Tails' Skypatrol

Last updated

Tails' Skypatrol
Tails' Skypatrol cover art.png
Developer(s)
  • Japan System House
  • SIMS
Publisher(s) Sega
Composer(s) Chikayo Fukuda
Series Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s) Game Gear
Release
  • JP: April 28, 1995
Genre(s) Scrolling shooter

Tails' Skypatrol [lower-alpha 1] is a horizontally scrolling shooter video game published in Japan in 1995 by Sega for the Game Gear. It is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and one of two Game Gear games to star Sonic's sidekick Tails. The player controls the titular character in his quest to stop the evil witch Witchcart before she conquers an island and turns its inhabitants into crystals. Gameplay involves shooting enemies, collecting power-ups, and defeating bosses.

Contents

Skypatrol was developed by Japan System House with assistance from SIMS, a part-owned subsidiary of Sega at the time. It was in development as an educational game for a cancelled handheld system, before being moved to the Game Gear. It did not feature the Sonic branding until it was presented to Sega, which requested the main character be replaced with Tails. Skypatrol received mixed reviews, with critics focusing specifically on its high difficulty and poor controls. It has been re-released through Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003), Sonic Gems Collection (2005), and Sonic Origins Plus (2023).

Gameplay

Tails flying past a rotating spike obstacle Tails' Skypatrol screenshot.png
Tails flying past a rotating spike obstacle

Tails' Skypatrol is a horizontal-scrolling shooter set within the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Its plot involves Sonic's sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower, traveling to a tropical island to stop the villainous Witchcart, who has turned its inhabitants into crystals. [1] Tails flies by spinning his two tails, [2] is always flying, and can be maneuvered up and down to avoid obstacles and left and right to slow down or speed up. Collecting mint candies replenishes Tails' constantly-depleting flight meter. If Tails is hit by an enemy, he falls toward the ground and the player must recover. Touching a level's environment will cost the player a life. [1] Tails' uses a gold ring as a weapon that can be thrown to defeat enemies, bypass traps, and retrieve items. [3]

There are five scrolling levels to traverse, which vary in difficulty and take place in locations such as forests and castles. [1] Levels conclude with a boss fight against one of Witchcart's henchmen. The player has unlimited continues and will begin at the start of that particular stage after losing all of their lives. [1]

Development and release

Tails' Skypatrol was originally in production for an unreleased handheld before it was moved to the Game Gear (pictured above). Sega-Game-Gear-WB.png
Tails' Skypatrol was originally in production for an unreleased handheld before it was moved to the Game Gear (pictured above).

Tails' Skypatrol was developed by Japan System House (JSH), a company known for its work on 8-bit conversions of Sega games throughout the early 1990s, with assistance from part-owned Sega subsidiary SIMS. [1] JSH initially developed the game not as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. The game was originally intended as a launch title for an unreleased handheld console, which used original characters and had a more educational focus. When the system was cancelled, the company chose to remake the game for the Game Gear, a handheld that posed similar hardware specifications and the same screen resolution. Upon completion, it was presented to Sega, which requested that the main character be replaced with Tails. [1] Along with Tails Adventure , it is one of two Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Game Gear to star Tails. [4]

Tails' Skypatrol was released in Japan on April 28, 1995. [5] It is included as an unlockable extra in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003), alongside eleven other Sonic Game Gear games, which also marks the game's first release outside Japan. [6] [7] The 2005 compilation Sonic Gems Collection includes Tails' Skypatrol and several other Sonic and Sega games. [8] It was also part of the 2023 compilation Sonic Origins Plus . [9]

Reception

Tails' Skypatrol received largely unfavorable reviews. Upon release, a reviewer for Sega Saturn Magazine found it to be among the weakest entries in the Sonic series, particularly for its poor controls and harsh difficulty. However, they commented that its drastically-different gameplay made it a unique and interesting game on its own. [11] In reviewing the game's inclusion in Sonic Gems Collection, Louis Bedigian stated that Tails' Skypatrol is "the most interesting of these [included Game Gear games], as it’s entirely airborne with Tails collecting rings and solving simple puzzles." [12] 1Up.com 's Jeremy Parish called the game and Tails Adventure "garbage that I wouldn't even want to play on Game Gear, let alone on GameCube." [13]

