Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure is an unusual case: a fast Sega platformer for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, made by the console manufacturer itself. Yet the result doesn't feel like a licensed side project, but like a full-fledged handheld Sonic. The levels follow the building principles of the classic entries, meaning long slopes, loops, springs, and hidden paths both above and below, and the player runs through them across two acts capped off with a battle against Doctor Eggman. There's also the classic ring collecting as protection from hits and the ability to curl into a ball while running to gain speed from a standstill.

Technically, it's one of the platform's most impressive titles. Scrolling stays smooth even at high speed, the sprites have enough animation frames to make running feel snappy, and each level's color palette clearly distinguishes the different zones. The game also includes special stages, unlocked once certain conditions are met, where emeralds are collected, plus a bonus matching-pairs minigame that serves as a break from the action. The music rearranges well-known series motifs and, even in its economical chiptune form, keeps their upbeat, dance-inflected melodic character, so the atmosphere of the classic Sonic games remains untouched.

At the time, the game was praised as one of the main reasons to own the console, and it was often cited as proof that the Neo Geo Pocket Color had a better controller for platformers than the competition. In retrospect it's usually ranked among the best handheld Sonic games ever, putting it in the company of later entries on other platforms. Today it still works well precisely because it doesn't attempt anything groundbreaking, focusing instead on pure movement, pace, and rediscovering shortcuts. For players who want to see what the console could do beyond fighting games, this is the ideal first stop. It's also interesting as evidence of what was happening at the time Sega was giving up its own hardware and its mascot started appearing on platforms made by former competitors.