Sonic 3D Blast

The Good
Attempts at 3D games on 16-bit systems are generally hit or miss - Sonic 3D Blast definitely falls into the former category. With minor exceptions of tricky enemy placements or moving platforms towards the end, the game's presentation is very clear and intuitive, not to mention most textures being far prettier and more detailed than in 2D games on the Mega Drive. On top of that, Sonic controls really smoothly, which cannot be said about some fully 3D games in the series like Adventure or Heroes.

The level design might feel a little simplistic early into the game, but the more you progress, the more varied and uniquely designed each zone you explore will be. It also feels generally more fair and balanced than in the earlier Sonic games, with malicious traps and artificial difficulty being fairly rare, especially for a fourth-generation console game. And while the gameplay itself is definitely slower-paced, the interesting level design more than makes up for it.

Another great thing about Sonic 3D Blast is the original soundtrack, primarily composed by Senoue Jun and Maeda Tatsuyuki. The tracks are very memorable, with interesting, synthwave-anticipating sound design, polished arrangements, catchy melodies, and a lot of atmosphere.

The Bad
One thing that drags Sonic 3D Blast down quite a bit is the difficulty spike towards the very end. While most of the game is reasonable and balanced when it comes to difficulty, the two final bosses are extremely unforgiving, almost like the infamous final sequence in Sonic 2.

The Bottom Line
Sonic 3D Blast is a strangely overlooked gem, a great example of 2.5D graphics and design on 16-bit consoles, and quite possibly the best entry in its iconic franchise. 8/10

[played in official emulator as part of SEGA Mega Drive Classics on PC]