Sonic Triple Trouble
Encyclopedia
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (Sonic & Tails 2 in Japan
) is a platform
video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, for the Sega Game Gear
. It was developed
by Aspect and published
by Sega
in 1994
. It is the sequel
to Sonic Chaos
, which was the first Sonic & Tails game in Japan. The game received mixed reception, with reviewers praising it as one of the few games that was close to replicating the quality of the Sonic games for the Sega Genesis, but still hindered by the technical limitations of the Game Gear too.
managed to capture all of the Chaos Emeralds, but an accident in the testing phase of his new ultimate weapon, the "Atomic Destroyer", scatters the Emeralds all across the island. While Sonic
and Tails
are out to retrieve them, they are cut short by Knuckles the Echidna
. Robotnik finds the yellow Emerald first, and dupes Knuckles into believing Sonic and Tails are out to steal the Emeralds.
Additionally, a treasure hunter named Nack the Weasel takes advantage of the fact that they are all distracted with fighting one another, in order to take the Emeralds for himself. He does not know of the power of the Emeralds, only that they'd be worth a lot of money, so he sets out to take them for himself before the others do.
versions, and lacked some of the elements found in the Sega Genesis
games, this Game Gear-exclusive game was much larger in size than its predecessors. Gameplay gave an experience very much in keeping with the Sonic games of the Genesis.
This is the first Sonic game in which the player does not lose all of his or her rings after getting hurt. Touching spikes will take away 50 rings. Any other type of hit will take away 30 rings.
The choice is given of playing as either Sonic or Tails. Sonic has the ability to do the Strike Dash/Super Peel (from Sonic CD) Out as he does in Sonic Chaos that gives him a speed burst and temporary invincibility. Tails has the ability of flight in this game. The enemies are Dr. Robotnik, Knuckles and the new character Nack the Weasel, who only appears in the Special Stages to keep aside the Chaos Emeralds. Special Stages are entered by finding an Emerald Item Box after collecting 50 rings and completing a task, such as navigating an obstacle course or completing a minigame, before fighting against Nack for the emerald.
This is the first "Sonic" game to feature spring maneuvers. After bouncing off of a spring, when the character is usually vulnerable, Sonic and Tails can now use the "Flying Spin Attack", allowing the character to roll into a ball for a brief moment to defend themselves. This maneuver is essential to some parts of the game, such as the first boss battle. Tails can alternatively begin flight, but he cannot fly upwards. This gameplay idea would not appear in the series again until Amy Rose was playable in Sonic Advance
with her hammer swing.
There are six Zones, each with three Acts: Great Turquoise, Sunset Park, Meta Junglira, Robotnik Winter, Tidal Plant and Atomic Destroyer. The third Act is merely a short course (with a small cache of Rings to pick up) followed by a boss, one of Robotnik's powerful robot creations. The doctor himself is not seen until the final stage.
Keeping with tradition, there are five unique special stages to access in the game. By collecting 50 rings and breaking open the "Chaos Emerald" item box, a portal appears which leads to the Special Stage. The first, third and fifth stages are giant mazes with a countdown timer. The timer can be boosted with "Stopwatch" item boxes scattered throughout, but it never exceeds one and a half minutes. The second and fourth Special Stages involve flying the Tornado aeroplane to collect rings and avoid bombs. At the end of every Special Stage, Nack shows up and attacks to protect the Chaos Emerald.
stated the game was "tolerable", amongst mostly negative reception for the rest of the games in Sonic Gems Collection. Games Radar called the game "reasonably competent, but no less tedious". IGN
described it as not "particularly stellar". However, Gamespot
was more positive about the game, praising it for being a better Sonic game than most attempts on the Game Gear, stating "...having been developed later on in the life of the Game Gear, isn't as technically limited and does a better job of capturing the Sonic side-scrolling feel." Sega Official Magazine
praised it as well, summarizing the game as "Graphically superb, Sonic Triple Trouble is a very enjoyable game, but it's just too easy to complete".
as part of the Sonic Adventure DX for the GameCube
and PC
as a hidden game. It was also included in Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2
. Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble was re-released on the Coleco Sonic
along with 19 other Game Gear and Master System games in 2006. It has also been announced for the Nintendo 3DS
Virtual Console service.
In August 1995, a 48-page comic adaptation within the Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog
was released.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) is a platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, for the Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Aspect and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
in 1994
1994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
. It is the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Sonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos is a platform game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1993...
, which was the first Sonic & Tails game in Japan. The game received mixed reception, with reviewers praising it as one of the few games that was close to replicating the quality of the Sonic games for the Sega Genesis, but still hindered by the technical limitations of the Game Gear too.
