Sonic the Hedgehog 8-bit: Changes from Master System to Game Gear (25th Anniversary special)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
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Time to break the Zelda/Mario mold and try out a different IP.
I thought this game would be very appropriate for a few reasons:
* The 8-bit Master System version in particular is 25 years old as of this upload date.
* It's the first game I am focusing on that isn't from Nintendo.
* There's not many reasonable 16-Bit differences other than:
Original 16-bit vs GBA 15th Anniversary & 2013 iOS/Android
Unlike Super Mario 64 vs Super Mario 64 DS,
8-bit Sonic 1 movement mechanics is 97% faithful so the only real change (which covers 45 minutes) is the level design.. and obviously boss battles.
A lot of the levels had minor tweaks to either reduce difficulty or adjust the lower resolution to minimise blind jumps. Few of them had huge redesigns that it was hard to 'sync' both versions together.
Timestamps
0:39
General:
This one will cover sprite designs (not colour palette changes)
Movement mechanics changes and oddities
demo mode
8:34
Green Hill Zone level design
14:25
Bridge Zone level design
18:36
Jungle Zone level design
Warning, some clips are very short, so either pause or set speed to 50%.
28:38
Labyrinth Zone level design
39:44
Scrap Brain Zone level design
46:00
Sky Base Zone level design
51:33
Special zones level design
57:26
Ending credits
Fun trivia:
During my research it turns out that Game Gear actually has 2 different versions.
As with most official VC based re-releases, the version most of you have played through 3DS eShop/Sonic Adventure DX/Sonic Mega Collection Plus as a bonus game used version 1.1 rom.
What difference does it make for a speed run?
The biggest time loss is not being able to zip through ceilings in Labyrinth zones 1 & 2. This is because the lift's collision detection was reduced in width. For you Game Gear cart hunters, the easiest way to verify a GG V1.0 copy is to play Green Hill Zone Act 3 and hit Eggman. If you see his hit reaction sprite for roughly a second, you've got a V1.0 copy.
Roughly 83 GG recordings, cut down to smaller chunks
Roughly 67 SMS recordings, cut down to smaller chunks
#GreenalinkChanges
Latest CHANGES video: Donkey Kong Country (SNES vs GBA)
th-cam.com/video/Awi4UtTofE0/w-d-xo.html
Greenalink pop
no it isn't
Greenalink j
Greenalink waz2
Plank, NES, SMS, and GG are ALL 8-bit. The Master System is also significantly more powerful than the NES, for several reasons. The fact that they're both 8 bit systems means very little when it comes to processing power and color output. Also, there has NEVER been a 12 bit console... you're arguing way out if your league here.
It's still crazy for me to imagine there being a modern, powerful console released, and then only a few years later, a handheld released that almost as, if not more powerful. The 80s and 90s must've been a crazy time for technology.
The Nintendo Switch is impressive, but the Wii U wasn't so isn't really the same
The Game Gear version has more basic/easier level design to compensate for the scaled down resolution. Since both games are both easily emulated on a vast number of platforms, the SMS version is definitive for me and the only version I still play. I do like some of the extra/different colours and graphics the GG version has, but the small resolution and scrolling is a massive deterrent.
Little fun fact: When you beat the final boss in the SMS version, if you're quick enough and time your jumps before the cutscene kicks in, you can use the teleporter before Robotnik.
Game Gear was a portable console. That's why it has smaller resolution. Please don't be ignorant
@@mep6302 How was I being ignorant? I clearly stated that the GG version has a smaller resolution, twice even... The fact that it's a portable console doesn't even need to be stated, that's like saying grass is green and the sky is blue....
I personally think Game Gear's level design is much better overall. Especially since some segments in the MS version feel unfinished - especially the Labyrinth Zone parts and Sky Base 2 having no cannons whatsoever in the shortcut path.
same for the game gear, i accidentally gone in the portal before egghead
is it weird that I like 8-bit labyrinth music more than the 16-bit version?
Nope
Not at all, it's the same way with scrap brain.
Me too.
