Sonic Chaos

Sega never treated 8-bit Sonic as a mere carbon copy of his big brother, and Sonic Chaos is clear proof of that. This standalone 8-bit line, worked on mainly by the Aspect and Ancient studios (not Sonic Team), lived a life of its own and built its own rules. What's more, the Master System version runs on the handheld Game Gear without a hitch, so it was a title tailored for two platforms at once.

The most striking difference from the 16-bit installments lies in the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds — instead of being earned in special bonus stages, here they are hidden right inside the levels. That turns the game into more thorough exploration: if you want to collect everything, you have to probe the nooks, search out hidden paths and not rely on simply blasting through a level from start to finish. The pace is brisk, but the design rewards curiosity.

The peak of the whole 8-bit line is the somewhat later Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble from 1994 — larger, more technically accomplished and with sidekick Tails at your side. Many fans consider it the best 8-bit Sonic ever offered, and proof of how much juice could be squeezed from limited hardware when the game was made by people who understood it.

By 8-bit standards these are handsome, smoothly playable platformers with colorful graphics and catchy music. The very fact that this branch of the series forged its own path instead of slavishly copying the console hits still earns it a solid reputation among collectors and Sega enthusiasts.

Why play: A distinct 8-bit Sonic line with the emeralds hidden right inside the levels — brisk, yet exploratory. And if it grabs you, the excellent Triple Trouble awaits.