Games of the Abstract: Sonic R (1997)

 

Publisher: Sega

Developers: Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team

Two Player

Saturn

 

Having a Saturn in my childhood, I admit to having nostalgia for Sonic R. As much of this was by not playing it properly with my older sister in the two player mode, specifically the mode where you had to pop blue balloons across the racetrack before your opponent, the characters instead becoming virtual dolls to create new stories with, moved across the locations off the tracks in our own stories. Nowadays, playing this again, there is both the fascinating story of how Sonic R came to be, alongside the more cynical nature of admitting, whilst playing through the original Sonic games only now, that until I gave up and played the blue hedgehog instead, that even in digital form the other characters probably stare daggers into him. More so as, when you collect the Chaos Emeralds, giant multi colour gems that have been a staple in the series from the beginning, Sonic him gets an unfair additional super version which is ultra fast, making such a race pointless even for an anthropomorphic red echidna that can climb walls. More so as, in a footrace racing game with platforming, where two characters drive and are useless in their inability to jump.

Sonic R has aged, but this has to be considered in mind that this was the only exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog game to come to the Sega Saturn, and that British developers Traveller's Tales, working with the hedgehog's creators Sonic Team, only started this project in February 1997 and the game was released later that year. This is more complicated as this is part of one of the greatest flaws of Sega which were becoming more of an issue by this time, even though Sonic R becomes an achievement in what was completed in such little time and released, that Sega had the communication issues and conflicts between the Western and Japanese branches. When the Saturn was being created, another conflict came about with Sonic X-treme, an unreleased attempt at a Sonic game in full three dimensional polygons for the first time in the character's franchise, a sequel by an American team which undercut in production in conflicts between the sides. This included the displeasure from the Japanese Sonic Team when they learnt the engine for Nights into Dreams (1996), a Saturn game which was released, was being used on Sonic X-treme. 

Sonic X-treme was eventually cancelled. In hindsight, whilst Nintendo always had a Mario game, even just one, on their consoles and handhelds which were part of the main franchise, the Saturn became an anomaly in how, for as long as Sega stayed in hardware, the Saturn missed a main franchise Sonic platformer. There was Sonic 3D (1996), an isometric 2D.5 game imported from the Mega Drive. Sonic Jam (1997) is a well regarded compilation, but cannot be seen as an official exclusive as, baring a 3D world for a segment, it was a compilation of the first three games. Sonic R became the sole exclusive, and this was not even a platformer, where you play the Sonic character running really fast and moving past obstacles, but starts a curious history of racing games for the franchise even though, despite this making a logical conclusion with Sonic being on foot, later games would have him in a car.

That softens what has aged. A slight game in length, in context to when, a game with little time to be put together nonetheless managed to be playable, where you race the existing cast in a selection of levels, all in a game which managed to make something visually and aesthetically striking. Sonic, Tails the Fox, Knuckles, Amy Rose the pink hedgehog and even the lead villain Dr. Robotnik race on tracks, multilayered ones varied as ancient ruins to an urban cityscape which continues the franchise's interest in flinging Sonic around on giant pinball tables. You can unlock more characters if you collect five gold coins on a course, and get into the first positions, allowing you to race those characters to win them, alongside the secret mentioned you can win with collecting the Chaos Emeralds, which you need to get in first place to keep. There are only four courses, the fifth unlocked a giant otherworldly one made from crystals and gems, which have multiple routes. Unlike later games with vehicles, this game despite two characters driving vehicles is a foot race. Platforming is involved as, alongside secret route, you can search for those collectables, or also to have an advantage over other racers by jumping ahead over obstacles.

The game's age, even in mind to an old Saturn playing my childhood copy, does show in terms of 3D graphics of this time, which were the new concern for publishers, where the draw distance is very limited, what you can see in front of you fading in abruptly as the polygons are brought in, and the game looking blocky. Its cartoon characters and bright colours does help considerably, and in truth, it is surprising Sonic R's template was never continued as the unconventional structure does stand out as a racing game, where you are skidding around corners, collecting rings to open short cuts and acquire Chaos Emeralds, and jumping over bodies of water (or land masses) for short cuts. The game as a result, if cleaned up, actually has a lot to appreciate as a game style to use, and once you get used to how different the characters move from cars, it gains a lot. Even if, with more time, some of the game, like Amy being a nightmare to steer, would have been drastically better if there was more time for fine tuning. More so as shortness of the game itself, very short to complete, is a factor to consider in the modern, one which is a factor for Sega Saturn in general with its arcade conversations. I admire the console for its content but, alongside most of the more interesting games never getting a Western release, it was also a console having to struggle in an era where people wanted 3D graphics and longer length games the Playstation could provided. Knowing the production history, something managing to work in its context, let alone a game with some credibility like this, does prove still a success.

More so due to the tone and aesthetic, enticing even if cheesy which is something of the personality of Sega itself; as someone who grew up with some of this franchise - the 1993-6 Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog animated series, and some of the games in fragments - I never got into the franchise as a child despite having a giant plush toy of the blue hedgehog, now as an adult getting to these games finally finding their unreal aesthetic enticing. The irony of later games incorporating human characters and realistic locations is not lost, when a game like Sonic CD (1993) before this is sumptuous as much for their complete lack of reality and the tone of Sega's entire aesthetic and mood attitudes, the famous Sega "blue skies".

This leans into the biggest virtues of Sonic R, is vibrancy fighting against the struggles of the graphics nowadays in its brightness. The biggest surprise and the lasting legacy of the game, for the production history for the game was in short time, perfectly suits Sega's entire tone as much as it could cause certain people to jam pencils into their ears but has become iconic. That is the music by British video game and film composer Richard Jacques with British singer Teresa Jane "TJ" Davis. Jacques' music is Euro dance-pop with very sentimental lyrics of joy and happiness based around the levels tentatively - the ancient ruins gets a song called Back in Time, the city one called Living in the City. It is unsubtle, cheesy and ridiculous, befitting Sega and what stayed with me the most since my youth. It has likely left the most lasting impact for people looking back at Sonic R as much as I adore the songs. It has become a game not as readily available anymore - though it has had a 1998 Windows version, and was converted for a 2005 Sonic compilation for multiple consoles - but it has, ironically, lived through the music as part of the Sonic legacy.

After this game, the franchise would get back on track in main series franchise titles with the two Sonic Adventure games for the Sega Dreamcast. That console however was Sega's last, and eventually the Sonic franchise, in  3D from there, would get mired in derided titles and the infamous 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog as much as titles like Sonic Mania (2017) being well regarded. Sonic R in context is a minor game, but one however that could be readapted into the modern day with its unique gaming mechanics. Aesthetically it has enough already to be iconic, but one could only imagine how much more Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team, who deserve a pat on the back for making the game as well as it turned out, could have gotten out of this production if they had more time.