Maybe the music but I hate the zone a lot more on this version
No, 8-bit goes so hard for no reason
Greenalink, is it just me, but they did a great job on converting it from a wide resolution game to a gameboy resolution game? Like they actually tried to make sure that the Game Gear version plays well even with the lack of high resolution view... They accommodated everything for the Game Gear with extra love and detail. :)
Not to mention most bug/glitches that got patched to the handheld version.
Quinn The Quartz Sadly they didn't for Sonic 2 on Master System, which is unoptimized for Game Gear
Quinn The Quartz sadly for the sequel they had a run with the money
Blank Blank What do you mean?
I played Sonic 2 on Master System
I believe they're talking about the Game Gear Version of Sonic 2, in which it suffers from Screen Crunch since the levels and whatnot were not adjusted for the Game Gear's Smaller Resolution like they were for Sonic 1 on MS and GG.
Fun Fact: The Master System/Mark III Conversion of Sonic 1 was Never Released in Japan due to the Master System/Mark III being discontinued in 1989, with the last Japanese Game being Bomber Raid, Released nearly four months after the Japanese Launch of the Mega Drive/Genesis on February 4, 1989.
Intresting...🤔
Surprised?
This one was an interesting project as many wikis that were mentioning version differences before this video had very little information, by the time you've watched all of it, those wikis needs a serious revamp.
I apologise in advance if some of the text/clips appear way too short, this is the case for Jungle Zone level design segment.
Try setting it to 50% speed or pause for each one.
Happy 25th Anniversary 8-bit Sonic!
Greenalink Typo at 11:01 "1 Steps"
Greenalink Can you still do GBA vsGenesis?
The joy of typo hunting. The ones you least expect :P
I did a dirty encode before this on and there was an error at one point that had 2 set of text overlapped for a couple of seconds.
There isn't much coming out from that other than a montage on why the 15th Anniversary port is really awful. If I ever do another Sonic game it will be 8-bit version of Sonic 2.
Greenalink Alright. I only have the Genesis version on Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube.
Hmm...I like both but I think Sonic's character sprite is more defined in the MS version.
@GUSTAVO666BR Error1010010101010 Interestingly enough, the GG version was the first version of Sonic 1 I ever played. I got a Game Gear for Christmas back in 1992, and it was packaged with the system. I wasn't even aware of the MS version until many years later. I had a feeling though that there was another version of 8 bit Sonic 1 out there because back then I had a strategy guide for Sonic 1 and 2 on the Game Gear, and one of the screenshots showed the Sonic in the MS version. I thought it was odd because his character sprite in the MS version is the same as that of Sonic 2 and I thought maybe it was some early prototype or something, but for some reason they used it for that particular guide.
GG Sonic looks like he has no nose
@@weegle. "My hedgehog's got no nose."
"How does he smell?"
"Terrible!"
@@alfo2804 nice twist punchline!
I agree
This was amazingly detailed. Fantastic work.
i really appreciate the fact that they designed the levels to be scaled down for game gear
Is it me or sonic lost his nose in sonic the hedgehog series for game gear
ikr. If sonic actually looked like he had a nose, I'd say the game gear sprites are better
@@weegle. exactly but i love the ms sprites more
How can he survive for that long
No ur right
Sonic does have a nose, people mistake to be something else, like his other eye
The biggest change between the Master System and Game Gear is the fact that the Game Gear removed Sonic's nose.
Not really. just look for Sonic GG looking upwards and you'll see a black tipped nose.
I think it looks like this because the nose is pointed up and close to his eyes so some people may think that his other eye is visible but thats just his nose.
How come a sprite change be bigger then 2 entirely new objects?
Great video, you've obviously painstakingly gone through both games with a fine tooth comb! The MS Sonic was my first Sonic game and I never played the GG version until many years later via emulation and game collection discs. Very interesting!
Thank you so much for this video. I can tell this must have taken forever to piece together.
It's hard for me to determine which is the "better" version. I would say Game Gear, but I really hate that zoom-in, and kinda like the Master System's color pallette and sprite for Sonic. But Game Gear fixes alot of the Master System's issues.
