Sonic Triple Trouble (Virtual Console) Review

In case you haven't been keeping up with your Nintendo E-Shop, Sega has released a handful of Sega Game Gear games on the 3DS Virtual Console for a reasonable price.

Admittedly I was a little weary of purchasing any of these titles due to my poor experiences with the Game Gear during my childhood.  Eventually my Sonic fandom and the price point got to me so I decided to take the plunge.  I mean the fancy new 3DS hardware couldn't make the game worse right?  I'm happy to say that I was right!

Thanks to the 3DS alone many of the issues that kept me from having a great experience with this game are gone.  Obviously the controls are much nicer than what the Game Gear had to offer and the screen no longer has that awful glaring effect that happened if you weren't looking at your Game Gear dead on.  The colors seem more vibrant as well.  There also doesn't seem to be as many cases of slow down as in the original (in default settings).  The best thing though is that the 3DS doesn't suck down 6 AA batteries in less than an hour!  Okay that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the battery life was pretty horrid.  Other virtual console features include the ability to play with different screen sizes, including a 3D representation of a Game Gear as a screen border.  They also included the option to turn on pixel blur and make the game's performance match the Game Gear's if you're looking for a nearly 100% authentic experience (no thanks).

I'm glad they released Triple Trouble instead of the other Sonic Game Gear titles.  This one seems to play much closer to Sonic's 16 bit versions than his other 8 bit outings.  It's been many years since I played them, but it seemed like there were more things wrong with the other games than the Game Gear itself.

That being said, don't go into this game thinking it'll be another Sonic 3.  While the game play is true to the Sonic formula the physics aren't on par with the 16 bit classics (still better than Sonic 4 though).  Ramps and overhangs can behave differently from area to area and Sonic seems to have trouble with loops.  It feels like you have to be going maximum speed in order for Sonic to clear a loop.  Any less and he'll just barely chug around it or you won't make it at all.  Fortunately you have the Spin Dash as well as the Super Peel Out from Sonic CD to help with these situations as needed.  Sonic is also able to spin at will in the air by pressing the jump button again which is nice if you're coming down on top of a baddie after hitting a spring.  In some instances you can use it as a clever micro double jump too.

Tails is also playable but I don't like him much in this game.  He accelerates much slower than Sonic which hurts the games overall momentum.  He has his flight ability but you must be grounded before you can start flying which is odd.  It's nice for getting to some harder to reach areas but that's about it.  Sonic seems to have the better package of abilities for this title.

The stages flow nicely and have a good balance of running and platforming.  Sega thankfully refrained from placing baddies and spikes in speedy segments that would bring the momentum to a screeching halt (usually a bad habit they display).  It seems like they were conscious of the Game Gear's smaller screen size for this title.   One nice touch is the last zone of the game which resembles more of a maze or tube puzzle.  I thought it was a refreshing change myself but I can see how this can also be a headache if you're the type that just wants to hold right and get rings.

As for the story, there is one but it's not represented very well in the game.  Of course Eggman/Robotnik is the main villain but he's also accompanied by Knuckles (fooled again) and newcomer Nack the Weasel.  All you need to know is that Eggman has created a doomsday device and is searching for the Chaos emeralds to power it and it's up to you to stop him.  If you want anymore than that you'd have to look online.

All in all it's not the greatest Sonic game of them all but it's a good time killer, especially thanks to the ability to create save states.  It's the bite size servings of Sonic action that keep me coming back to this title while I'm waiting in line somewhere.

Pros: 

-Traditional Sonic game play and level design that would make a Sonic veteran feel right at home.

-Controls are spot on and feel much better than playing on the Game Gear.  You can also change the controls to your preferences in the Virtual Console menu.

-Game loads fast for quick on the go play.

-Though annoying, the visual extras are a nice touch.  I mainly only see myself using this to show my kids how bad it was to play a Game Gear.

Cons:

-Obviously the game will seem dated to the younger Sonic crowd.

-Music and sound effects are nice while playing, but pretty forgettable afterwards.

-The bosses are easy and not terribly creative.

-If you're looking for a story you won't find it here, but then again why are you looking for this in a Sonic game?