Released at the dawn of the 16-bit era in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog was the culmination of a massive cultural and technical shift for console gaming. After Sega realized they needed a killer app to challenge Nintendo's dominance, they wanted to take a spin at the platforming formula by trading slow precision for raw speed. Enter Sonic, a blue hedgehog with a serious attitude, featuring many of the cornerstones of 90s mascot design, but with a distinctly kinetic flavor.

The game featured looping, multi-tiered levels, a revolutionary physics-based momentum engine, a stellar synthesizer soundtrack, and an aggressive marketing campaign that corporate warfare had never seen before. No longer tied down to the more methodical jumping of standard platformers, Sonic the Hedgehog gave players a sense of breakneck velocity that pushed the Sega Genesis's hardware to its limit, all with a cool, rebellious aesthetic meant to make the competition look archaic and nerdy.

But for all its technical wizardry and "blast processing" swagger, does the gameplay hold up under modern scrutiny? Or is it just an awkward stepping stone, playing in the shadow of its more refined sequels and the structural perfection of its plumbing rival?

If you'd like to show your support for the show, please consider leaving us a review wherever you listen.

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Dave
Finny

Music:
"Green Hill Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog. Composed by Masato Nakamura. © SEGA

"Marble Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog. Composed by Masato Nakamura. © SEGA

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Released at the turn of the decade in 1990, Commander Keen was the culmination of a massive technical breakthrough for PC gaming. After John Carmack figured out how to replicate smooth console-style side-scrolling on a PC (a feat previously thought impossible), the team that would become id Software wanted to take a spin at the platforming formula. Enter Billy Blaze, an eight-year-old child genius who builds a rocket ship in his backyard, featuring many of the cornerstones of 90s platformer design, but with a distinctly PC flavor.

The game featured sprawling, non-linear levels, a secret alien language to decipher, an unpredictable pogo stick mechanic, and a unique shareware distribution model. No longer tied down to the rigid progression of traditional arcade games, Commander Keen gave players an open world map to explore at their own pace. And this extended to the tone as well, which embraced a quirky, saturday-morning-cartoon sci-fi aesthetic.

But for all its technical wizardry, does the gameplay hold up under modern scrutiny? Or is it just an awkward stepping stone, playing in the shadow of the console giants of its era and id Software's own blood-soaked future?

If you'd like to show your support for the show, please consider leaving us a review wherever you listen.

Find the hosts on Twitch:
Dave
Finny

Music:
"Your Name, Please" from EarthBound. Composed by Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka. © Nintendo

"Tornado Man" from Mega Man 9. Composed by Manami Matsumae and the Inti Creates sound team. © Capcom

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