Story
Dr. RobotnikDoctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...
managed to capture all of the Chaos Emeralds, but an accident in the testing phase of his new ultimate weapon, the "Atomic Destroyer", scatters the Emeralds all across the island. While Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
and Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
are out to retrieve them, they are cut short by Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
. Robotnik finds the yellow Emerald first, and dupes Knuckles into believing Sonic and Tails are out to steal the Emeralds.
Additionally, a treasure hunter named Nack the Weasel takes advantage of the fact that they are all distracted with fighting one another, in order to take the Emeralds for himself. He does not know of the power of the Emeralds, only that they'd be worth a lot of money, so he sets out to take them for himself before the others do.
Gameplay
While the first few Sonic games for the Game Gear were simply ports of the Sega Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
versions, and lacked some of the elements found in the Sega Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
games, this Game Gear-exclusive game was much larger in size than its predecessors. Gameplay gave an experience very much in keeping with the Sonic games of the Genesis.
This is the first Sonic game in which the player does not lose all of his or her rings after getting hurt. Touching spikes will take away 50 rings. Any other type of hit will take away 30 rings.
The choice is given of playing as either Sonic or Tails. Sonic has the ability to do the Strike Dash/Super Peel (from Sonic CD) Out as he does in Sonic Chaos that gives him a speed burst and temporary invincibility. Tails has the ability of flight in this game. The enemies are Dr. Robotnik, Knuckles and the new character Nack the Weasel, who only appears in the Special Stages to keep aside the Chaos Emeralds. Special Stages are entered by finding an Emerald Item Box after collecting 50 rings and completing a task, such as navigating an obstacle course or completing a minigame, before fighting against Nack for the emerald.
This is the first "Sonic" game to feature spring maneuvers. After bouncing off of a spring, when the character is usually vulnerable, Sonic and Tails can now use the "Flying Spin Attack", allowing the character to roll into a ball for a brief moment to defend themselves. This maneuver is essential to some parts of the game, such as the first boss battle. Tails can alternatively begin flight, but he cannot fly upwards. This gameplay idea would not appear in the series again until Amy Rose was playable in Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance
is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, published by Sega , by THQ and by Infogrames for Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 4, 2002 and finally in Europe on March 23, 2002...
with her hammer swing.
There are six Zones, each with three Acts: Great Turquoise, Sunset Park, Meta Junglira, Robotnik Winter, Tidal Plant and Atomic Destroyer. The third Act is merely a short course (with a small cache of Rings to pick up) followed by a boss, one of Robotnik's powerful robot creations. The doctor himself is not seen until the final stage.
Keeping with tradition, there are five unique special stages to access in the game. By collecting 50 rings and breaking open the "Chaos Emerald" item box, a portal appears which leads to the Special Stage. The first, third and fifth stages are giant mazes with a countdown timer. The timer can be boosted with "Stopwatch" item boxes scattered throughout, but it never exceeds one and a half minutes. The second and fourth Special Stages involve flying the Tornado aeroplane to collect rings and avoid bombs. At the end of every Special Stage, Nack shows up and attacks to protect the Chaos Emerald.
Reception
The game has received mixed reception. EurogamerEurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
stated the game was "tolerable", amongst mostly negative reception for the rest of the games in Sonic Gems Collection. Games Radar called the game "reasonably competent, but no less tedious". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described it as not "particularly stellar". However, Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
was more positive about the game, praising it for being a better Sonic game than most attempts on the Game Gear, stating "...having been developed later on in the life of the Game Gear, isn't as technically limited and does a better job of capturing the Sonic side-scrolling feel." Sega Official Magazine
Sega Saturn Magazine
Sega Saturn Magazine was a monthly UK magazine dedicated to the Sega Saturn. It held the official Saturn magazine license for the UK, and as such some issues included a demo CD created by Sega, called Sega Flash, which included playable games and game footage...
praised it as well, summarizing the game as "Graphically superb, Sonic Triple Trouble is a very enjoyable game, but it's just too easy to complete".
Legacy
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble was re-released in 20032003 in video gaming
-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
as part of the Sonic Adventure DX for the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
as a hidden game. It was also included in Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble was re-released on the Coleco Sonic
Coleco Sonic
The Coleco Sonic is a handheld game console released in 2006 by Coleco, also marketed as PlayPal in Canada & United Kingdom and Pocket Gear in Europe. It features 20 built-in games from the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. All the games can be played either on the integrated 2.4" TFT LCD...
along with 19 other Game Gear and Master System games in 2006. It has also been announced for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
Virtual Console service.
In August 1995, a 48-page comic adaptation within the Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)
Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing series of American comic books published by Archie Comics, featuring Sega's mascot video game character of the same name. The comic book series debuted in the United States as a 4 part mini-series published between November 1992 and February 1993...
was released.