my run, but the rest will soon follow one by one.
<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">I will be updating this thread whenever I get more videos and commentary done. Stay tuned for more uploads and commentary!</span>

Here is the playlist so far. Bold signifies that the commentary is completed for that part:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWYcwjSzH6Y" target="_blank">(Part 1) Green Grove Act 1 + 1st Special Stage</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdXjr11yIYE" target="_blank">(Part 2) Green Grove Act 2 + 2nd Special Stage</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UioZeT9d_-w" target="_blank">(Part 3) Green Grove Act 3 + Boss</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGKplWjv-bE" target="_blank">(Part 4) Rusty Ruin Act 1 + 3rd Special Stage</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7lgMk7iqy8" target="_blank">(Part 5) Rusty Ruin Act 2 + 4th Special Stage</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thYZ0VZzGPI" target="_blank">(Part 6) Rusty Ruin Act 3 + Boss</a>

Hope you enjoy. =) Also, PEMNAS stands for "PLEASE EXCUSE MY NOOB ASS SKILLS". I invented the term myself.

Now my opinion on the game:
I can understand that this game is definitely not for the everyman Sonic fan out there, but this game was and still is, in my personal opinion, a competent and decent Sonic title.

What I really like in this game, is the isometric play-field design that Traveler's Tales and Sega went with. It kinda reminds me of Super Mario RPG, which ironically came out months before the original 16-Bit release of S3D, though this is perhaps the game that got me interested in 3D isometrics. There is a flaw in that that I'm sure everyone can agree with, it's that its quite limiting in many spots in the game and it can truly irritate a player who's not used to or is comfortable with the design. That is not to say that the isometric map is full-blown terrible, but it would have been great if some spots (particularly IMO, Rusty Ruin Zone Act 1) had more room for movement (whether when running or using Sonic's Spin-Dash).

One thing that was really awesome was the soundtrack in both version's of the game. Richard Jacques does a very good job at bring the game's sound to life on the Saturn with it's peppy synthesized piano tunes (my favorites include Rusty Ruin, The Special Stage, Gene Gadget, Puppet Panic). The original 16-Bit tunes by Tatsuyuki Maeda (especially his songs), Seirou Okamoto, Jun Senoue, and Masaru Setsumaru, however, are totally <a href="http://mestephen.com/fab/wiki/index.php?title=Episodes#Paulas_are_Bamazing" target="_blank">ba</a>mazing. My favorite tunes in the 16-Bit game are Green Grove Act 2, Rusty Ruin, Diamond Dust, Volcano Valley, Gene Gadget Act 2, Puppet Panic, The Final Fight, and the Credits.

While there will inevitably be people who will argue that the game's quality is terrible or "shit", I still really think this game is great for what it was, in it's era, and I'm quite happy to have played it, and on an actual Sega Saturn NTSC console too. Really, if you honestly think this game sucks, let me remind you that you can go far beyond worse in the Sonic series nowadays (I'm looking at Genesis GBA, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Labyrinth, and according to many people, Sonic 2006). Bottom line: I had fun.

Because I had fun, I wanted to give a sort of "tribute" to the Saturn version and share that "tribute" to everyone here.

About the game:
The Sega Saturn version includes some exclusive features not available in the original Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version.
<ul><li>One is the completely redone Special Stages that are in fully polygon-rendered 3D (in the old-sense), and are reminiscent of Sonic 2's half-pipe Special Stages. These SS are considered some of the best stages in the Sonic series. </li><li>Also featured in the Sega Saturn release is the new red-book soundtrack by Richard Jacques, who would later do music for Sonic R, Jet Set Radio, Sonic Chronicles, Sonic and the Black Knight, and Blood Stone 007. </li><li>Last bit to point out is the enhancements the game's graphics got over the original 16-bit version. Sonic's animations are smoother and seemingly has more frames of animation thanks to the Saturn's specialty in 2D sprites, and the stages themselves sport much more details in them for cosmetics.</li><li>The SS port was done in a short amount of time. I heard it's from seven weeks to four months.</li></ul><div align='center'>--------------------</div>
So what do you think of Sonic 3D Blast, any version? How did it go for you, and what did it do for you? If you liked it, let's get together for discussion!

Discuss.