Retrospectively, Tails' Skypatrol reception has been similar. USgamer ranked Tails' Skypatrol 26th of 28 Sonic the Hedgehog series games, above only the 2006 video game Sonic the Hedgehog and 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog. Reviewer Nadia Oxford called the game "adorable", but difficult to control with the large sprites used in the game, similar to other titles for the Game Gear. The editor of USgamer, in the same list, called the game "a pretty obvious cash-in on the brand". [7] Writing for Retro Gamer , Kim Wild stated that the game's awkward controls and camera angle made playing the game frustrating. [14] Apollo Chungus of Hardcore Gaming 101 was more positive about the game. He gave credence to the game's high difficulty because of the nature of Tails' hitbox and poor teaching in the "training" level, but also stated "there's something to enjoy" for players who get used to the game. Chungus had praise for the game's graphics and sound, but was critical of the game's short length and repetitive boss fights. He called the game as a whole "a decent romp that’s worth checking out for fans of Tails and the curious". [1]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: テイルスのスカイパトロール, Hepburn: Teirusu no Sukai Patorōru

Related Research Articles

<i>Sonic Mega Collection</i> 2002 compilation video game by Sega

Sonic Mega Collection is a video game compilation developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2002 for the GameCube. It is a compilation of several Sonic the Hedgehog games originally released for the Genesis, along with a few other Sega-published titles for the system.

<i>Sonic Adventure</i> 1998 video game

Sonic Adventure is a 1998 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It was the first main Sonic the Hedgehog game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their quests to collect the Chaos Emeralds and stop Doctor Robotnik from unleashing Chaos, an ancient evil. Controlling one of the six characters—each with their own abilities—players complete levels to progress the story. Sonic Adventure retains many elements from prior Sonic games, such as power-ups and the ring-based health system. Players can play minigames such as racing and interact with Chao, a virtual pet.

Tails (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Video game character

Tails, also known as Miles Prower, is a fictional character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. Tails also appears in several spin-off games in which he stars, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the first character to consistently appear by Sonic's side in the series as his best friend, appearing in nearly every mainline and spin-off since his debut. The name "Miles Prower" is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. Prower is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox cub, hence the nickname.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (8-bit video game) 1991 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform game. It is a companion to the 16-bit Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog for the 8-bit Sega Master System and Game Gear consoles. Ancient—a studio founded by composer Yuzo Koshiro for the project—developed the game and Sega published it to promote the handheld Game Gear. The 8-bit Sonic is a side-scrolling game similar in style to the 16-bit game, but reduced in complexity to fit the 8-bit systems.

<i>Sonic Adventure 2</i> 2001 video game

Sonic Adventure 2 is a 2001 platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It features two good-vs-evil stories: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna attempt to save the world, while Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman, and Rouge the Bat attempt to conquer it. The stories are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, multidirectional shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-adventure exploration for Knuckles and Rouge. Like previous Sonic the Hedgehog games, the player completes levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Outside the main gameplay, they can interact with Chao, a virtual pet, and compete in multiplayer battles.

<i>Sonic Blast</i> 1996 platform video game

Sonic Blast is a 1996 side-scrolling platform video game known for its use of pre-rendered visuals. To stop Doctor Robotnik from using Chaos Emerald shards to fortify his base, the player controls Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna through 15 levels. As a Sonic the Hedgehog series platformer, the characters run and jump to reach the end of a level while defeating enemy robots and collecting rings. In separate bonus stages, the player must run forward and collect rings to earn one of the Chaos Emerald shards.

<i>Sonic Advance</i> 2001 platform video game

Sonic Advance is a 2001 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance. It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game to be released on a Nintendo console with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of the series' tenth anniversary. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they journey to stop Doctor Eggman from taking over the world. Controlling a character, players are tasked with completing each level, defeating Eggman and his robot army, and collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.

<i>Sonic Jam</i> 1997 video game compilation

Sonic Jam is a video game compilation developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. It was released in Japan in June 1997 and in North America and Europe the following August. It contains the four main Sonic the Hedgehog games released on the Sega Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) and Sonic & Knuckles (1994). It also features a 3D environment, "Sonic World", which doubles as an interactive museum of Sonic the Hedgehog content.

<i>Sonic Spinball</i> 1993 pinball video game

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, also known as Sonic Spinball, is a 1993 pinball video game developed by Sega Technical Institute and published by Sega. It is a spinoff of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who must stop Doctor Robotnik from enslaving the population in a giant pinball-like mechanism. The game is set in a series of pinball machine-like environments with Sonic acting as the pinball.

<i>Sonic Drift</i> 1994 racing game

Sonic Drift is a 1994 racing game based on Sonic the Hedgehog developed and published by Sega for the Game Gear. Players control one of four characters as they race to the finish line, with 18 tracks themed after levels in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog.

<i>Sonic Drift 2</i> 1995 racing video game

Sonic Drift 2, released in Europe as Sonic Drift Racing, is a kart racing video game by Sega for the Game Gear. The sequel to Sonic Drift, it was released in Japan and Europe in April 1995 and in North America in November 1995. It added three characters: Knuckles, Fang the Sniper, and Metal Sonic, and marked the first time the last two were playable characters. Sonic Drift 2 was later released worldwide as part of Sonic Adventure DX in 2003 and the compilation game Sonic Gems Collection in 2005. It was released again in 2023 as part of Sonic Origins Plus.

