Knuckles' Chaotix

Article originally written in French by Solo the CyberpunK and translated in English by DarkEvil.
See original here.

Being a great fan of the Sonic the Hedgehog series (those in 2D, I'll attack the Sonics in another article), there was only one game up to this point that I hadn't played until knowing the music by heart: Knuckles' Chaotix...

The main issue with this game is that it was released on the Sega 32x, an extension for the Sega Genesis which gives you access to 34 (yep, 34...) games unique to that platform. At the time, the suggested price was $170! It's not surprising that only 200,000 units were sold (hence the limited number of games designed for it...) Now, it's easy to find a Sega 32x on eBay for a couple dozen bucks. Is that game really worth investing for a 32x?

The answer relies on you: are you a fan of Sonic games? Are you a collector of rare video games? You don't know what to do with your 32X? If you answered "yes" to one of these questions, Knuckles' Chaotix is a game to get. If you answered "no", then... paying full price for this game could be a mistake as a gamer...

As soon as we start Knuckles' Chaotix, we can see new characters for the first time: Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee. Some of them will reappear only 8 years later, in Sonic Heroes.

If we select Scenario Quest (story mode), we're forced to go through a very painful procedure. Each time the game is started, after selecting a saved game, a main character has to be chosen. Next, we proceed right past a screen indicating the number of completed stages. After that, another screen to the right is the character selection screen, but instead of making it simple, we activate a constantly moving hook after which we press the button when we think it's aligned with the character we want to pick. The result, we often stop on any character except the one we wanted... And as if it wasn't enough, ANOTHER SCREEN to the right (!), it's time to press a button to let the game pick a stage for us. Once again, we have no idea where we will land, it's all random. I checked how long it takes to get in a stage from the moment the game is started: 1 minute 2 seconds. Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles: 5 seconds... You'll say it's not too long, but I completed the stage itself in 1 minute 30 seconds! And it's not all, once the stage is completed, you must go through the same procedure... Help me! I just wanna play!!! (You can see an example at the end of the video above.)

On the graphics side, Knuckles' Chaotix is superb. All is fluid, the colors are vivid. Talking about the colors, is it possible Sega wanted to show the 32x's capabilities to display 32,768 simultaneously on the screen? Because while playing, we're given the impression that the game is dangerous for epileptics with all the fluorescent colors blinking and moving and... aaah my eyes! As for the diversity of locations, it looks like all the stages are greatly inspired by Carnival Zone in Sonic 3. This is a good thing, since we can always feel like we're in the Sonic universe.

Personal opinion: Knuckles seems a little strange... and pink. Why not use the same sprites as in Sonic & Knuckles?

The next point is really what makes you love or hate Knuckles' Chaotix: the gameplay. In platformers, we're used to controlling a character, making him run and jump. In this game, the main character is attached with an elastic rope to another character. Together they can achieve greater goals, like giving themselves a boost to climb an elevated piece of land or jumping higher than ever before. You need to realize this is not easy to control (because of the elasticity, the characters will something start bouncing everywhere in a way that seems uncontrollable at first). I've got to say, once you've mastered the controls the game takes a whole new meaning and gets really fun. The first few stages can be frustrating, but if we're aware that we'll need a little practice with the controls (unlike other games of the same genre), then Knuckles' Chaotix can become a unique platformer with its own touch of innovation.

The stage design can be seen as a negative aspect, some are alike and others are incomprehensible. Have you ever encountered a time over in any Sonic game? In Knuckles' Chaotix, it's possible! Unlike most platformers, the end of a stage is not necessarily to the right. It can be in the centre, upwards... After 10 minutes of intensive searching, time over.... F***!

The music is really good. Like the other old school Sonics, captivating and varied, it's exactly what we're expecting from this game. Same thing for sound effects.

When we complete the game, we find that there are two different endings, giving place to replayability. Furthermore, to get the "good" ending, all bonus stages must be completed. For a platformer, it's already a lot.

Since we're talking about the bonus stages, they look like a mix of those seen in previous Sonic games. A certain number of blue spheres must be obtained (Sonic 3), while moving left or right in a tunnel (Sonic 2). The difference is that the tunnel is a closed hexagonal tube and we can walk on every surface, even with the head upside down (like in the music game Frequency). These stages are a good use of the 32X, no way that could've been seen on the Genesis!

To conclude, Knuckles' Chaotix is a must for fans of the Sonic series, but only an okay game for others. New concepts are thrown in, but not developed enough. Knowing that this game was to be Sonic Crackers, where Sonic and Tails where supposed to be the characters attached with an elastic rope, we can ask ourselves why Sega decided to remove the popular mascot from this title... Were they afraid of a greater flop?

Scores:

Graphics: 90%
Superb graphics, 3D bonus stages, colorful

Sounds: 93%
Captivating music that can relate to the Sonic universe

Gameplay: 43%
The controls are just a pain to learn, even if the game becomes fun once they're mastered

Replayability: 75%
2 endings, the Chaos Rings to collect in bonus stages, a lot of characters

Bonus: 66%
One of the only 32X games that stands its ground and still an important piece of Sonic history

Total: 70%
A game that's worth a look for its attempt to make a series go in a new direction, but that demands a lot of patience

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Knuckles' Chaotix

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