The GG version is objectively worse, since it makes the bosses either too hard or too easy. It also spoils the Labyrinth emerald, ruining the puzzle.
The only noteworthy improvement imo is the removal of the trapped in the wall bug in GHZ 2. That caught me an annoying number of times as a kid.
YMMV
@@MajoradeMayhem removemnt of death from camera in JZ2 is another very noteworthy change
I can imagine, how much effort was put into this video! Great job!
17:43 - Game Gear completes the level before Master System.
Nice video, Greenalink!
This was surprisingly very interesting to me. Having played the Master System version my whole life, and only having played the game gear version maybe twice, a few things stood out to me. But wow, there are way more differences than I ever noticed. I'd certainly be interested if you eventually looked at Sonic 2 and maybe Sonic Chaos MS/GG comparisons. XD
Great video! It must have taken a lot of dedication and hard work. I always thought games on both Master System and game gear were identical.
on the sonic mega collection they put the game gear version which I find very daft ! you can see more of the screen in the master system.
You mean Mega Collection Plus?
My only guess to why is that the Game Gear was more popular than the MS in Japan and North America. Only in Europe and Brazil did it really succeed, and Sega doesn't care too much about those markets compared to Japan and NA. So the Game Gear versions were used.
I think there should've just been an option. They're less than 1MB. It wouldn't have cost anything.
Wow, this is an amazing comparison video! I'll have to check out all your other videos, too. I appreciate all the hard work you put into this and I learned so much!
Those fugly GG Sonic sprites... I never get over them.
Great video. One thing I noticed is the 'spray' on the platforms in Jungle Zone. Because of the background in the SMS version, they look animated. But with the pallet change in GG, the effect is ruined. I wonder why Jungle Zone got all the aesthetic changes?
Master System: I'll let you make a normal jump while on a waterfall
Game Gear: haha jump height go brrr
That's a lot of difference - more than I expected. Thanks for this!
This video is awesome and shows some serious dedication. Master system all the way
Nice, Didn't even know there were that many differences between versions!
58:28 It says "Sound Producer".
Master System version all day
Brandonsaurus64 Nah
No...
Game gear version all the way!
At the time in the 90s I played the Master System version on the Game Gear through the Master Gear.
@Sir AZ
The GG one is optimized for the small screen, at least in my opinion. But hey, there's a S1 GG-MS conversion, so the screen issue can be fixed.
interesting. didn't know they had so many differences, even though I definitely felt differences while playing them. the Jungle Zone background and tiles are so much more lively in the game gear version.. even though it seems to be missing some vines.
My beloved Sonic 1 on Master System....my all time favourite sonic game, i keep it like gold.
Game gear version all the way!
Master version all day!
They're BOTH awesome in their own kind of way!
I hope someday we get a patch/rom hack for the Master System version adding the improvements from the Game Gear ports
0:00 Intro
0:39 Title screen, graphics and mechanics
8:34 Green Hill Zone level design
14:25 Bridge Zone level design
18:36 Jungle Zone level design
28:38 Labyrinth Zone level design
39:44 Scrap Brain Zone level design
46:00 Sky Base Zone level design
51:33 Special zones level design
57:26 End credits
59:25 Outro
I always just assumed the GG game was a direct port of the MS version... how odd for them to make so many little adjustments that didn’t really need to be adjusted at all
In Sonic 1 GG, he has a "Bugs Bunny" look to him.
Wow this is spectacular! Really great in depth comparison of this game, really goes to show how much effort they did to porting the game gear version (wish the other sonic games after did that). 8-Bit Sonic 1 is quite a great game and seeing just how different these 2 versions are is wild!
waait,i just realized,the marble zone music in unused on these systems
crazy to think you've had this channel up for more than 25 years now
Wrong. This channel started in 2007. 13 years ago
@@mep6302 you're daft
Brilliant video. Love how technical you were with the information. Loved the all the sonic games as a kid.
Even sonic 06?
@@Kapx64 haha I wasn't a kid in 06. I was 19 in 06. So I'd say up to 1996 I loved the sonic franchise most. Sonic mania is the best sonic game since sonic and knuckles(in my own opinion).