<i>Sonic Labyrinth</i> 1995 video game

Sonic Labyrinth is an action-puzzle game developed by Minato Giken and published by Sega for the Game Gear in 1995. The game features Sonic the Hedgehog exploring maze-like stages from an isometric perspective. Dr. Robotnik has robbed Sonic of his trademark speed, so Sonic walks slowly but can roll into a ball and dash across the stages.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble</i> 1994 platform game

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a 1994 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It is the sequel to Sonic Chaos (1993) and features classic side-scrolling Sonic gameplay. The player controls either Sonic the Hedgehog or Miles "Tails" Prower as they venture to protect the powerful Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, Knuckles the Echidna, and series newcomer Nack the Weasel. Sonic and Tails' unique abilities, as well as various power-ups, can assist the player in gameplay.

<i>Sonic Chaos</i> 1993 video game

Sonic Chaos is a 1993 platform game published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower in their quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, who has stolen them to construct nuclear weapons. Gameplay involves running through stages, collecting rings, and defeating enemies. It is largely based on the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is thus considered a follow-up to that game. Chaos is the first Sonic game for the Master System and Game Gear to feature Tails as a separate playable character with his own unique abilities.

<i>Sonic Gems Collection</i> 2005 compilation video game by Sega

Sonic Gems Collection is a 2005 compilation of Sega video games, primarily those in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles—from the Sega Genesis to the Sega Saturn—and retain the features and errors of their initial releases with minimal edits. Player progress is rewarded with demos of other Sonic games, videos, and promotional artwork spanning the history of the Sonic franchise. While its 2002 predecessor, Sonic Mega Collection, comprises popular Sonic games, Gems Collection focuses on more obscure games, such as Sonic CD (1993) and Sonic the Fighters (1996). Other non-Sonic games are included, but some, such as the Streets of Rage trilogy, are omitted in the Western localization.

<i>Tails Adventure</i> 1995 video game

Tails Adventure is a platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1995 for the Game Gear. The game stars Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog series in a solo adventure, as he collects an array of items to help him explore Cocoa Island and defeat the enemies inhabiting it. The gameplay is more slow-paced than other Sonic games, with Tails only capable of walking and flying at a moderate speed. The stages are explored in a non-linear fashion, with newly collected items opening up pathways in previous areas.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> (8-bit video game) 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. It is the sequel to the 8-bit Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and follows Sonic as he attempts to get the Chaos Emeralds back to rescue his friend Miles "Tails" Prower from Dr. Robotnik. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog, players run through levels at high speeds while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Although it shares the same title with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis and their releases coincided, the games have little in common and share no levels.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

As the Sonic the Hedgehog series of platform games has grown in popularity, its publisher Sega has expanded the franchise into multiple different genres. Among these are several educational video games designed to appeal to young children. The first attempt to create an educational Sonic game was Tiertex Design Studios' Sonic's Edusoft for the Master System in late 1991, which was canceled despite having been nearly finished. When Sega launched the Sega Pico in 1994, it released Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld and Tails and the Music Maker for it. Orion Interactive also developed the 1996 Sega PC game Sonic's Schoolhouse, which used a 3D game engine and had an exceptionally large marketing budget. In the mid-2000s, LeapFrog Enterprises released educational Sonic games for its Leapster and LeapFrog Didj.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chungus, Apollo (February 26, 2019). "Tails' Skypatrol". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Tails' Skypatrol". Sega.jp (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Pré-Estréia". SuperGamePower (in Portuguese). Vol. 2, no. 14. May 1995. p. 19.
  4. ↑ Sleeper, Morgan (June 27, 2013). "Review: Tails Adventure (3DS eShop / GG)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sega Game Gear software". Sega.jp (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018.
  6. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (June 20, 2003). "Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut Review". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Gotta Go Fast: Ranking All of The Sonic The Hedgehog Games". USgamer . January 6, 2020. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ Castro, Juan (August 19, 2005). "Sonic Gems Collection". IGN . Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ Shea, Brian (2023-03-23). "Sonic Origins Plus Adds Amy As Playable Character, Game Gear Games, And More This June". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  10. ↑ "テイルスのスカイパトロール (GG)". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Reviews" (PDF). Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). SoftBank Publishing. September 1995. p. 86.
  12. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (May 4, 2012). "Sonic Gems Collection – GC – Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  13. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (August 16, 2005). "Review: Sonic Gems Collection". 1Up.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  14. ↑ Wild, Kim (2006). "Super Sonic". Retro Gamer . No. 26. p. 35.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.