Sonic Chaos

Between the first eight-bit Sonic and the peak of Triple Trouble stands Sonic Chaos - an installment that pushed the blue hedgehog's eight-bit line markedly forward and refined much of what the later Triple Trouble brought to perfection. For the Game Gear it was one of the key titles.

The gameplay stays true to the proven recipe: fast running, jumps, rings and loops, but Sonic Chaos adds a smoother pace and more elaborate levels than its predecessor. The game is more accessible and brisker, which makes it an ideal gateway into the eight-bit Sonic detour.

Just like in the other installments of this line, here too you feel the spirit of a different approach than the sixteen-bit games of Sonic Team had - the design was created in other studios and places its own emphasis on level structure and pace. The result is a Sonic who is recognizable yet has his own identity.

Thanks to the kinship of SEGA console hardware, titles of this line appeared across both the Game Gear and the Master System, so players got a comprehensive eight-bit Sonic offering. Sonic Chaos plays the role of an important intermediate link in it, connecting the humble beginnings with the later ambition.

If you want to understand how eight-bit Sonic gradually matured, Sonic Chaos is an indispensable piece of the puzzle - brisk, clean and pleasantly playable even today. For fans of the handheld hedgehog it is a self-evident part of the collection.

Why play: An important and brisk intermediate link in the eight-bit Sonic line and a great gateway into the handheld adventures of the blue hedgehog.