O
sms can be a mario lost levels when it comes to level design and boss battles
🤔
I Like The Game Gear.
Wow! This is pretty amazing, it must have taken ages to do this.
Just another TH-cam channel Sega is very old
it must have taken SEGA to do this
I have the GameGear version on my 3DS. Bought it back when I wasn't that big of a Sonic fan yet and didn't know this version was different from the Genesis version. Oh well, I have the 16-bit version on my phone now. Thanks, SEGA!
This was clearly gone over with a fine tooth comb!
well i just realised if this is a 50 minutes long video
That was a really interesting watch. I never realised that they were so different. My experience is mainly with the GG version. Are the Sonic 2 versions just as different? The only difference I remember was Green Hills 3 being easier on SMS.
4:12 hyper - r.i.p ;-;
that's GOTTA hurt.
You missed one in green hill. In the GG version, the water ripples are animated in the background, whereas they're not in the MS version. Other than that though, great comparison!
Keegan Andersson The water ripples in the SMS version are animated, it's just more subtle.
They ripple. The higher resolution does make it hard to notice.
nice video buddy, you could complete both games in less time back to back :)
2:13 in the game gear. I used to think sonic went really fluffy for this sprite
IT'S SO FLUFFY
Awesome job with the video Toon Link! :) You got a subscriber!
Good lord... nice video man!
I'm a big Sonic-fan, especialy when it comes to the MS (GG) games. :)
Is it possible to do this with the second game as well?
I had this as a kid for MS, but later, I played the "Gems Collection" and I wondered, why I struggle that much against the first boss... till I realized, it's the GG-version with tweaked bosses and the removal of the one and only "Speed Shoe"-power-up.
Marco Funke Sonic 2 is better on Master system, but it's the opposite for the first game in glorious 8-bits
Marco Funke same
im keeping asking why they did not remake the SMS/GG Sonic 1 for the GBA instead of shitty remaking Sonic 1 MD/GEN
Ezequiel Plata Pizarro because no one remember it so far
There no reason why you eat a hot dog when a hamburger is cheaper also with extra cheese
Meaning that genesis is the core version so they need to remake it more than waste their money and time on sms and gg version
@@upwaveflash8429 The whole point is that nobody knew that much about it. Remaking it gives it more exposure and makes it more well-known. Like how the only way people were able to play Sonic CD or Sonic R for the longest time was through Gems collection. Now that I think about it, the only way people were allowed to experience the classic games if they only had current-gen consoles was through Mega Collection for the longest time. Sonic 1 already had like 20 ports by the time Sonic Genesis came out. Porting it to the GBA was literally pointless, especially because they couldn't even port it properly. It was a missed opportunity.
SallyPuppy123456 fair sense
i wish the game gear screen was bigger, and they fixed the water jump bug
oh fuck this was an hour long?
Bob Not Quite
Bob just bye looking at your comment I quickly checked how long it is and yep, one hour
Nope, it's actually 59 minutes and 45 seconds.
Null with ads its an hour
No it was 15 seconds short
It’s pretty baffling as to why they didn’t use the master system versions of sonic 1, 2, chaos, spinball, and mean bean machine for the mega collection plus, gems collection, and SADX (GCN version), I can understand for mean bean and spinball, and I can kinda understand for sonic chaos and maybe even sonic 1, but why use the game gear version of sonic 2?! That game was hard as hell, the screen crunch was horrible, enemy placements can be very dickish, and because of the damn screen crunch and the fact that there are no rings in act 3 bosses are PAINFUL!!
I just finished the gamegear version. I've played and finished the Master System version plenty of times over the years (never owned a Megadrive). The games are pretty identical although as the video pointed out there are some additional signage or background graphics in the GG version you dont see in the MS one (like those stupid fruit on the jungle stage) but i felt sonics jump in the GG version was too high because it made some boss fights way too easy. But, I found the final area on the GG version was a lot harder than the MS one with more lightening and gun turrets than what i recall the MS one having. Both great games
Whoever made this THANK YOU SO MUCH
That's me and you're welcome.
