Tails' Skypatrol
Encyclopedia
is a platform
/adventure
video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by JSH
and published by Sega
for Sega Game Gear
. It was originally released on April 28, 1995 as an exclusive game to the Japanese market. The game was later included as an unlockable game in Nintendo
GameCube
's Sonic Adventure DX, and Sonic Gems Collection.
The game is a spin-off and a prequel
to the Sonic series following the adventures of Sonic's
trusty sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower
as he tries to save an island from Wendy Witchcart, who turns anyone opposing her into crystals with her magic and also before meeting Sonic.
Across each stage Tails carries a golden ring with him which he can throw as a projectile to defeat enemies or break walls. Using the Ring, he will also latch on to any number of devices the player will encounter in each stage, ranging from gymnastics bars to rail carts.
In order to stay afloat, the player must constantly watch Tails' flight meter, which slowly drops to zero. Scattered across the map are Mint
Candies which Tails can collect in groups of either one, two or three to replenish his stamina.
on an island she claims as her own, and is the main villain. She claims she is able to turn any dissenters into crystal. In the game, the goal of Tails is to free the island and its inhabitants from her tyranny.
Aside from an army of robots, Wendy's main lackeys are:
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...
/adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by JSH
Biox
Biox is an American medical technology company founded in 1979 known for the development of the first widely used pulse oximeter. Michael Hickey, Scott Wilber, and Bill Moe founded Biox Technology in 1979. Mr. Hickey served as the company's CEO, Mr. Wilber was the company's Chief Engineer and...
and published 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...
for 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 originally released on April 28, 1995 as an exclusive game to the Japanese market. The game was later included as an unlockable game in Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
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...
's Sonic Adventure DX, and Sonic Gems Collection.
The game is a spin-off and a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the Sonic series following the adventures of Sonic's
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...
trusty sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower
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....
as he tries to save an island from Wendy Witchcart, who turns anyone opposing her into crystals with her magic and also before meeting Sonic.
Story
While flying aimlessly on a solo adventure, Tails discovers a small island and lands to investigate. The island appears to be totally uninhabited except for mine cart tracks that weave around the landscape. Tails momentarily frets that Eggman may have some kind of discreet operations transpiring on the island, but his thought is interrupted when he notices the vibration of an approaching cart on the tracks. Sensing danger, he leaps into a nearby cluster of bushes just in time to see a gnarled old hag whiz by in a sparkling silver cart. The old woman, announcing to nobody inparticular, proclaims herself to be the great Witchcart, and claims the island and everything on it as her own, threatening to transform any dissidents into crystal. With a wild cackle, she calls her henchmen to the "flying machine" and is followed in short order by Carrotia, Bearenger, and Fockewulf. Tails, determined to free the animals of the island, emerges from his hiding place and gives chase to Witchcart and her minions.Gameplay
The gameplay of Tails' Skypatrol is less in line with the familiar platforming style of the traditional Sonic games. There are no rings or emeralds to be collected, Dr. Robotnik is entirely absent and Tails is constantly "suspended" in flight mode and clears each stage simply by completing each course from left to right. The screen is fixed and constantly moves along with him. Should Tails fall, bump into objects or touch the ground, he loses a life.Across each stage Tails carries a golden ring with him which he can throw as a projectile to defeat enemies or break walls. Using the Ring, he will also latch on to any number of devices the player will encounter in each stage, ranging from gymnastics bars to rail carts.
In order to stay afloat, the player must constantly watch Tails' flight meter, which slowly drops to zero. Scattered across the map are Mint
Mint (candy)
A mint is a candy characterized by the presence of mint flavoring or real mint oil, whether it be peppermint oil, spearmint oil, or another natural or artificial source...
Candies which Tails can collect in groups of either one, two or three to replenish his stamina.
Characters
Wendy Witchcart is an old human witch who rides around in a specialized rail cartCart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
on an island she claims as her own, and is the main villain. She claims she is able to turn any dissenters into crystal. In the game, the goal of Tails is to free the island and its inhabitants from her tyranny.
Aside from an army of robots, Wendy's main lackeys are:
- Fockewulf, a blue male anthropomorphic wolf who rides a flying bikeMotorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. He appears to be named after Focke-WulfFocke-WulfFocke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.-History:...
, a GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company known for manufacturing military aircraftMilitary aircraftA military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
for the LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during the second World War. Fockewulf is the first boss of the game, fighting Tails in Rail Canyon, the second level (the first level has no boss). He fights by throwing grenades at Tails, which explode into four pieces on impact.
- Bearenger, a black male anthropomorphic bearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
who rides a small flying rocketRocketA rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
with a shark face similar to the Flying TigersFlying TigersThe 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
fighter planes from World War II. He is the boss of Ruin Wood, the third level. Bearenger fights by firing energy projectiles in sets of three from his rocket.
- Carrotia, an orange female anthropomorphic rabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
who flies in a flying carrotCarrotThe carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
. She wears a bow and is the boss of Metal Island, the fourth level, where she fights by firing small carrot-shaped homing missileMissileThough a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s and throwing kissKissA kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
es.
External links
- Tails' Skypatrol at Green Hill Zone - contains info, screenshots and a basic walkthrough.