JaxTH · Sep 26, 2010

I've always loved the Saturn version of 3D Blast. Orgasmic music~

The Game Collector · Sep 26, 2010

I personally loved the game, all versions and play it again and again to this day. First I got the Genesis version in 1996 for Christmas when I was 9 years old. I didn't have Sonic & Knuckles yet but I had 1,2,3 & Spinball. I personally thought it was a great new direction and was open minded to the idea of Sonic having different kinds of games. Sonic Spinball already showed me I liked games that deviated from the main series.

My favorite aspects were the music and artwork. Otherwise the way Sonic fought enemies and collected shields didn't seem much different from the other Genesis titles and I always thought of this game as a Sonic 5 if you play Sonic & Knuckles as a disconnected game from Sonic 3 regularly. And the way it seems like a gradual change from 2D to 2.5D to 3D, it fits well in between Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic Adventure. Looking it up nowadays, I was surprised to see that most people label it as a spinoff and not a main game in the series.

Next I borrowed my neighbor's PC version and copied it. I loved the graphical improvements but hated using a keyboard to play as I didn't have a USB controller yet. What I did most was listened to the soundtrack which I found even more enjoyable than the already good Genesis soundtrack. My favorites being both main acts of Rusty Ruin and Diamond Dust. Of the three versions, I like the PC special stages the least.

The Saturn Version came when I was in high school and I had finally found a local store that actually still sold Sega Saturn stuff. I like this version the best for its improved environments and the same well done soundtrack as the PC version. I like playing both console versions regularly to vary it up.

Travelsonic · Sep 26, 2010

The special stages piss me off sometimes [I have the PC version, direct port of the Saturn version?] - stuck on the last special stage [500 rings required, tons of bombs, and frustration. Good thing once you hit a bomb you can take advantage of that temporary invincibility in ring collection].

Other than that, I like the game. The controls, however, feel much more slippery than when I play the Genesis version, on controller, or with a keyboard + emulator.

tokumaru · Sep 26, 2010

Am I the only one that prefers the Genesis/MD soundtrack? The songs might not be as "complex" as in the Saturn version, but they are much more exciting and memorable. I find the Saturn soundtrack kinda bland... it serves the purpose of setting up the mood for the stages, but the tunes aren't particularly good by themselves.

Namo · Sep 26, 2010

If you can tell me how you got Sonic 3D Blast working on a Saturn Emulator with music I swear to God I will give you the worlds largest cookie.

Also, I just noticed the first act is called "Green Grove". Up until now I always swore it was called "Green Groove".

Moogle! · Sep 26, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tokumaru @ Sep 26 2010, 12:28 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510884"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Am I the only one that prefers the Genesis/MD soundtrack? The songs might not be as "complex" as in the Saturn version, but they are much more exciting and memorable. I find the Saturn soundtrack kinda bland... it serves the purpose of setting up the mood for the stages, but the tunes aren't particularly good by themselves.</div>

You're not alone, I like it as well. Dirty DAC samples notwithstanding. I like the dark tone a few of songs had, like the volcano level tunes.

This isn't to say the Saturn version were bad by any stretch.

Endgame · Sep 26, 2010

My favourite thing about Sonic 3D has to be the music [for the MD/Gen]; It had some of the best music of the classic Sonic era - Green Grove Zone Act 2 is definitely one of them, not to mention the cool boss music!

TheInvisibleSun · Sep 26, 2010

Nice Reviews. For some reason as a kid I had no idea the Saturn Version even existed for a long time, and had always played the Genesis Version. (we had a Sega Saturn and everything too!) If my Saturn still worked I would buy this game in a heatbeat, (unless I can figure out how to get Satourne to work right). I get such a Nostalgic feeling from the music of this era, and I thank you for posting this.

OKei · Sep 26, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Namo @ Sep 26 2010, 09:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510888"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>If you can tell me how you got Sonic 3D Blast working on a Saturn Emulator with music I swear to God I will give you the worlds largest cookie.</div>
I wasn't playing this game on an emulator. It was running on a real Saturn.

For your trouble though, I would assume like how you set up the music files for Sonic CD ISO on Mega CD, you store them in the same folder as the ISO, and under the same name as the ISO. I could be wrong though, but that's how I got my copy together.

Namo · Sep 26, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (OKei @ Sep 26 2010, 01:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510905"></a></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Namo @ Sep 26 2010, 09:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510888"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>If you can tell me how you got Sonic 3D Blast working on a Saturn Emulator with music I swear to God I will give you the worlds largest cookie.</div>
I wasn't playing this game on an emulator. It was running on a real Saturn.