@@Greenalink I’m getting a master system later at about 7:30 tonight when the bid ends and I’m so excited to get a few sonic games for it but I will have to make sure they are pal free I will comment back saying if I win it or not it’s really cheap too
This is why i love TH-cam
I like his Master System Sprite better. I don't like how his nose disappears in the Game Gear version.
wut?? did only i saw that sonic turns brighter when he gets to the end??
They did not mentioned in the bridge zone comparison about the picket fencing background sprites seen only in gg
I Love This! 4:15
you were using the unused marble Zone music
Fun fact: Brazil is the only country that got the Sonic game gear exclusive games to Master System, because the MS was a pretty popular console in Brazil cuz it was cheap, so Tec Toy, a Brazilian company was responsible for porting those games to a Master System, so only the Brazilian dudes officially played Sonic Triple Trouble in a MS!
i already know that
Good to know...
Toy Tec was really an good company for doing ports of Game Gear games, over the Master System...🤔😅
Sonic 1 on the MS is probably my favourite Sonic game after Sonic 3. It has that undefinable magic that some games have.
Is it weird that I like the 8-bit Sonic games more than the 16-bit ones?
Not really why?
Sonic actually has a nose in the gg version, but it’s kinda hard to see at first
Master system= Normal mode, Game Gear= Hard mode!
It's backwards Master System Hard Mode Game Gear Normal Mode
11:08 no, it's not monitor being bigger, it'Sonic being shrinked in size throughout all the game
I wasn't referring to the monitor. I was referring to the *platform* size the monitor is on.
Excellent comparison video! :D
Keep up the good work.
The Sonic sprite for the Master System looks alot better than the game gear one.
hot take, 8 bit sonic 1 mogs 16 bit. All of the levels are more fun, the graphics are sharp and really pop, the music is more of a banger, and the transition between levels is smoother than butter. Plus the special stage is actually fun.
Given the issues I had with the Jungle level 2 stage on the game gear as a kid, I can't imagine how infuriating the console version would have been.
game gear looks more detailed, widescreen and cleared up animation. 👍😄👍 #teamsonic
Martell Tha Cool #MARIOISBETTERTHANNINTENDO
+Mario 6514
Mario is better than Nintendo?
Your words, not mine.
dragonaut Game gear has better graphics and they made up for it with easier levels and signs to warn the player of an incoming set piece like a jump or spikes
Martell Tha Cool But Sonic Looks Weird
JoaoGameplaysSP he does look weird
Game Gear version is good but the master system´s one is a little better, just take a look at the ugly sprite of Sonic in the GG, and the fruit in the jungle stage looks weird as hell ...but anyway this is one of the greatest 8 bit platformers ever made, awesome soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro who was a key developer in this title, awesome graphics and the feeling that this master piece isn´t just a 8 bit port of the 16 bits Sonic game, is something totally different and incredible on its own merits
Dat lag tho. Was there any performance improvement in the GG version? It still looks choppy.
(Also Sky Base Zone 4eva. 10/10.)
The special areas on the Game Gear have a more exciting “pinball” feel, owing to the smaller field of vision!
Play on your WLL
Oh.
My.
Go.......
The work. Nice Job man. Seriously.
At the end of the game, you get a bonus for how many chaos emeralds you got, how many lives (Sonic) you have left, and how special you were. :)
I had no idea there were differences between the two ports. The sprites seem to be completely redrawn.
4:12
- Programmer : vry whorckhinng
All the compilations who feature 8 bit use the Game gear versións they should the put the Master systems versions instead
Great job! Now do the same for Sonic 2 8-bit and Sonic Chaos.
Damn good. You might want to do Rayman 1 sometime. It's got some very interesting differences.
I find a good chunk of Sonic's sprites from the GG version to be better drawn than the SMS original.
Anyone noticed that this version’s title screen looks like the Genesis version, though the background is black? Well, that was the case on the earliest Sonic 1 beta, from June 1990.
5:57 i have a brazilian TecToy SMS with sonic built in, and this glitch occurs just like gg version, sonic goes to the end of the level and you have just to back a little and cross the sign
i felt some sprites in the game gear verison looked weird because he didnt have a nose, the master system sonic sprites are way better
It's interesting you did this whole hour long comparison but didn't point out that the Game Gear version was the one Sega made first and ported to the Master System.