-snip-

For your trouble though, I would assume like how you set up the music files for Sonic CD ISO on Mega CD, you store them in the same folder as the ISO, and under the same name as the ISO. I could be wrong though, but that's how I got my copy together.
</div>

Oh, wow, good on ya. Didn't expect that.

Anyway, the reason I ask is because none of the emulators I've tried support it. And if they do, they support it without music no matter how the music files are setup - the same emulator runs other games with music fine.

Overlord · Sep 26, 2010

Nice that someone is taking the time to appreciate Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island, it's a very underrated game, imo. Not really played the Saturn version that much due to not having a Saturn back in the day but I played the Mega Drive version a decent amount.

Looking forward to more videos!

GT Koopa · Sep 26, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Travelsonic @ Sep 26 2010, 10:38 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510866"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>The special stages piss me off sometimes [I have the PC version, direct port of the Saturn version?]</div>

No. The PC version has different special stages than the Saturn version.

Travelsonic · Sep 26, 2010

Never knew that. How different are the stages from one another [PC vs Saturn]?

EDIT: Nevermind, Youtubed it.

Elratauru · Sep 27, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Namo @ Sep 26 2010, 02:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510911"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Oh, wow, good on ya. Didn't expect that.

Anyway, the reason I ask is because none of the emulators I've tried support it. And if they do, they support it without music no matter how the music files are setup - the same emulator runs other games with music fine.</div>

Oh...yes, the music is stored like on Mega CD I believe on a different tracks (GameData+MP3 Tracks), but Im not sure, I had the same problem about the music back before...but after all these years (?) trying unsuccefully to make it work, I downloaded so many isos that one of them worked.

SSF plays the thing perfectly. Music, Sound Effects, Gameplay, no bugs or glitches ever...
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/soHgfYF4wjM&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/soHgfYF4wjM&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Chris Highwind · Sep 27, 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Elratauru @ Sep 27 2010, 08:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=511219"></a></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Namo @ Sep 26 2010, 02:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=510911"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Oh, wow, good on ya. Didn't expect that.

Anyway, the reason I ask is because none of the emulators I've tried support it. And if they do, they support it without music no matter how the music files are setup - the same emulator runs other games with music fine.</div>
SSF plays the thing perfectly. Music, Sound Effects, Gameplay, no bugs or glitches ever...
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/soHgfYF4wjM&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/soHgfYF4wjM&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
</div>

^ This. SSF is my Saturn Emulator of choice. The latest version I have even lets me get past NiGHTS Into Dreams' first stage, whereas the earlier version would just stop at NiGHTS spinning around with the black background after completing Stage 1 (Still don't get how to get higher ranks on that game x_x)

And I really should get back to playing Sonic 3D <strike>Blast</strike> Flickies' Island (Saturn version, I've already beat the Genesis version), it's a pretty sweet game.

OKei · Sep 27, 2010

GOOD NEWS! I've completed annotated commentaries for Parts 2 & 3!

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QdXjr11yIYE&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QdXjr11yIYE&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UioZeT9d_-w&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UioZeT9d_-w&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Expect Parts 4 & 5 this week. Plus you can expect the upgrade in audio quality too! Right now, I've got some college work to do!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chris Highwind @ Sep 27 2010, 09:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=511245"></a></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Elratauru @ Sep 27 2010, 08:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=511219"></a></div><div class='quotemain'>
SSF plays the thing perfectly. Music, Sound Effects, Gameplay, no bugs or glitches ever...
*Video*</div>

^ This. SSF is my Saturn Emulator of choice. The latest version I have even lets me get past NiGHTS Into Dreams' first stage, whereas the earlier version would just stop at NiGHTS spinning around with the black background after completing Stage 1 (Still don't get how to get higher ranks on that game x_x)</div>
Except it's not too friendly with video capture programs. It eats up more CPU power and RAM, and it becomes as slow as a snail. That's part of the reason why I played and recorded on a real Saturn.

Namo · Sep 27, 2010

I think SSF was what I was using, but I have trouble getting that to boot ANYTHING these days. I keep getting that "Not an official disk" error that seems to have no solution whatsoever.

Cooljerk · Sep 28, 2010

You know, if the entire game was like panic puppet act 2, Sonic 3D blast would have been a damn fine game.

The saturn version is great, btw.

Moogle! · Sep 28, 2010

Is there any particular reason there has been no hacking on the Genesis port? Is it filled with spaghetti code written by Cthulhu or something?

Sonic 3D Blast Appreciation Topic + PEMNAS Playthough for SAT version

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