Because that’s quite literally not true, especially because the MS version was promoted several months before its release before the GG port would have started development, and the MS version came out before the GG version, so it’s the initial version.
@@Turbulation1 bruh moment? *So Sega said to us, "You made a version for Game Gear, could you make a version for the MkIII?"* - Yuzo Koshiro
@@SonicCDspeedrunArchives I didn’t know about the interview until reading more on it, but it doesn’t change too much context.
@@Turbulation1 The context is that the Game Gear version is the Original Version and that the Master System is an SADX quality port.
@@SonicCDspeedrunArchives I gave you another response in the other thread but I'll say it here.
"All I see are a bunch of changes made to accommodate for the GG's screen resolution by downscaling graphics and altering level design to be fairer, that doesn't make the GG version better than the SMS version, it's just making sonic 1 easier to play on a handheld."
But of course now with the new info, the context can be flipped here where the MS version was deliberately made harder, and I think that's very fair because of a much larger view you can see, if they kept the difficulty of the GG version, it would make the game, way too easy. Yes the colors are downgraded but that's only because of hardware limitations. I think the MS releasing before the GG version means it also didn't get as polished in terms of some features, but a lot of differences for the GG version, are specifically to make that version easier on a handheld, so it doesn't really make one version definitively better than the other, they are both good for their respective systems.
Basically calling the MS version a SADX quality port is doing it a massive disservice and it doesn't even deserve the title because the MS is technically weaker than the GG with it's smaller color palette and only mono audio. Meanwhile the gamecube was much stronger than the dreamcast.
@Greenalink Could you please do the following comparison videos:
Sonic 1 Genesis/Mega Drive vs GBA vs 2013 iOS/Android
Sonic 2 Master System vs Game Gear
Sonic 2 Genesis/Mega Drive vs GBA vs 2013 iOS/Android
Sonic CD Original vs 2011
Sonic Chaos Master System vs Game Gear
Sonic Colors DS vs Wii vs Ultimate
Wait, which one actually is which? It says Master System on left and Game Gear on right but the way things keep switching back and forth I'm not entirely sure :o
I *think* that's the right way as the text usually seems larger on the probably-GG shots, and Sonic has red shoes (which for some reason he lacked in the SMS version), but somehow his sprite seems taller and more detailed when you might have expected it to be more squat to compensate for the lower rez screen?
Glad to have the point bonus thing at the end of the stages cleared up though, always used to drive me mad trying all kinds of tricks to try and guarantee them on the GG, and even more so once I got to play the SMS version... naturally never managed it on the latter one :D
...and why the special stages seemed so damn hard on the SMS too!
Does anybody realize that the Game Gear had a larger palette to choose from than the SEGA Genesis?
No way!
The Game Gear does have a much larger color range than the Genesis, but it can only have 2 palettes of 16 colors on screen at once, while the Genesis can have 4 palettes on screen.
I thought the game gear version was a downgrade
The only real thing that I see that's better compared to the game gear version is how much you can see of the screen.
Game Gear Sonic is far more cute and i like the GG version's final boss a lot more.
Next video: Sonic 1 Master System and Game Gear and Sonic 1 SMS Remake all differences
Why does Green Hill Zone have Marble Zone music?
【Official】eClipes
I tend to use pure background music for graphics differences and Marble Zone was perfect for that because it's an unused track.
oh
Greenalink Music at 0:10!!!! if you don't tell me I will find you
also for the 2013 version of sonic 2
Game gear does have more detail and etc. but master system sonic has more charm in my opinion.
wow on the game gear the first boss makes the emerald hill boss look like dark souls
It's green hill not emerald hill
I've got one of just about every home console and handheld ever made and I didn't know Sonic was on the Mater System. I've got all the Sega systems you could want but the Master System is still surprising me. It's not one of the systems I have dove into the history of. Just the other day I picked up a near mint cib King's Quest for a $1.98. Sold it for $90. Wish I had kept it now.